Salted Babies

[Standing Firm In Christ]

Ezekiel 16:4 And as for thy nativity, in the day thou wast born thy navel was not cut, neither wast thou washed in water to supple thee; thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled at all.

An interesting book I have that was written in 1874 says this of that verse:

"Hand-Book of Bible Manners and Customs" by James M. Freeman, 1874; p. 304

Thou wast not salted, at all.

In ancient times new-born babes were rubbed with salt in order to harden
'their skin,as this operation was supposed to make it dry, tight, and firm.
Galen mentions the practice,and it is also referred to by Jerome in his commentary
on this passage. The salt may also have been applied as an
emblem of purity and incorruption.

 

 

[Arbo]

Not sure I understand what your point is.

[ASongOfDegrees]

Not sure I understand what your point is.

His point seems to be he's explaining what the salting of babies meant seeing we don't have such custom these days.

[Standing Firm In Christ]

I simply thought the verse and the explanation was interesting.

Question:  When a baby is born into the world today, what is used to clean them?  Is it possibly a saline (salt water) solution?  I don't know. 

But another thought, if Freeman is correct as to "salting babies," could there be any application to that practice and Matthew 5, where Jesus said, "Ye are the salt of the Earth.  And if the salt have lost its savour, wherewith shall it be salted?"

[Bro K]

I simply thought the verse and the explanation was interesting.

Question:  When a baby is born into the world today, what is used to clean them?  Is it possibly a saline (salt water) solution?  I don't know. 

But another thought, if Freeman is correct as to "salting babies," could there be any application to that practice and Matthew 5, where Jesus said, "Ye are the salt of the Earth.  And if the salt have lost its savour, wherewith shall it be salted?"

I cannot see an application between the two. There seems to be quite a few things I cannot see.

[Standing Firm In Christ]

I merely asked if there could be.

[Salyan]

Every time I see this forum name, I think it's about licorice.

[Miss Daisy]

I was afraid to open it because I thought it was going to be about saline abortions.

[Standing Firm In Christ]

I wonder why they salted infants? Could the author be right?

[HappyChristian]

I was afraid to open it because I thought it was going to be about saline abortions.

Me, too!

 

Interesting thoughts, SFIC.  I don't know that I remember really reading that verse before.  Salt does roughen the skin, so toughening it may have been the motive.  I know today that there have been studies that have shown that the vernix (what covers the newborn at birth) is good for the skin and should be absorbed into the skin for maximum benefit to the baby (imagine that  - God would actually have something form in the womb that is good for the baby...). Mayhap the rubbing in of salt in helped rub in the vernix.

 

This kind of stuff fascinates me!

[Standing Firm In Christ]

An interesting read I just found that may (or may not) explain the practice....

Salting Babies

[HappyChristian]

Very interesting!

[Miss Daisy]

Never heard of  people doing that  before.

[Standing Firm In Christ]

Nor I. But "thou wast not salted at all" has to mean something. And the fact that the phrase is surrounded by actions associated with a newborn, it has to be in relation to a newborn.

[Salyan]

So, in a culture where it is customary to salt a newborn, the logical conclusion is that a baby that was not salted was not loved or cared for properly - just like the context suggests.