Mothers, in the earliest times, suckled their offspring
themselves, and that from thirty to thirty-six months. The day when the
child was weaned was made a festival, Gen. xxi, 8; Exod. ii, 7, 9; 1
Sam. i, 22–24; 2 Chron. xxxi, 16; 2 Mac. vii, 27, 28; Matt, xxi, 16.
Nurses were employed, in case the mother died before the child was old
enough to be weaned, and when from any circumstances she was unable to
afford a sufficient supply of milk for its nourishment. In later ages,
when matrons had become more delicate, and thought themselves too infirm
to fulfil the duties which naturally devolved upon them, nurses were
employed to take their place, and were reckoned among the principal
members of the family. They are, accordingly, in consequence of the
respectable station which they sustained, frequently mentioned in sacred
history, Gen. xxxv, 8; 2 Kings xi, 2; 2 Chron. xxii, 11. The sons
remained till the fifth year in the care of the women; they then came
into the father’s hands, and were taught not only the arts and duties of
life, but were instructed in the Mosaic law, and in all parts of their
country’s religion, Deut, vi, 20–25; vii, 19; xi, 19. Those who wished
to have them farther instructed, provided they did not deem it
preferable to employ private teachers, sent them away to some priest or
Levite, who sometimes had a number of other children to instruct. It
appears from 1 Sam. i, 24–28, that there was a school near the holy
tabernacle, dedicated to the instruction of youth. There had been many
other schools of this kind, which had fallen into decay, but were
restored again by the Prophet Samuel; after whose time, the members of
the seminaries in question, who were denominated by way of distinction
“the sons of the prophets,” acquired no little notoriety. Daughters
rarely departed from the apartments appropriated to the females, except
when they went out with an urn to draw water. They spent their time in
learning those domestic and other arts, which are befitting a woman’s
situation and character, till they arrived at that period in life when
they were to be sold, or, by a better fortune, given away in marriage,
Prov. xxxi, 13; 2 Sam. xiii, 7.
2. In Scripture, disciples are often called children or sons, Solomon,
in his Proverbs, says,to his disciple, “Hear, my son.” The descendants
of a man, how remote soever, are denominated his sons or children; as
“the children of Edom,” “the children of Moab,” “the children of
Israel.” Such expressions as “the children of light,” “the children of
darkness,” “the children of the kingdom,” signify those who follow
truth, those who remain in error, and those who belong to the church.
Persons arrived at almost the age of maturity are sometimes called
“children.” Thus, Joseph is termed “the child,” though he was at least
sixteen years old, Gen. xxxvii, 30; and Benjamin, even when above
thirty, was so denominated, xliv, 20. By the Jewish law, children were
reckoned the property of their parents, who could sell them for seven
years to pay their debts. Their creditors had also the power of
compelling them to resort to this measure. The poor woman, whose oil
Elisha increased so much as enabled her to pay her husband’s debts,
complained to the prophet, that, her husband being dead, the creditor
was come to take away her two sons to be bondmen, 2 Kings iv, 1.
“Children, or sons of God,” is a name by which the angels are sometimes
described: “There was a day when the sons of God came to present
themselves before the Lord,” Job i, 6; ii, 1. Good men, in opposition to
the wicked, are also thus denominated; the children of Seth’s family, in
opposition to those of Cain: “The sons of God saw the daughters of men,”
Gen. vi, 2. Judges, magistrates, priests, are also termed children of
God: “I have said, Ye are gods, and all of you are the children of the
Most High,” Psa. lxxxii, 6. The Israelites are called “sons of God,” in
opposition to the Gentiles, Hosea i, 10; John xi, 52. In the New
Testament, believers are commonly called “children of God” by virtue of
their adoption. St. Paul, in several places, extols the advantages of
being adopted sons of God, Rom. viii, 14; Gal. iii, 26. “Children, or
sons of men,” is a name given to Cain’s family before the deluge, and,
in particular, to the giants who were violent men, and had corrupted
their ways. Afterward, the impious Israelites were thus called: “O ye
sons of men, how long will ye love vanity?” Psa. iv, 2. “The sons of
men, whose teeth are spears and arrows,” lvii, 4.
themselves, and that from thirty to thirty-six months. The day when the
child was weaned was made a festival, Gen. xxi, 8; Exod. ii, 7, 9; 1
Sam. i, 22–24; 2 Chron. xxxi, 16; 2 Mac. vii, 27, 28; Matt, xxi, 16.
