Failure Of First Borns In Tanak / Younger Chosen Over Older

[Christian Zionist]

Myestry In Tanak:

1. Adam, G-d's first creation failed in his purpose and was driven out of the garden
2. Abel over Cain (Genesis 4:1-7 - G-d disapproved Cain's offerings, after Abel murder Seth was chosen and Noah descended from him.
3. Shem, the son of Noah was younger that Japheth (Genensis 10:21)
4. Issac over Ishmail (Genesis 17:15-19)
5. Jacob over Esau (Genesis 25:23, Malachi 1:2,3
7. Joseph over Reuben (birth right - Genesis 37:5-11, 45:8, 50:20)
8. Judah over Reuben (Genesis 49:10 - Royal line, Kings including David)
9. Levi over Reuben (Preisthood, Tabernacle ministry)
10. Perez, son of Judah over Er, Onan and Selah (King David's ancestry)
11. Ephraim over Manasseh (Genesis 48:20 - When Jacob blessed Joseph's sons he laid his right hand over the younger grand son)
12. Moses over Aaron to lead Israel (Exodus 7:7 - Aaron 83 years old and Moses 80 years old)
13. Kohath over Gershon - Moses and Aaron descended through Kohath and not from Gershon or Merari
14. Eliezer over Nadah and Abihu to continue the priestly line of Aaron (Leviticus 10:1)
14. Gideon (Judges 6:15)
15. David over Eliab (1 Samuel 16:1-13)
16. Solomon (1 King 1-2)

Biblical scholars also believe that Noah and Abraham were younger sons!


Well, there might be some personalities in the Bible who were first born but the Tanak does not explicitly mention G-d choosing an older son over an younger son as in the case of Ephraim over Manasseh.

[Lisa]

Excellent observation, Christian Zionist.  This is something I've always been curious about as well.

How about this quote, where G-d says to Rebecca:

Two nations are in your womb, / Two separate peoples shall issue from your body; / One people shall be mightier than the other, / And the older shall serve the younger" (Genesis 25:23).

You might want to ask Chaim about this for the next "Ask JTF program."  Or, if you have other questions you want him to answer, I'll be happy to ask him myself.

Great post.

[Christian Zionist]

Thanks Lisa!

You can ask Chaim this question.

My personal opinion:

1. G-d's first creation Adam/Eve disobeyed and disappointed Him.  Cain murdered his younger brother Abel. Therefore G-d had an inclination to choose younger sons over the older ones.

2. Even though the Tanak was written by various authors during different time periods the acutal author is Ruah HaKodesh who inspired His chosen vessels to write the Tanak.  Failure-Of-First-Borns is a secret link between the different books of Tanak proving G-d's authorship.

Regarding God's promise to Rebecca in Genesis 25:23 I think this is the first time in the Tanak God explicitly declares that the younger son(s) would be chosen to carry out God's will on the earth.  Later through out the Tanak it had become a regular pattern.

Tanak is not like the nazi koran which does not have any chronology and these kind of mysteries.

Ex-muslim author  Syed Kamran Mirza describes the koran as:

# It is the only book having no chronology, no chapters of definite subject/matters.
# It is the only book in which one verse is unrelated to the others, or no chapters (Sura) deal with any particular subject matter, rather whole chapter is a mixer of many subjects haphazardly.