Nurse

Who looks after a child when the world turns dangerous? In these verses a nurse often does. Rebekah leaves home with her nurse, and Deborah the nurse is later buried under an oak near Bethel. Moses’ own mother is hired to nurse him for Pharaoh’s daughter. Jehosheba hides little Joash and his nurse from a queen who is killing the royal family, and Mephibosheth is dropped when his nurse flees in haste. Naomi, too, “became nurse unto” her grandson in Ruth 4:16.

7 verses

Genesis

Genesis 24:59

And they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham's servant, and his men.

Genesis 35:8

But Deborah Rebekah's nurse died, and she was buried beneath Bethel under an oak: and the name of it was called Allonbachuth.

Exodus

Exodus 2:7

Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?

Ruth

Ruth 4:16

And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it.

2 Samuel

2 Samuel 4:4

And Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son that was lame of his feet. He was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up, and fled: and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.

2 Kings

2 Kings 11:2

But Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king's sons which were slain; and they hid him, even him and his nurse, in the bedchamber from Athaliah, so that he was not slain.

Isaiah

Isaiah 60:4

Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.

From Smith's Bible Dictionary

William Smith, 1884

In ancient times the position of the nurse, wherever one was maintained, was one of much honor sad importance. See (Genesis 24:59; 36;8; 2 Samuel 4:4; 2 Kings 11:2) The same term is applied to a foster-father or mother, e.g. (Numbers 11:12; Ruth 4:16; Isaiah 49:23)