| Conception’s Significance |
- Is an Embryo a Baby? | Scientifically
- Is an Embryo a Baby? | Biblically
- When Does a Person’s Life Begin? | Biblically (this page)
A Good Question
First of all, I want to acknowledge that this is a good question. Because of how central the answer is to our perspective on current issues and even more personal decisions on starting and planning a family, this is a question for which many of us need a solid answer. Our purpose throughout this Resource is to provide the kind of careful and thorough analysis that we’d all like to know supports our perspective on the answer to this question.
Whenever we addressed this question scientifically, we addressed it in two parts: When Does Life Begin Scientifically and When Is a Person a Person Scientifically. For the Bible, I felt that the answer to both questions were so intertwined that it made sense to address them simultaneously. So, let’s ask the Bible this question: When Does a Person’s Life Begin?
As we explore this, we’ll discuss:
- Is conception in the Bible?
- Is a person conceived?
- Does a person’s life begin at conception?
- How should we regard the person at conception?
Is Conception in the Bible?
If conception is truly the beginning point of a person’s life, as we have seen supported by scientific observation, then we would expect to see an emphasis on this event in Scripture. From looking through the Bible, there is indeed a significant focus on conception. The Bible talks about conception 56 times throughout the Old and New Testaments (i.e. a variation of “conception” is translated 56 times in the ESV). Most of these occurrences come from the root word in Hebrew, ‘harah’, meaning ‘to conceive’. Let’s start with a foundational question, is this word appropriately translated. In other words, is the idea represented by the word ‘harah’ in the Bible what we mean when we use the term conception today: fertilization of an egg by a sperm as a direct result of intercourse.
In examining the uses of this term in Scripture, a few observations can be made that thoroughly support the appropriate translation of this term as “conception” (or similar):
First, it’s often used in direct connection with intercourse. For example, “Adam knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain” (Genesis 4:1, emphasis added) where ‘knew’ is the common Biblical euphemism for intercourse. Other examples where conception is a direct result of intercourse include Genesis 4:17, 16:4-5, 30:4-5, 30:16-17, 38:2-3, 38:18-19; Ruth 4:13; 1 Samuel 1:19-20; 2 Samuel 11:4-5; and 1 Chronicles 7:23.
Second, the verses using this term demonstrate that the term for conception is distinct from pregnancy and occurs prior to it. For example, Hosea 9:11 says, “no birth, no pregnancy, and no conception”. Other examples include Job 15:35 and Psalms 7:14 which provide metaphorical uses of the term for conception as part of the lifecycle of evil: “Behold, the wicked man conceives evil, and is pregnant with mischief, and gives birth to lies” (Psalms 7:14, emphasis added).
Third, several verses demonstrate that it is a specific event that occurs at a specific point in time. That’s in contract to pregnancy which spans a period of time. One example of this is in Luke 1:24 where it says that “Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden”. Other examples of this include Genesis 16:4 where Hagar conceived and then, later, noticed that she had conceived. Also, 1 Samuel 1:20 says, “in due time, after Hannah had conceived, that she gave birth to a son” illustrating that conception occurred, the due time past (pregnancy), then she gave birth.
The single passage that makes the accuracy of the translation most clear is the passage describing the conception of Perez and Zerah (sons of Judah by Tamar) in Genesis 38:15-19. Specifically, verses 18-19 outline that Judah “went in to her, and she conceived by him. Then she arose and went away, and taking off her veil she put on the garments of her widowhood”. In this passage, we can see that he went in to her (intercourse), she conceived (root word ‘harah’), and then she arose and went away. This passage makes it clear that the Scriptures unambiguously mean conception (fertilization) when using this term and not implantation or some later stage in pregnancy because only conception can occur at the time of intercourse (implantation, the next stage, happens about 8-9 days after conception).
Having established this, the most important question to ask is how does the Bible use this term for conception? Does it use this term in the context that a “person” is conceived or a “thing”?
Is a Person Conceived?
As our first example, let’s look at Job. When we reach the third chapter, Job is lamenting his existence: “Let the day perish on which I was born, and the night that said, ‘A man is conceived.’” (Job 3:3, emphasis added). Essentially, Job is saying “I wish I was never born” and then, to take his lament even further, “I wish I was never conceived”. Note that it is “a man” who is conceived. The biblical language here affirms that it was a man (i.e. a person) and not a thing that was conceived. Further, if we take into account the context of this passage: Job is wishing he never existed, so he points back not only to when he was born but to when he was conceived. In other words, Job points back to his conception as the beginning of his unique existence.
