Leviticus 12:1

Purification After Childbirth

1 Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

Leviticus 12:1 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 12:1

And the Lord spake unto Moses
The laws in the preceding chapter were delivered both to Moses and Aaron, but what follows in this only to Moses; but inasmuch as the priest had a concern in it, it being his business to offer the sacrifices required by the following law, it was no doubt given to Moses, to be delivered to Aaron, as well as to the people. R. Semlai remarks, that as the creation of man was after that of the beasts, fowls, fishes so the laws concerning the uncleanness of men are after those relating to beasts, &c, and they begin with the uncleanness of a new mother, because, as Aben Ezra observes, the birth is the beginning of man:

saying:
as follows.

Leviticus 12:1 In-Context

1 Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

2 "Speak to the {Israelites}, saying, 'When a woman becomes pregnant and she gives birth to a male, then she shall be unclean seven days--as [in] the time of her menstrual bleeding, she shall become unclean.

3 And on the eighth day his foreskin's flesh shall be circumcised.

4 And [for] thirty-three days she shall stay in the blood of [her] cleansing; she must not touch any holy [object], and she may not come to the sanctuary until the fulfilling of the days of her cleansing.

5 But if she gives birth to a female, then she shall be unclean [for] two weeks as [in] her menstruation, and [for] sixty-six days she shall stay {through} the blood of [her] cleansing.

Footnotes

• [a] Or "And"