Did God Directly Form Us in the Womb?

As you read this section, keep in mind that the New Testament is not merely a history book, it's meant to change us to become more and more like Jesus. When we read any passages in the New Testament, our goal should be to discern what God wants us to believe and do so that we can be obedient to Him.

When we study the Bible, it's very easy to get the wrong impression and form the wrong views if we only look at a few Bible passages (this is explained in detail in my article called How to Study the Bible). For example, notice that in several places we're told that God directly forms people in the womb:

"Your hands shaped me and made [asah] me. Will you now turn and destroy me? Remember that you molded [asah] me like clay. Will you now turn me to dust again? Did you not pour me out like milk and curdle me like cheese, clothe me with skin and flesh and knit me together with bones and sinews? You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your providence watched over my spirit." (Job 10:8-12)

"Did not he who made [asah] me in the womb make [asah] them? Did not the same one form us both within our mothers?" (Job 31:15)

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb [beten]. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made [asah] in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body" (Psalms 139:13-16)

"The word of the LORD came to me, saying, "Before I formed [yasar] you in the womb [beten] I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."" (Jeremiah 1:4-5)

"Do we not all have one Father? Did not one God create [bara] us? Why do we profane the covenant of our ancestors by being unfaithful to one another?" (Malachi 2:10)

If we only look at the above passages, it would be easy to assume that the Bible says that God directly forms each person in the womb.

But notice that in these passages, God used the exact same Hebrew words to say that He formed the nation of Israel in the womb (Bible commentaries point out that "Jacob" and "Jeshurun" are poetic synonyms for the nation of Israel here):

"But now, this is what the LORD says - he who created [bara] you, Jacob, he who formed [yasar] you, Israel: "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine...I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, 'Give them up!' and to the south, 'Do not hold them back.' Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth - everyone who is called by my name, whom I created [bara] for my glory, whom I formed [yasar] and made [asah]."...I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed [yasar] for myself that they may proclaim my praise."" (Isaiah 43:1-21)

"But now listen, Jacob, my servant, Israel, whom I have chosen. This is what the LORD says - he who made [asah] you, who formed [yasar] you in the womb [beten], and who will help you: Do not be afraid, Jacob, my servant, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen...Remember these things, Jacob, for you, Israel, are my servant. I have made [yasar] you, you are my servant; Israel, I will not forget you...This is what the LORD says - your Redeemer, who formed [yasar] you in the womb [beten]: I am the LORD, the Maker of all things, who stretches out the heavens, who spreads out the earth by myself" (Isaiah 44:1-24)

In the above two passages, God said that He had formed the nation of Israel in the womb, and He used the exact same Hebrew words that we saw in the previous passages. The nation itself was not formed in a literal womb, so God was using figurative, colorful, flowery, or poetic language to describe Israel's formation. Since God used the exact same wording that we saw in the previous passages to figuratively describe His forming the nation of Israel in the womb, we can't be dogmatic that the previous passages literally describe God forming people in the womb. In fact, if you look closely at Job 10:8-12 (above), you can clearly see that it's using figurative, colorful, flowery, or poetic language (e.g., describing God's hands shaping Job, and God molding him like clay, and God curdling him like cheese). Similarly, if you look closely at Psalms 139:13-16 (above), you can clearly see that it's using figurative, colorful, flowery, or poetic language because David (who wrote that psalm) was formed in his mother's womb, not in the depths of the earth.

All of the above passages in this section are using figurative descriptions of people (or the nation of Israel) being formed in the womb. They're not making literal statements about the womb. God does not literally form or knit anyone in the womb.

We can see figurative statements such as those all throughout the Bible. For example, before God sent ten plagues on Egypt so that the Israelites would be freed from slavery, He said He would stretch out His hand against Egypt (Exodus 7:4-5, below). However, Moses and Aaron were the ones who stretched out their hands and brought on most of the plagues:

"Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my divisions, my people the Israelites. And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it. (Exodus 7:4-5)

"Then the LORD said to Moses, "Pharaoh's heart is unyielding; he refuses to let the people go. Go to Pharaoh in the morning as he goes out to the river. Confront him on the bank of the Nile, and take in your hand the staff that was changed into a snake. Then say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you: Let my people go, so that they may worship me in the wilderness. But until now you have not listened. This is what the LORD says: By this you will know that I am the LORD: With the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood. The fish in the Nile will die, and the river will stink; the Egyptians will not be able to drink its water.'" The LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt - over the streams and canals, over the ponds and all the reservoirs - and they will turn to blood.' Blood will be everywhere in Egypt, even in vessels of wood and stone." Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded. He raised his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the water of the Nile, and all the water was changed into blood. The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. Blood was everywhere in Egypt." (Exodus 7:14-21)

"Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and say to him, 'This is what the LORD says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me. If you refuse to let them go, I will send a plague of frogs on your whole country. The Nile will teem with frogs. They will come up into your palace and your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and on your people, and into your ovens and kneading troughs. The frogs will come up on you and your people and all your officials.'" Then the LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Stretch out your hand with your staff over the streams and canals and ponds, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt.'" So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land." (Exodus 8:1-6)

"Then the LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the ground,' and throughout the land of Egypt the dust will become gnats." They did this, and when Aaron stretched out his hand with the staff and struck the dust of the ground, gnats came on people and animals. All the dust throughout the land of Egypt became gnats." (Exodus 8:16-17)

"Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Take handfuls of soot from a furnace and have Moses toss it into the air in the presence of Pharaoh. It will become fine dust over the whole land of Egypt, and festering boils will break out on people and animals throughout the land." So they took soot from a furnace and stood before Pharaoh. Moses tossed it into the air, and festering boils broke out on people and animals." (Exodus 9:8-10)

"Then the LORD said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning, confront Pharaoh and say to him, 'This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me, or this time I will send the full force of my plagues against you and against your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth. For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth. But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. You still set yourself against my people and will not let them go. Therefore, at this time tomorrow I will send the worst hailstorm that has ever fallen on Egypt, from the day it was founded till now. Give an order now to bring your livestock and everything you have in the field to a place of shelter, because the hail will fall on every person and animal that has not been brought in and is still out in the field, and they will die.'" Those officials of Pharaoh who feared the word of the LORD hurried to bring their slaves and their livestock inside. But those who ignored the word of the LORD left their slaves and livestock in the field. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that hail will fall all over Egypt - on people and animals and on everything growing in the fields of Egypt." When Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, the LORD sent thunder and hail, and lightning flashed down to the ground. So the LORD rained hail on the land of Egypt; hail fell and lightning flashed back and forth. It was the worst storm in all the land of Egypt since it had become a nation. Throughout Egypt hail struck everything in the fields - both people and animals; it beat down everything growing in the fields and stripped every tree. The only place it did not hail was the land of Goshen, where the Israelites were." (Exodus 9:13-26)

"And the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over Egypt so that locusts swarm over the land and devour everything growing in the fields, everything left by the hail." So Moses stretched out his staff over Egypt, and the LORD made an east wind blow across the land all that day and all that night. By morning the wind had brought the locusts; they invaded all Egypt and settled down in every area of the country in great numbers. Never before had there been such a plague of locusts, nor will there ever be again. They covered all the ground until it was black. They devoured all that was left after the hail - everything growing in the fields and the fruit on the trees. Nothing green remained on tree or plant in all the land of Egypt." (Exodus 10:12-15)

"Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness spreads over Egypt - darkness that can be felt." So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days. No one could see anyone else or move about for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived." (Exodus 10:21-23)

In the above passages, notice that God said He would lay His hand on Egypt and stretch out His hand against Egypt, yet it was Moses and Aaron who stretched out their hands and brought on most of the plagues. Similarly, God said He would stretch out His hand to destroy certain wicked cities, but this was actually accomplished (at least in part) by people with swords:

"The word came to Jeremiah from the LORD when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur son of Malkijah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah. They said: "Inquire now of the LORD for us because Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is attacking us. Perhaps the LORD will perform wonders for us as in times past so that he will withdraw from us." But Jeremiah answered them, "Tell Zedekiah, 'This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I am about to turn against you the weapons of war that are in your hands, which you are using to fight the king of Babylon and the Babylonians who are outside the wall besieging you. And I will gather them inside this city. I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm in furious anger and in great wrath. I will strike down those who live in this city - both man and beast - and they will die of a terrible plague. After that, declares the LORD, I will give Zedekiah king of Judah, his officials and the people in this city who survive the plague, sword and famine, into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and to their enemies who want to kill them. He will put them to the sword; he will show them no mercy or pity or compassion.' Furthermore, tell the people, 'This is what the LORD says: See, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death. Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague. But whoever goes out and surrenders to the Babylonians who are besieging you will live; they will escape with their lives."" (Jeremiah 21:1-9)

"The word of the LORD came to me: "Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir; prophesy against it and say: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against you, Mount Seir, and I will stretch out my hand against you and make you a desolate waste. I will turn your towns into ruins and you will be desolate. Then you will know that I am the LORD. 'Because you harbored an ancient hostility and delivered the Israelites over to the sword at the time of their calamity, the time their punishment reached its climax, therefore as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I will give you over to bloodshed and it will pursue you. Since you did not hate bloodshed, bloodshed will pursue you. I will make Mount Seir a desolate waste and cut off from it all who come and go. I will fill your mountains with the slain; those killed by the sword will fall on your hills and in your valleys and in all your ravines."" (Ezekiel 35:1-8)

The above two passages are examples in which God said He would stretch out His hand to destroy certain wicked cities, but this was actually accomplished (at least in part) by people with swords.

Remember, God is not a physical Being (e.g., John 4:24); He does not have hands. When God talks about doing things with His "hands," those things are actually accomplished by humans. When Job said "Your hands shaped me and made me...clothe[d] me with skin and flesh and knit me together with bones and sinews" (Job 10:8-12, above), we saw that he was speaking figuratively. When David said "you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb...when I was woven together in the depths of the earth" (Psalms 139:13-16, above), we saw that he was speaking figuratively. When God told Jeremiah, "Before I formed you in the womb" (Jeremiah 1:4-5, above), He was speaking figuratively. God does not have hands, and we've seen that when He talks about doing things with His "hands," those things are actually accomplished by humans. In exactly the same way, He doesn't use His "hands" to knit or form an unborn baby, but instead that's accomplished by a human (i.e., the mother's womb).

When people are gay, transgender, non-binary, etc., then Christians sometimes accuse them of sinning by trying to change or deny their God-given gender. However, they're not sinning by their non-conformity to the physical gender that they had at birth or by changing their bodies because God does not give anyone a gender in the womb.