A little later, Job expresses a similar thought wherein he explicitly states that he was alive in the womb. “Why did you bring me out from the womb? Would that I had died before any eye had seen me and were as though I had not been, carried from the womb to the grave.” (Job 10:18-19, emphasis added). The idea expressed in Job then is that it was not a “thing” that was conceived but it was indeed Job who was conceived and who was alive in the womb: a unique person who had a unique calling from God.
As another example, in Luke 1:36 the angel Gabriel tells Mary, “your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son” (emphasis added). This language also explicitly states that it was a son who was conceived. This serves as another example where the Bible recognizes that the gender and, by extension, identity is set at conception. It was not a thing that was conceived but a person, more specifically, a son. By extension of the context, it was John the Baptist who was conceived: an individual person with a unique calling from God.
Some verses even utilize first person pronouns (i.e. “me”) in connection with conception. In David’s lament in Psalms 51:5 he says, “in sin did my mother conceive me” (emphasis added). Implied in this language is that David, under God’s inspiration as he writes this text, acknowledges that he was conceived. In other words, it was not a “thing” that David’s mother conceived but it was David himself who was conceived: a unique person with a unique calling from God. Similarly, in Song of Solomon 3:4, the Shulamite woman recounts “into my mother’s house, and into the chamber of her who conceived me” (emphasis added). We can again see it was this woman who was conceived: a unique person with a unique calling from God. From these examples, we can each rightly say, “I was conceived”. It adds an element of personal connection where we recognize that each of us did indeed exist at conception (just as we existed at birth and just as we do now).
Similar to these examples, some verses utilize third person (i.e. “them”) in connection with conception. In one example, God Himself is speaking. In Hosea 2, God is speaking about the people of Israel when He says, “she who conceived them has acted shamefully.” (Hosea 2:5, emphasis added). Another example is Numbers 11:12. Moses is expressing his frustration from being responsible for the people of Israel: “Did I conceive all this people? Did I give them birth, that you should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a nursing child,’ to the land that you swore to give their fathers?” (Numbers 11:12, emphasis added). Again, implied in this verse is that that people are conceived, not things. Another valuable insight can be drawn from the context of Moses’ questioning. The implication from Moses’ question is that if he had conceived all the Israelites then he would have had a responsibility to care for them.
Does a Person’s Life Begin at Conception?
One of the most frequent uses of conception in the Bible is in the context of a narrative historical account, a story. Several of these examples are the first verses where major Biblical characters are introduced like Moses or Sampson or John the Baptist. Let’s take a look at just a few examples.
Jacob and Esau
In Genesis 25, we find the story that first introduces Esau and Jacob – the sons of Isaac:
Genesis 25:21-24
First, note that while they are still in the womb, the Bible refers to Jacob and Esau as “the children” from the root word (ben) that is used almost 5,000 times in the Old Testament to refer to children. this reinforces that it is children (i.e. people) who are in the womb. Notice that the prophecy in this passage illustrates how these twins were each a unique individual with a unique calling from God. These were not just two people in her womb, but two “peoples”. God recognized their destinies to be fathers, even fathers of two nations (Jacob of Israel and Esau of Edom). Moreover, they even started their callings in the womb as they “struggled together within her”.
In Romans 9, Paul retells the story of Jacob and Esau and, just like Genesis, begins with their conception: “when Rebekah had conceived children … she was told, ‘The older will serve the younger.’” (Romans 9:10-12). In this verse Paul makes it explicit that the calling of God for Jacob and Esau was set when they were conceived (“when Rebekah had conceived”).
Sampson
The story that introduces Sampson is in Judges 13:
Judges 13:3-5, emphasis added
Once again, Sampson is called a “child” in the womb. Also, his calling also began before he was born: “the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb”. In other words, Sampson’s calling (i.e. his life) started in the womb and not just at his birth. Further, Sampson’s mother is commanded not to violate the Nazarene vow (i.e. not to drink alcohol or eat anything unclean). Why? The reason the angel gives is this: “for behold, you shall conceive and bear a son”. In other words, she had to honor the Nazarite vow because Sampson was to honor it even when he was conceived (not just when he was born). Sampson’s calling to be a Nazarite was set at conception and he was to honor this calling from conception to death: his entire existence.
