Pain in Childbirth?

The common notion of a special “curse upon the woman” involving childbirth is based on one single verse in the Bible, where God says to Eve:

“I will greatly multiply thy sorrow (etsev) and thy conception; in sorrow (etsev) thou shalt bring forth children.” (Genesis 3:16)

The word “curse” does not appear in this verse, and neither does “pain” It is a fact, of course, that the combined sins of Adam and Eve did bring a curse upon the earth, all creation, and also themselves — in the sense that they were now subject to mortality and other related difficulties and labors. But it is a fallacy derived from medieval ignorance and Catholic superstition that a special curse of pain during childbirth came upon Eve as a result of her sin.

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Author: George Booker

Keywords: Childbirth, Labor, Giving birth, Pain in childbearing, Child bearing, Women in labor, Labor pains, Curse of Eve

Bible reference(s): Gen. 3:16, Gen. 38:28, 1 Sam. 4:19, Isa. 37:3, Isa. 54:1, Isa. 66:8, Jer. 31:8, Jer. 13:21, Micah 4:9-10, Micah 5:3, John 16:21, 1 Thes. 5:3

Source: “Pain in Childbirth?”, The Agora.

Page indexed by: inWORD Bible Software.