In the biblical context, the term "nursed" refers to the act of breastfeeding or providing nourishment to an infant or child. This concept is often used both literally and metaphorically throughout the Scriptures, illustrating themes of care, sustenance, and spiritual growth.

Old Testament References

1. Moses: One of the most notable instances of nursing in the Bible is the account of Moses. After his birth, Moses was hidden by his mother to protect him from Pharaoh's decree to kill all Hebrew male infants. When she could no longer hide him, she placed him in a basket on the Nile River. Pharaoh's daughter discovered him and, moved with compassion, decided to adopt him. Moses' sister, Miriam, offered to find a Hebrew woman to nurse the child, and Moses' own mother was chosen for this task. "Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, 'Take this child and nurse him for me, and I will pay your wages.' So the woman took the boy and nursed him" (Exodus 2:9). This account highlights God's providence and the preservation of His chosen leader for Israel.

2. Hannah and Samuel: Hannah, the mother of Samuel, also plays a significant role in the theme of nursing. After praying earnestly for a child, she vowed to dedicate him to the Lord. Once Samuel was born, Hannah nursed him until he was weaned. "When she had weaned him, she took him with her to the house of the LORD at Shiloh, though the boy was still young" (1 Samuel 1:24). This act of nursing and subsequent dedication underscores the importance of nurturing children in the faith from an early age.

New Testament References

1. Spiritual Nourishment: In the New Testament, the concept of nursing is often used metaphorically to describe spiritual nourishment and growth. The Apostle Paul uses this imagery to convey the idea of spiritual maturity. In his letter to the Corinthians, he writes, "I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready" (1 Corinthians 3:2). Here, milk symbolizes the basic teachings of the faith, suitable for new believers, while solid food represents deeper, more complex doctrines for the mature.

2. Gentle Care: Paul also uses the metaphor of nursing to describe his gentle and caring approach to ministry. In his letter to the Thessalonians, he writes, "We were gentle among you, like a nursing mother caring for her children" (1 Thessalonians 2:7). This imagery emphasizes the tender and nurturing nature of pastoral care, reflecting the love and patience required in guiding new believers.

Theological Implications

The act of nursing in the Bible carries significant theological implications. It symbolizes God's provision and care for His people, as well as the responsibility of parents and spiritual leaders to nurture and guide those under their care. The imagery of nursing underscores the importance of foundational teachings and the gradual process of spiritual growth and maturity. Through both literal and metaphorical uses, the concept of nursing in the Bible highlights the intimate and sustaining relationship between God and His children, as well as the communal responsibility to foster faith and discipleship.(imp. & p. p.) of Nurse.2337. thelazo -- to suckle
... See 2338 (). Word Origin from thele (a nipple) Definition to suckle NASB
Word Usage nursed (1), nursing babies (4). to suckle, suck. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2337.htm - 6k

5142. trepho -- to make to grow, to nourish, feed
... verb Definition to make to grow, to nourish, feed NASB Word Usage brought (1), fattened
(1), fed (1), feed (1), feeds (2), nourished (2), nursed (1). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5142.htm - 7k

5134. nuq -- to suckle, nurse
... to suckle, nurse. Transliteration: nuq Phonetic Spelling: (nook) Short Definition:
nursed. ... root Definition to suckle, nurse NASB Word Usage nursed (1). nurse. ...
/hebrew/5134.htm - 5k

3243. yanaq -- to suck
... root Definition to suck NASB Word Usage draw (1), infant (3), infants (2), milking
(1), nurse (11), nursed (3), nurses (1), nursing (1), nursing babes (1 ...
/hebrew/3243.htm - 6k

Home as a Nursery.
... Isaiah, in speaking of the coming Messiah and the glory of his church, says, "Thy
daughters shall be nursed at thy side." "Kings shall be thy nursing fathers ...
//christianbookshelf.org/philips/the christian home/chapter xiii home as a.htm