John the Baptist
John the Baptist had a somewhat similar story which we can read in Luke 1. He is conceived in verse 24 of the chapter, but the prophecy concerning his conception comes a little earlier. While God’s calling for John isn’t right next to his conception, I just couldn’t pass up his story since it is such a powerful example of how our lives begin in the womb.
Luke 1:13-15, emphasis added
John the Baptist would be filled with the Holy Spirit even while he was in the womb. If he was not a person in his mother’s womb then he could not be filled with the Holy Spirit. Luke 1:41 provides another vivid description of the life and personality of John the Baptist while he was in the womb: “when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb”. Also, notice how the verse describes him as a baby (brephos) in the womb. This is the same term used elsewhere in the New Testament to describe babies (e.g. Jesus in the manger, in Luke 2:16). Luke, a medical doctor, demonstrates that there is no difference in personhood between the baby in the womb and the baby who has been born.
Jesus
As our final example where conception begins someone’s story, I’ve saved the story of Jesus. The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary:
In fact, five of the 56 verses that reference conception in the ESV translation are about the conception of Jesus, more than any other character (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:20, Matthew 1:23, Luke 1:31, Luke 2:21). God chose how Jesus would be incarnated. He could have had Jesus come to earth as an adult; He could have had Jesus come as a child; He could have had Jesus come as a newborn infant; He could have had Jesus come at any point in pregnancy from implantation to when his heart started to beat to when his brain began to register activity on an EEG. However, God chose that Jesus should be conceived, and He repeatedly emphasizes and clarifies for us that Jesus was conceived. The story of Jesus’ incarnation begins here with His conception.
Why did God choose this point? Hebrews 2:17 explains that Jesus “had to be made like his brothers in every respect.” That is, Jesus was to be fully man. God did not skip conception because it is essential to the human existence and Jesus was to be fully human. God chose conception as the beginning of Jesus’ human existence because it is indeed the beginning of every human existence.
So then, was Jesus any less of who He was when He was conceived but not yet born? Was He any less Immanuel when He was conceived but His heart had not yet begun to beat? Was He any less ‘fully God, fully man’ when He was conceived but had not yet implanted into Mary’s womb? No. Unequivocally, Jesus was Jesus at the instant He was conceived, not a moment later.
Many Others
The stories of conception we have in Scripture include 42 different people:
Cain (Genesis 4:1), Enoch (Genesis 4:17), Ishmael (Genesis 16:4), Isaac (Genesis 21:2), Jacob and Esau (Genesis 25:21), Reuben (Genesis 29:32), Simeon (Genesis 29:33), Levi (Genesis 29:34), Judah (Genesis 29:35), Dan (Genesis 30:5), Naphtali (Genesis 30:7), Issachar (Genesis 30:17), Zebulun (Genesis 30:19), Joseph (Genesis 30:23), Er (Genesis 38:3), Onan (Genesis 38:4), Perez and Zerah (Genesis 38:18), Sampson (Judges 13:3), Obed (Ruth 4:13), Samuel (1 Samuel 1:20), Samuel’s five siblings (1 Samuel 2:21), Solomon’s older brother (2 Samuel 11:5), the Shunamite woman’s son (2 Kings 4:17), three children of Pharaoh’s daughter (1 Chronicles 4:17), Beriah (1 Chronicles 7:23), Job (Job 3:3), David (Psalms 51:5), the Shulamite woman (Song of Solomon 3:4), Maher-shalal-hash-baz (Isaiah 8:3), Jezreel (Hosea 1:3), Lo-Ruhamah (Hosea 1:6), Lo-Ammi (Hosea 1:8), John the Baptist (Luke 1:24), and Jesus (Luke 1:31).
Men and women, great and small, in His divine inspiration of the Scriptures, God draws our focus in each of their stories at first to their conception. Is it not because conception is the beginning of each of their stories? Indeed, it is. It is seen in the pattern of these verses that conception is the beginning of every person’s story. God is not quiet in the Scriptures about the importance of conception as the beginning of the personhood of each of the saints – from Isaac to Joseph to Moses to Samuel to Jesus.
How Should We Regard a Person at Conception?
