Gen. xxxvii. 2, 3, 4, &c. 1 Chr. xiii. 9. Gen. xxii. 5. Psal. xviii. 46. Isai. ii. 6. Gen. xliv. 20. Isai. lxv. 20.CHILD, puer or filius. In the Scripture Disciples are often called Children or Sons. Solomon in his Proverbs gives this name to his Disciple, Audi; Fili mi, &c. The Children of the Devil, the Sons of Belial are those who follow the maxims of the World and the Devil. The descendants of a Man, how remote soever they may be, are called Sons or Children; for example, the Children of Edom, the Children of Moab, the Children of Israel. This Expression, the Children of the Wedding, the Children of Light, the Children of Darkness, is sometimes used to signify those who are invited to the Wedding, who follow Light, who remain in Darkness; the Children of the Kingdom, those who belong to the Kingdom.
Persons who are almost of Age, are often called Children. For example, Joseph is called puer, tho’ he were at least sixteen. Isaac was above twenty, when Abraham still gave him this name. Benjamin of the age of above thirty, is still called puer parvulus. The Hebrews as well as the Greeks and Latins, called their Servants and Slaves pueri. Lastly, Men of full age have often the name of Children given them: The strange Children shall fail. They pleased themselves in the children of strangers. The child shall die an hundred years old; that is to say, Men shall die at the age of an hundred years; there shall be no more untimely deaths seen.