Luke 2:24

24 and also to sacrifice the "pair of doves or two young pigeons" prescribed in God's Law.

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 Then when the days stipulated by Moses for purification were complete, they took him up to Jerusalem to offer him to God

23 as commanded in God's Law: "Every male who opens the womb shall be a holy offering to God,"

24 and also to sacrifice the "pair of doves or two young pigeons" prescribed in God's Law.

25 In Jerusalem at the time, there was a man, Simeon by name, a good man, a man who lived in the prayerful expectancy of help for Israel. And the Holy Spirit was on him.

26 The Holy Spirit had shown him that he would see the Messiah of God before he died.