Of the Kings of Latium, the First and Twelfth of Whom, ??neas and ...
... who conceived twin sons by Mars, as they will have it, in that way honoring or excusing
her adultery, adding as a proof that a she-wolf nursed the infants when ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/city of god/chapter 21 of the kings of.htm

That Rome Made Its Founder Romulus a God Because it Loved Him; but ...
... For as to that wolf which is said to have nursed the twin-brothers, and which is
considered a great marvel, how does this prove him to have been divine? ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/city of god/chapter 6 that rome made its.htm

Dwight -- the Sovereignty of God
... He is nursed, if he can be said to be nursed at all, on a coarse, scanty and precarious
pittance; holds life only as a tenant at will; combats from the first ...
/.../kleiser/the worlds great sermons volume 3/dwight the sovereignty of.htm

The True Christian Life
... injured. These were borne into the hospital that they might be nursed back
to strength, and one of them was given to this young girl. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/chapman/and judas iscariot/the true christian life.htm

In the Homes of the People
... she prepared. Again, a drunken woman, whose body she nursed to health, while
she brought her soul to the Great Physician. An outside ...
/.../carpenter/the angel adjutant of twice born men/ix in the homes of.htm

The Mothering Heart
... Her own converts she nursed tenderly and guarded with unremitting care; but none
the less the converts, the weak souls, and the young people she found at any ...
/.../carpenter/the angel adjutant of twice born men/vii the mothering heart.htm

Home as a Stewardship.
... In nursing him for the queen, that devoted mother nursed him also for herself; and
in doing this, she was also promoting the welfare of her son, and executing ...
//christianbookshelf.org/philips/the christian home/chapter vi home as a.htm

Paul's First Prayer
... I have not many relations in heaven, but I have one whom I dearly love, who, I doubt
not, often prayed for me, for she nursed me when I was a child and brought ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 1 1855/pauls first prayer.htm

On the Festival of the Nativity, viii.
... understand unity of Godhead except in unity of Person, have maintained that the
Father is the same as the Son [839] : so that to be born and nursed, to suffer ...
/.../leo/writings of leo the great/sermon xxviii on the festival.htm

Nursed (13 Occurrences)
... (imp. & pp) of Nurse. Multi-Version Concordance Nursed (13 Occurrences). ... Acts
13:18 and for a time of about forty years he nursed them in the desert. (DBY). ...
/n/nursed.htm - 10k

Breasts (39 Occurrences)
... things, a certain woman out of the multitude lifted up her voice, and said to him,
"Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts which nursed you!" (WEB ...
/b/breasts.htm - 18k

Nurse (23 Occurrences)
... Exodus 2:9 Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this child away, and nurse him
for me, and I will give you your wages." The woman took the child, and nursed it ...
/n/nurse.htm - 17k

Bore (221 Occurrences)
... things, a certain woman out of the multitude lifted up her voice, and said to him,
"Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts which nursed you!" (WEB ...
/b/bore.htm - 38k

Blessed (338 Occurrences)
... things, a certain woman out of the multitude lifted up her voice, and said to him,
"Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts which nursed you!" (WEB ...
/b/blessed.htm - 37k

Naomi (25 Occurrences)
... bitterness"), "for," she said, "the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me."
She advised Ruth in her dealings with Boaz, and afterward nursed their child ...
/n/naomi.htm - 17k

Nurses (2 Occurrences)

/n/nurses.htm - 7k

Nursling (3 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (n.) One who, or that which, is nursed; an infant;
a fondling. Multi-Version Concordance Nursling (3 Occurrences). ...
/n/nursling.htm - 7k

Lifted (466 Occurrences)
... things, a certain woman out of the multitude lifted up her voice, and said to him,
"Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts which nursed you!" (WEB ...
/l/lifted.htm - 36k

Weaned (9 Occurrences)
... Wait until you have weaned him; only may Yahweh establish his word." So
the woman waited and nursed her son, until she weaned him. ...
/w/weaned.htm - 9k

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