Leviticus 12

1 And the Lord spake to Moses, and said,

2 Speak thou to the sons of Israel, and thou shalt say to them, If a woman, when she hath received seed, childeth a knave child, she shall be unclean by seven days, by the days of her separating of corruptible blood, that runneth from her by months; (Speak thou to the Israelites, and thou shalt say to them, If a woman, when she hath received seed, beareth a boy, she shall be unclean for seven days, as she is in the days of her separation for the corrupt blood that runneth from her every month;)

3 and the young child shall be circumcised in the eighth day. (and the young boy shall be circumcised on the eighth day.)

4 Soothly she shall dwell three and thirty days in the blood of her purifying; she shall not touch any holy thing, neither she shall enter into the saintuary, till the days of her cleansing be [ful]filled.

5 Soothly if she childeth a female, she shall be unclean (for) two weeks, (as she is) by the custom of [the] flowing (out) of unclean blood, and threescore and six days she shall dwell in the blood of her cleansing.

6 And when the days of her cleansing, for a son, or for a daughter, be fulfilled, she shall bring a lamb of one year into burnt sacrifice, and a culver bird, either a turtle, for sin, to the door of the tabernacle of witnessing; and she shall give to the priest, (And when the days of her cleansing, for a son, or for a daughter, be fulfilled, she shall bring a lamb of one year for a burnt sacrifice, and a young pigeon, or a turtledove, for a sin offering, to the entrance of the Tabernacle of the Witnessing; and she shall give them to the priest,)

7 which shall offer those before the Lord, and shall pray for her, and so she shall be cleansed from the flowing (out) of her blood. This is the law of a woman that childeth male, or female (This is the law for a woman who beareth a boy, or a girl).

8 That if her hand find not, neither she may offer a lamb, she shall take two turtles, either two culver birds, one into burnt sacrifice, and the tother for sin; and the priest shall pray for her, and so she shall be cleansed. (But if because of poverty, her hand cannot find a lamb that she may offer, she shall take two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, one for a burnt sacrifice, and the other for a sin offering; and the priest shall pray for her, and then she shall be clean.)

Leviticus 12 Commentary

Chapter 12

Ceremonial purification.

- 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.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO LEVITICUS 12

This chapter treats of the purification of a new mother, the time of whose purification for a man child was forty days, and for a maid child eighty, Le 12:1-5 at the close of which she was to bring her offerings to the priests, to make atonement for her, Le 12:6-8.