Luke 2:24

24 And they also offered a sacrifice as commanded in the Law of the Lord, "a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons."

Luke 2:24 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 2:24

And to offer a sacrifice
That is, when the time of purification came, the parents of our Lord brought him from Bethlehem to Jerusalem, to present him in the temple to the Lord as his, and to redeem him; and not only so, but to offer the sacrifice required of child-bed women:

according to that which is said in the law of the Lord,
( Leviticus 12:8 )

a pair of turtle doves, or two young pigeons:
if the person was able, she was to bring a lamb of the first year for a burnt offering; and a young pigeon, or a turtle dove, for a sin offering; but in case of poverty, then the above sufficed, and one of them was for a burnt offering, and the other for a sin offering; which shows not only that the virgin offered for herself a sin offering, being ceremonially unclean, but also her mean estate and poverty, in that she offered the offering of the poorer sort; see ( Leviticus 12:6 Leviticus 12:8 ) .

Luke 2:24 In-Context

22 And when the days for their purification appointed by the Law of Moses had passed, they took Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord--

23 as it is written in the Law of the Lord: "Every first-born male shall be called holy to the Lord."

24 And they also offered a sacrifice as commanded in the Law of the Lord, "a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons."

25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem of the name of Symeon, an upright and God-fearing man, who was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

26 To him it had been revealed by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death until he had seen the Lord's Anointed One.