Children

In Bible times, it was important to have children. Childlessness was felt to be a big problem. Unlike the way things are today, children were also a practical necessity.

Children were regarded as a gift of God (Psalm 127:3). Having children made sure that the parents’ name continued. In addition, from an early age, children helped with work at home and on the land. Finally, they took care of their parents when they got older and needed help.

Women without children were disregarded. This caused conflicts in the family. Hannah, for example, was taunted for her childlessness by Peninnah in 1 Samuel 1:6. And Rachel was jealous of her sister Leah, who did have children (Genesis 30:1).
Childlessness was often seen as a punishment by God. He was the one who determined whether a woman would become pregnant or not. We find this idea in Genesis 29:31, for example.

If a woman remained childless, she could have children born to her by a concubine. This is what happens, among other places, in Genesis 30:3, where Rachel gives her servant Bilhah to her husband Jacob as a wife. When Bilhah becomes pregnant and has a son, Rachel takes the child “on her knees”. By doing this she takes on the child as her own son (Genesis 30:6).
We see the same thing in the book of Ruth, where Naomi takes the son of Ruth on her lap. From that point on, the neighbours call Obed “Naomi’s son” (Ruth 4:17).

Young children had very little to contribute in society. The older someone was, the more say they had. In the time of the Bible, sons were rather more important than daughters (see son and daughter) because sons stayed within the family, even after their marriage, so they could take care of their parents.