For those who take a literal-historical view of the opening chapters of Genesis, the Fall and subsequent consequences for humankind are actual events with implications for the human condition ever since. In particular, God’s statement that Eve would suffer increased pain in childbirth has occasioned much discussion and controversy throughout Christian denominations.
Genesis 3 and the Pain of Childbirth
Contrary to popular belief, the Bible never says that pain itself originated after the Fall. Pain is a highly effective way of protecting the body from damage. Aching feet cause a person to alter his stride, preventing blisters from forming; a person’s quick leap away from something hot or sharp prevents much more serious damage. An interesting resource on this subject is The Gift of Pain by theologian Philip Yancey and Paul Brand, a doctor specialising in the treatment of leprosy. The authors conclude that, while rampant, out-of-control pain is indeed a result of the Fall, pain itself is a wonderful system that would have caused little suffering in a pre-Fall world.
The text of the curse cannot in fact be read to imply that childbirth before the Fall would have been totally painless; God refers to an increase in pain, not the creation of it. Various translations render the text of Genesis 3:16 as follows:
"I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;
in pain you shall bring forth children.” (ESV)
“I will make your pains in childbearing very severe;
with painful labor you will give birth to children.” (NIV)
“Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children” (KJV)
This can be taken to refer to pregnancy as well as childbirth itself. Richard T Rittenbaugh writes: “The Hebrew word rendered "conception" in the New King James version (NKJV) includes the entire pregnancy, while "bring forth" can mean both the beginning or end of the birth process.”
The text does not imply that procreation itself was a result of the Fall; ie, that Adam and Eve would not have had sex or children if they had not sinned (a minority Christian viewpoint). God commanded the couple in Genesis 1:28 (before the Fall) to “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it”.
Theological Implications for Pain Relief in Childbirth
Very few Christians today are religiously opposed to the use of pain relief in labour. Nevertheless, as the topic comes up from time to time, it is worthwhile to examine the justification for pain relief in labour for Christian women.
Perhaps the best way to view the relief of pain in childbirth is to compare it to the relief of the equivalent male punishment – hard physical toil in order to eat. While this state of affairs is seen as the general lot of man in the Bible, there is no implication that labour-saving devices or sedentary occupations are evil. Several holy biblical figures were rich men, with enough servants to avoid personally toiling in the fields for food; these men were considered to be blessed by God.
Similarly, while it is currently impossible for women to eliminate all discomfort and risk from the childbearing process, it is hard to see how attempting to minimise pain is sinful.
This parallel also sheds light on the issue of painless childbirth for some women. Not every woman has an agonising labour or unpleasant pregnancy, just as not every man’s breadwinning involves painful toil. It seems both statements are meant as general statements for the human condition, not meant to apply equally to every single person. Certainly there is a great deal of research to indicate that labour conditions, prenatal nutrition, psychological factors and the position of the baby can greatly impact the pain of labour. Many modern Western practices such as Pitocin induction, restriction of food and drink during labour, the lithotomy position and routine episiotomy produce an “unnatural” level of pain and discomfort in labouring women.
Childbirth in the Bible
Elsewhere in the Bible, painful childbirth is mentioned as an accepted fact. Micah 4 refers to “pain... like that of a woman in labour”; Isaiah 13:8 says “pain and anguish will grip them; they will writhe like a woman in labour”. The Bible also records Rachel’s death during childbirth (while giving birth to Benjamin). In Exodus, Hebrew midwives cheated Pharaoh’s edict to destroy all Israelite baby boys at birth, by declaring that Hebrew women were “not like Egyptian women” and gave birth rapidly, before the midwives arrived. While the statement about the Hebrew women was untrue, Pharaoh seems to have accepted the assertion that Egyptian women’s labours could be slow, indicating that they may have had a difficult time giving birth.
The Bible does not have an entirely negative view of childbirth, however. Both Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist, and Mary the mother of Jesus expressed great joy at their unconventional pregnancies. John 16:21 declares “A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world.”
1 Timothy 2:15, a very controversial verse which states “But women shall be saved through childbearing”, is interpreted by some as God promising protection for his followers from the high mortality rates of the day.
Sarah Tennant - Sarah Tennant is a onetime English major who lives in New Zealand with her husband and two small children. Her interests range from ...
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