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The word, "first-born" is interpreted by itself: one who is born first. Moreover, the Divine Inspiration identifies the meaning clearly in the Holy Bible when God commanded, before the Aaronic priesthood, "Sanctify to Me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the Children of Israel, both of man and of animal, it is Mine." (Exodus 13:2)

Every son who opened the womb was consecrated to God; dedicated to Him whether another son was born after him or not. Of course, the parents were not to wait until they begot a brother to him (by which he became firstborn) in order to consecrate him to God. Nor also were the owners of livestock to wait until another offspring was born before dedicating it to God.

Therefore, the birth of the firstborn was consecrated to the Lord, not because he was the elder of his brothers but because he opened the womb. It was possible that the firstborn could be the only son of the parents.

The Lord Jesus Christ was the Firstborn and the Only-begotten Son. So, St Jerome was correct when he said, "Every single son is a firstborn son, but not every firstborn is a single son." The term "firstborn" does not refer to a person having others born after him.

The first offspring of the unclean animals were redeemed when they were one month old (Numbers 18: 16-17), and the first offspring of the clean animals were offered as sacrifices to the Lord without waiting until other offspring were born. They were the firstborn even though no other offspring were born afterwards just because they opened the womb.

The Lord Jesus Christ, likewise, as the Firstborn of the Virgin, had a sacrifice offered to the Lord on His behalf, forty days following His Holy birth. The Holy Bible states, "Now when the days of her purification according to the Law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord") and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons." (Luke 2:22-24)

It is clear that this law of the firstborn was applied to the Lord Jesus Christ on the fortieth day after His birth and of course, there is no relation here between the firstborn and the birth of other brothers to Him.

Consider this: St Jerome asks, "When the Lord struck all the firstborn Egyptians, did He strike only those who had brothers, or every firstborn who opened the womb whether having brothers or not?