Overview

On page 283 of my Webster's '71 Dictionary, virtually every one of the 24 words has direct application to the idea of full gestation and childbirth, including the word "embody: To invest with a body."

Page 283 of Gesenius' Old Testament lexicon is also filled with gestation-relevant words such as 2504, "to go out of the loins" and 2502, "to deliver;" as well as kingdom of God birthing concepts.  Most notable is word 2505 whose definition and explanation includes the phrases, "divide by lot an inheritance," and "the house of God."  On the facing page prior is a definition with direct relevance to the LDS church and its role as the woman/church, including both wise and foolish virgin elements.

On page 283 of Zodhiates' NT lexicon are words symbolic of the sure foundation of the coming kingdom of God, the kingdom spoken of by Daniel. It also mentions word 2000 as an antonym of unshakability, which ironically is the current year.  Also facing this page is word 801, "foolish," which number is the telephone area code for the main Utah corridor, and calls to mind the idea of the foolish virgin element of church of God that is in need of setting in order.

The main word of relevance to gestation on page 283 of Webster's III '61 dictionary is "brood."  The metaphorically rich word is "broom," calling to mind the pending chastening destructions that will sweep this land.

Page 283 of Webster's II New Riverside Dictionary has the gestation-relevant word "fruit: to produce fruit," and the kingdom-relevant words, "fulcrum" and "fulfill."

Page 283 of Thayer's New Testament Lexicon presents the quintessential antonym of the idea of birth: "death - that separation of the soul from the body by which the life on earth is ended."  It also has antonyms of opposite relevance to the kingdom: "the loss of a life consecrated to God and blessed in him on earth; to be followed by wretchedness in the lower world;" as well as the fitting definition, "a wonderful thing, a marvel."

Word 283 in the Old Testament lexicon, and the words around it mean "brotherly," which match the idea of the "manchild."

Word 283 in the New Testament lexicon means "unpolluted," which is fitting the idea of a newborn child as well as the new manchild kingdom.  The words around this contrast the sure foundation of Christ with the sandy foundation of Babylon.

The highlight word on page 283 of the LDS Topical Guide is "least," which is the prerequisite attribute of those who are servants of God.

Page 283 of the Old Testament (LDS) begins with Deuteronomy 18:18 which is the pivotal Messianic prophecy: "I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him." (Deuteronomy 18:18.)

As a second witness to this, on page 283 of the LDS Triple combination Index is the topic heading, "PROPHET."  The page prior has the kingdom-relevant words, "PROMISED LAND" and "PROPERTY."

Page 283 of the Doctrine and Covenants is the beginning of section 136, which is the first post-Joseph Smith revelation, signifying the new mantle, as well as the new exodus to the new Zion.

Page 283 of the Book of Mormon begins with the kingdom-relevant phrase, "the commencement of the reign of the judges."  There is also a coded reference to the wonders that God manifests in such things as these alphabetics studies.

The 283rd chapter in the Old Testament is II Samuel 16, which has three separate references to the "overturning" idea of one king being replaced by another, symbolic of the kingdom of God that will replace Babylon.

The 283rd chapter in the New Testament is 23 chapters beyond, hence corresponds to II Nephi 1, which speaks of "this land" [America] being a promised "land of liberty" -- certainly relevant to the pending kingdom of God that will be established.

The 283rd chapter in the 238-chapter Book of Mormon corresponds to D&C 45, which is one of the most kingdom-relevant sections of the Doctrine and Covenants.

-- End of overview --

  Page 283 in Webster's '71 Dictionary

It didn't take me long to see that page 283 of my Webster's '71 Dictionary is extremely relevant to the idea of a full-term pregnancy and delivery.  For example, take the word embody.  It means, "To invest with a body."  That certainly fits!

Here is a listing of other words on the page in their alphabetical sequence:

embay, To enclose in a bay or inlet.

I think of a womb.

embed, To lay in or as in a bed; to lay in surrounding matter.

The image of a laboring woman comes to mind as well as of the fetus embeded in the womb.

embellish, To make beautiful; to adorn; to beautify.

Of course the attribute of beatifying is a hallmark of women in general, and especially of gravid women as they prepare the nest for the new arrival.  An irony in this is that during the act of childbirth itself, at the height of labor, a woman looses all sense of modesty and surroundings and is focused on but one thing, and that is getting the baby out that she is birthing.

Another application of this word is the process of embellishment by which we find application for these words in a context other than what they were originally intended.  The next word, for example is:

ember, A small live coal

In our context we could think of this as a sort of metaphor for the little one tucked away inside the mother's womb.

