Does the Bible actually say birth is cursed?
I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I just learned this year, at the age of 31 and after all of my own birth experiences, that birth, is in fact, NOT cursed in the Genesis 3 story.
It can be far too easy to believe things to be true without studying them for ourselves. And while I’m not a Biblical scholar, I am a theologian (as are you, if you are a follower of Jesus). In the words of R.C. Sproul, “No Christian can avoid theology…the real issue is do we have a sound theology?
When many hear the word “theology,” they might think of views of salvation, end times, and baptism. And while those are all incredibly important and fun to discuss, our theology of birth is very important as well! So let’s dig into what the Bible actually says about birth!
Please take a moment to read Genesis 3:14-19 and then come back.
From Genesis 3:14-19, we can see that the word "cursed" ('ārar in Hebrew) is used twice in this passage.
In verse 14, God says to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life."
In verse 17, God says to Adam, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field."
So we see that two things are cursed in this passage: the serpent and the ground.
Birth, however, is not one of the things God says is cursed. If birth is not cursed, what does this passage actually say about it? Let's take a closer look at verse 16!
To understand this passage more clearly, we must look at some of the Hebrew words.
In verse 16, the word "pain" is used two different times (in many translations). The interesting thing to note here is that there are two different meanings of pain, as seen through the Hebrew words used.
The first reference to pain is ʿiṣṣāḇôn.
The second reference to pain is ʿēṣeḇ.
Why does this matter? Let's see!
What kind of pain are we talking about?
According to scholars, ʿiṣṣāḇôn is not typically used to describe physical pain, but mental or psychological anguish. This is the same "pain" we see in verse 17, when God is talking to Adam. This is important to recognize, because as Phylicia Masonheimer notes, “The curse of sin affected men and women equally, but in a manner specific to their individual creative abilities.”
But ʿēṣeḇ, on the other hand, is a term used to describe general, physical pain or strenuous work.
Another Hebrew word of significance
The Hebrew word used for "childbearing" in verse 16 (in which God says He will multiply the pain of) is hērāyôn. This word actually refers to conception or pregnancy, NOT birth.
In that sense, the KJV and NKJV translations of this verse are more accurate to the meaning of this passage:
"To the woman He said: 'I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth children." (NKJV)
So what can we take away from this?
Mamas, don't view birth as some awful, cursed thing. Yes, there will be pain involved in the process of conception, pregnancy, and birth (ʿiṣṣāḇôn and ʿēṣeḇ—this pain looks different for each of us), but there is no curse on this amazing process God has allowed us as women to uniquely be part of. The pain we experience is a result of sin entering the world, but again, it is NOT a direct curse on birth.
God uses everything for our good and His glory.
“Pregnancy, labor, and birth are just as miraculous as before the fall, but now they’re affected by sin…in birth, we actually get to partner with the creative power of God and we overcome [anxiety/fear/pain] by partnering with the saving power of God. Only women have this capability and that is something to be celebrated.” -Phylicia Masonheimer
“Our perspective on birth as Christians should be the most positive one that exists…we can be that biblical voice for birth.” -Phylicia Masonheimer