Nurses were employed, in case the mother died before the child was old
enough to be weaned, and when from any circumstances she was unable to
afford a sufficient supply of milk for its nourishment. In later ages,
when matrons had become more delicate, and thought themselves too infirm
to fulfil the duties which naturally devolved upon them, nurses were
employed to take their place, and were reckoned among the principal
members of the family. They are, accordingly, in consequence of the
respectable station which they sustained, frequently mentioned in sacred
history, Gen. xxxv, 8; 2 Kings xi, 2; 2 Chron. xxii, 11. The sons
remained till the fifth year in the care of the women; they then came
into the father’s hands, and were taught not only the arts and duties of
life, but were instructed in the Mosaic law, and in all parts of their
country’s religion, Deut, vi, 20–25; vii, 19; xi, 19. Those who wished
to have them farther instructed, provided they did not deem it
preferable to employ private teachers, sent them away to some priest or
Levite, who sometimes had a number of other children to instruct. It
appears from 1 Sam. i, 24–28, that there was a school near the holy
tabernacle, dedicated to the instruction of youth. There had been many
other schools of this kind, which had fallen into decay, but were
restored again by the Prophet Samuel; after whose time, the members of
the seminaries in question, who were denominated by way of distinction
“the sons of the prophets,” acquired no little notoriety. Daughters
rarely departed from the apartments appropriated to the females, except
when they went out with an urn to draw water. They spent their time in
learning those domestic and other arts, which are befitting a woman’s
situation and character, till they arrived at that period in life when
they were to be sold, or, by a better fortune, given away in marriage,
Prov. xxxi, 13; 2 Sam. xiii, 7.
2. In Scripture, disciples are often called children or sons, Solomon,
in his Proverbs, says,to his disciple, “Hear, my son.” The descendants
of a man, how remote soever, are denominated his sons or children; as
“the children of Edom,” “the children of Moab,” “the children of
Israel.” Such expressions as “the children of light,” “the children of
darkness,” “the children of the kingdom,” signify those who follow
truth, those who remain in error, and those who belong to the church.
Persons arrived at almost the age of maturity are sometimes called
“children.” Thus, Joseph is termed “the child,” though he was at least
sixteen years old, Gen. xxxvii, 30; and Benjamin, even when above
thirty, was so denominated, xliv, 20. By the Jewish law, children were
reckoned the property of their parents, who could sell them for seven
years to pay their debts. Their creditors had also the power of
compelling them to resort to this measure. The poor woman, whose oil
Elisha increased so much as enabled her to pay her husband’s debts,
complained to the prophet, that, her husband being dead, the creditor
was come to take away her two sons to be bondmen, 2 Kings iv, 1.
“Children, or sons of God,” is a name by which the angels are sometimes
described: “There was a day when the sons of God came to present
themselves before the Lord,” Job i, 6; ii, 1. Good men, in opposition to
the wicked, are also thus denominated; the children of Seth’s family, in
opposition to those of Cain: “The sons of God saw the daughters of men,”
Gen. vi, 2. Judges, magistrates, priests, are also termed children of
God: “I have said, Ye are gods, and all of you are the children of the
Most High,” Psa. lxxxii, 6. The Israelites are called “sons of God,” in
opposition to the Gentiles, Hosea i, 10; John xi, 52. In the New
Testament, believers are commonly called “children of God” by virtue of
their adoption. St. Paul, in several places, extols the advantages of
being adopted sons of God, Rom. viii, 14; Gal. iii, 26. “Children, or
sons of men,” is a name given to Cain’s family before the deluge, and,
in particular, to the giants who were violent men, and had corrupted
their ways. Afterward, the impious Israelites were thus called: “O ye
sons of men, how long will ye love vanity?” Psa. iv, 2. “The sons of
men, whose teeth are spears and arrows,” lvii, 4.