After walking through all of this, we can say with confidence that the Bible demonstrates that a person’s life begins at conception. Furthermore, we have seen that the Bible defines the quality of that life such that their soul is present from that moment of conception. As a conclusion, I’d like to take the time to apply this information. Whenever we consider the person at conception, what rights should they have? How should we regard a person at their conception?
The Bible actually provides an answer to this question in Exodus 21[1]:
Exodus 21:22-25, Amplified
The first question to address is whether this verse applies at conception or if it only applies at some later stage in pregnancy. Verse 21 tells us that this law applies “when men struggle together and hit a pregnant woman”. More specific to our question, does the word translated as “pregnant woman” here include the woman who has just recently conceived. The Hebrew word used is the root word “harah”. This is the same word we just discussed that is elsewhere translated as conception throughout the Bible. So, the pregnant woman for whom this law is relevant is a woman who has conceived a child, not just a woman who has reached some later stage in pregnancy. By contrast, the law does not use the root word ‘beten’ (literally, “womb”) which is often translated as “pregnancy” (i.e. Hosea 9:11).
To put this all together, the Bible imposes a fine in Exodus 21:22 because the offender has only caused the baby to be born prematurely and the baby is unharmed. If instead, the baby had been harmed such as death or injury, then verse 23-25 provide the appropriate punishment, “But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.” Even at conception, if the baby’s life was lost then the offender was required to pay with his life (a severe punishment that was reserved only for taking a person’s life).
So, what does all of this teach us about how we should regard a person at conception? They are afforded the same protection that any person would have. Quite simply, they are to be regarded fully as a person, equal in every sense.
The Weight of This Answer
I realize the way I’ve answered this question is possibly offensive to many who are reading this. There are other posts that do a better job of expressing my heart on the matter and my heart for those for whom this answer feels heavy or offensive. For example, I’d love for you to look at our post for Mother’s Day where I tell the story behind our search for an answer to this question. Because I worry that you may not take me up on that invitation, I’d like to briefly take a step back from the intellectual discourse and tell you how I feel.
Please don’t misunderstand me, my desire is in no way to condemn anyone here. My heart couldn’t possibly be further from this. I can only hope that I haven’t offended you, because I don’t mean to. If you have ever found yourself ending a pregnancy, I understand how even considering this answer can feel insurmountable. If you have been through IVF and have found yourself reluctant to implant an embryo at the end of the process, please understand that I know this is a difficult topic to even think about.
The weight of this answer though is not yours to bear. God’s unreserved love and acceptance of us and His strength to help us can overcome this weight. If it’s in your past, know that weight has already been borne for you by Jesus on the cross and God has only love for you. Like we discussed in our post on Mother’s Day, I hope that you can perhaps take comfort in knowing that God is caring for them now and that one day you will see them again.
If it’s in your future, Christ offers His help to bear the weight that choosing life represents. The fear of being rejected by our loved ones for an unplanned pregnancy is real, but He overshadows it with His promise of unreserved love and acceptance for us. The responsibility of having more children or having children sooner than we expected is scary, but He is ready to strengthen us through the challenges. He sees us as capable, having entrusted them to us.
I long to save you from the pain that ignoring conception’s significance represents. I long to set you free from the cycle of convincing yourself it didn’t mean anything over and over. I hope that knowing it was real allows you to grieve as it allowed us to grieve. We are here for you however we can be, please reach out. Please know that you are loved.
[1] Based on some older or more obscure translations, some people have misunderstood this passage to mean that the woman miscarries (i.e. the baby dies). So, let’s double check the translation. The language used in this passage that is translated as “gives birth prematurely” is from two Hebrew root words: yatsa and yeled. Yatsa means “to go or come out” and is used elsewhere to describe birth (Jerimiah 1:5). Yeled simply means “child”. The context that this happened because she was struck (i.e. not because it was her time) implies that the “child” “came out” prematurely. So, the translation there is appropriate. The language used in this passage that is translated as “there is no harm” is comprised of three underlying Hebrew words: ‘lo’ meaning “not”, ‘hayah’ meaning “come to pass”, and ‘ason’ meaning “harm”. The translation is simple enough that “no harm comes to pass” (i.e. the baby is not harmed). Also, if the text intended miscarriage, then the appropriate Hebrew word would be shakol (e.g. Exodus 23:26). This word is deliberately absent from the text in Exodus 21:22 because the author intends to communicate premature birth without harm and not miscarriage.