"Be fruitful and multiply," was the blessing of God: barrenness therefore was reckoned a reproach The intense desire of having children, observable among the Jewish women, arose not only from this reproach of barrenness, but from the hope of being the mother of the promised seed, and Him in whom all the nations of the earth were to be blessed. "And when the LORDª sawª° that¹ Leahª [was] hated,ª° he openedª°¹ her womb:ª but Rachelª [was] barren.ª" {Gen 29:31} + "But unto Hannahª he gaveª° aª worthyª portion;ª for¹ he lovedª°¹ Hannah:ª but the LORDª had shut upª° her womb.ª ... And her adversaryª also¹ provokedª° her sore,ª for to¹ make her fret,ª° because¹ the LORDª had shut²° upª¹ her womb.ª" {1Sm 1:5-6} + "And in that¹ dayª sevenª womenª shall take holdª° of oneª man,ª saying,ª° We will eatª° our own bread,ª and wearª° our own apparel:ª only¹ let us be calledª° by thy name,ª to take¹ away²° our reproach.ª" {Isa 4:1} + "Andª the¹ peopleª waited²°²° for¹¹ Zacharias,ª andª marvelledª° that² heª tarried so longª° inª the¹ temple.ª" {Lke 1:21} + "² Thusª hath²° the¹ Lordª dealtª° with meª inª the¹ daysª whereinª he looked onª° [me], to take awayª° myª reproachª amongª men.ª" {Lke 1:25} + "Toª a virginª espousedª° to a manª whoseª nameª was Joseph,ª ofª the houseª of David;ª andª the¹ virgin'sª nameª [was] Mary.ª" {Lke 1:27}