Leviticus12
New Living Translation
1The Lord said to Moses,
2“Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. If a woman becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son, she will be ceremonially unclean for seven days, just as she is unclean during her menstrual period.
3On the eighth day the boy’s foreskin must be circumcised.
4After waiting thirty-three days, she will be purified from the bleeding of childbirth. During this time of purification, she must not touch anything that is set apart as holy. And she must not enter the sanctuary until her time of purification is over.
5If a woman gives birth to a daughter, she will be ceremonially unclean for two weeks, just as she is unclean during her menstrual period. After waiting sixty-six days, she will be purified from the bleeding of childbirth.
6“When the time of purification is completed for either a son or a daughter, the woman must bring a one-year-old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or turtledove for a purification offering. She must bring her offerings to the priest at the entrance of the Tabernacle.
7The priest will then present them to the Lord to purify her. Then she will be ceremonially clean again after her bleeding at childbirth. These are the instructions for a woman after the birth of a son or a daughter.
8“If a woman cannot afford to bring a lamb, she must bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons. One will be for the burnt offering and the other for the purification offering. The priest will sacrifice them to purify her, and she will be ceremonially clean.”
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Leviticus 12.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Ceremonial purification. (1-8).
vv1-8
After the laws concerning clean and unclean food, come the laws concerning clean and unclean persons. Man imparts his depraved nature to his offspring, so that, excepting as the atonement of Christ and the sanctification of the Spirit prevent, the original blessing, “Increase and multiply,” Ge 1:28, is become to the fallen race a direful curse, and communicates sin and misery. Let those women who have received mercy from God in child-bearing, with all thankfulness own God's goodness to them; and this shall please the Lord better than sacrifices.
Key Words
דָבַר: perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue
מֹשֶׁה: Mosheh, the Israelite lawgiver
אָמַר: to say (used with great latitude)
בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
יִשְׂרָאֵל: Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
אִשָּׁה: a woman
זָרַע: to sow; figuratively, to disseminate, plant, fructify
יָלַד: to bear young; causatively, to beget; medically, to act as midwife; specifically, to show lineage
זָכָר: properly, remembered, i.e. a male (of man or animals, as being the most noteworthy sex)
טָמֵא: to be foul, especially in a ceremial or moral sense (contaminated)
Cross References
Leviticus 12Mary and Joseph present Jesus at the temple when the days of her purification were accomplished.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Mary offers the poor option of two turtledoves or two pigeons, showing Christ's humble birth.
Supported by JFB
The foundational covenant command to circumcise male children on the eighth day.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
David laments being shapen in iniquity, illustrating hereditary corruption from birth.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, John Calvin
Jesus is circumcised on the eighth day in fulfillment of this law.
Supported by JFB
Relates the doubled uncleanness period for a female birth to Eve being first in transgression.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
The basic law for ceremonial uncleanness during menstrual separation.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Asks who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean, highlighting born corruption.
Supported by John Calvin
Contrastive hope that women are saved in childbearing, reversing the curse.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
In Christ there is neither male nor female; the gender distinction in purification is removed.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The previous law allowing poor offering substitutions of turtledoves or young pigeons.
Supported by JFB
The original creation blessing to multiply now carries fallen hereditary pollution.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Spiritual circumcision, the putting off of the body of the sins of the flesh.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Jesus discusses the origin of eighth-day circumcision, traced back to the patriarchs.
Supported by Matthew Poole