The next word also contains connotations that can be applied to the connotation of 283 days, or the cycle of gestation.

Ember days, (A.Sax. ymbrine, ymbren embren the circle or course of the year, from ymb or emb, round, and rinnan, to run.) Days returning at certain seasons . . .

The next word, though seemingly irrelevant to childbirth, does contain a word that is a hallmark word in the birthing vernacular -- breach.

embezzle, ...to apply to one's private use by a breach of trust...

This next word needs little if any elaboration in finding an application to the process of childbirth, as it describes well the rigors of labor.

embitter, ...To make unhappy or grievous; render distressing; to make more sever, poignant, or painful.

In our context, this next word conveys the image of a child emerging triumphant from the mother with bold acclaim.

emblaze, ...To make glitter or shine; to display or set forth conspicuously or ostentatiously; to blazon.

emblazon, ...To celebrate in laudatory terms; to sing the praises of.

emblem, ...A picture, figure, or other work of art representing one thing to the eye and another to the understanding.

In our case, we will be drawing comparisons between childbirth and the coming forth of the kingdom of God, which is the imagery used by John and several other prophets.

emblement (From O.Fr. embleer, to sow with corn....) Law, the produce or fruits of land sown or planted.

In addition to the obvious correlation word, "fruit," a metaphorically rich word here is "corn," which is symbolic of Messiah (established in a 56-page unpublished document), which fits into the theme of the coming kingdom of God on earth.

Next comes the word mentioned at first.

embody, To lodge in a material body; to invest with a body; to incarnate; to clothe with a material form.

It is followed by

embolden, To give boldness or courage to; to encourage.

In the context of childbirth, the idea comes to mind of the joy of the new child come into the world.

Another application of this word is to this whole process of drawing these comparisons and the purpose it serves of increasing our confidence that God truly is doing something here which encourages us as we anticipate participating in the birthing of Zion which these things symbolize.  While the words on this particular page 283 point almost exclusively to the literal birth of a child, the other occurrences of 283 that we will look at are far more explicit in describing the coming forth of the manchild, the literal kingdom of God on earth.

embolism, The insertion of days, months, or years in an account of time, to produce regularity, intercalation.

The idea of 283 days comes to mind, as well as the notion that no two pregnancies are alike but vary in length from one to the next.

embolus, Med. An abnormal particle circulating in the bloodstream...

In our context, I think of the placenta which protects the mother's blood from the baby and vise versa, so that "abnormal particles" don't "circulate in the bloodstream."

The etymology of this word comes from the Greek embolos, which means, "wedge or plug," which in our context calls to mind the mucus plug which comes out from the cervix opening early in labor.

embosom, To take into or hold in the bosom; to admit to the heart or affection; to cherish.

Here we envision a mother caressing her newborn child.

embouchure, A mouth of a river; the mouth hole of a wind instrument of music; the shaping of the lips to the mouth-piece.

Birth canal comes to mind.

embowel, ...To take out the internal parts of...

Though rather graphic, this one also certainly applies.

embower, To lodge or rest in a bower. -- v.t. To cover with a bower...

A bower is "A woman's private apartment; any room in a house except the hall; a shelter made with boughs or twining plants; a shady recess."

embrace, To take, clasp, or enclose in the arms; to press to the bosom in token of affection.

embrasure, An opening in a wall or parapet through which cannon are pointed and fired.

embrocate, Med. To moisten and rub, as a diseased part, with a liquid substance, as with spirit, oil, etc.

A perineal massage helps loosen the opening so the baby can emerge.

Embrocate is the last word on page 283, and spills onto the next page, where the words "embryo" and "emerge" are listed.

The very first word on page 283 is

embattle, To arrange in order of battle; to array for battle; to furnish with battlements.

While the application of this to gestation or childbirth is not immediate, this definition renders a near verbatim cross link to word definition 2502 found on page 283 of Gesenius that includes the meaning, "to deliver."

2502 6-( chalats Active, ready prepared for battle; equipped, or arrayed for war...

Definition 2504 is even more explicit in showing the duel meaning of this related word

2504 6-( chalats Loins, so called from the idea of activity. Hence to gird up one's loins, i.g. to prepare for battle (or other active exertion); to go out of the loins of any one, to be begotten by him.

That certainly fits the idea of complete gestation and childbirth!

Hence 23 of the 24 words on page 283 of Webster's '71 dictionary apply to the idea of gestation and childbirth.  The one word not yet mentioned, is

emboss, ...To represent in worked figures...

which certainly fits the idea of drawing applications as we have.