Deeper Commentary
Lev 12:1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying-
Most primitive societies had legislation similar to this about
childbirth; some kind of offering and period of uncleanness, and then a
period confined at home without contact with others.
And usually the periods were longer for a female child than for a
male child. So this would be an example of where the Mosaic law recognized
the religious needs of the time, and sought to meet them in a way which
glorified Yahweh. We marvel at God's concessions to human weakness, and
His understanding of the situation and need of every generation.
Lev 12:2 Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘If a woman conceives,
and bears a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days; as in the
days of her monthly period she shall be unclean-
The reference to conception before bearing a male child may allude to
the incorrect but strongly held ideas of the time- that a woman who
releases her egg or achieves orgasm before contact with the male sperm in
orgasm will bear a male child. This is the explanation of this passage
which the Rabbis tend to give. This would then be in line with the
suggestion on :1, that the following legislation is a concession to human
weakness of understanding at the time. If Israel had not been given this
legislation, likely they would have used the pagan rituals concerning
childbirth which involved idol worship.
Lev 12:3 In the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised-
I suggest this is added at this point because we read in :2 that the
mother was to be unclean seven days after birth. The God who is apparently
so far away could foresee human experience so accurately and
sympathetically. For He knew that the circumcision would be an event to be
celebrated. And so it would be nice for the mother to have had a week to
recover from the childbirth, and to be in a ritually clean state so she
could celebrate and mix freely with the others present. This is also
noteworthy because it is the only time circumcision is commanded under the
old covenant. It had already been commanded to Abraham, but within the
series of promises which were to become the new covenant. We see here a
tacit recognition of the difference between the two covenants. The command
for circumcision had to be repeated rather than assumed as still binding.
Lev 12:4 She shall continue in the blood of purification thirty-three
days. She shall not touch any holy thing, nor come into the sanctuary,
until the days of her purifying are completed-
A woman in this case was not unclean for 33 days after the birth of a son,
but was still involved in the blood of purification. For after seven days
she was ritually clean, but not allowed to enter the sanctuary. It can be no
accident that the Lord lived for 33 years- in such close association with
the purification of humanity that He was identified with our absolute
human situation.
The command not to come into the sanctuary reminds us that women as well as men were allowed to enter the sanctuary. Relationship with Yahweh was not a mere male hobby as it was in many religions. We must however remember that Leviticus is specifically the commands given to the Levites at their inauguration, so possibly the woman in view here is specifically a woman from the tribe of Levi who was accustomed to entering the sanctuary to eat the priestly portions.
Lev 12:5 But if she bears a female child, then she shall be unclean two
weeks, as in her period; and she shall continue in the blood of
purification sixty-six days-
This doesn't mean that females somehow need more purification than
males. I suggest that the shorter period of purification for males was in
order to demonstrate the great value of their circumcision, which was as
it were worth 33 days of being "in the blood of purification".
The longer length of purification required for the woman is also found in many pagan religions. The reason was that it was believed that various demons and bad gods sought to kill female babies more than they sought male babies. And so for female babies there was a greater sense of gratitude for a live birth. Perhaps this legislation reflected how God was making concessions to the wrong or misinformed gut feelings of His people. Just as He often does to us. Likewise it may be a concession to the common but incorrect belief that bleeding and watery discharge continued longer after the birth of a girl than after that of a boy. Likewise the wrong ideas about 'demons' are as it were tolerated in the New Testament.
Lev 12:6 When the days of her purification are completed-
Let us note that the woman was unclean for a period, and she
then needed purification- not
her child. We cannot therefore reason from this that the Lord Jesus was
unclean by reason of His birth. It is no sin to be born a human.
For a son, or
for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the door of the Tent of
Meeting, a year old lamb for a burnt offering, and a young pigeon, or a
turtledove, for a sin offering-
This was to remind them that the Passover deliverance through the lamb
was effectively ongoing. The Passover lamb was likewise to be a year old
(Ex. 12:5). We too are to live constantly under the impression of the
Lord's sacrifice and redemption of us. Israel were asked to use a lamb of
the first year to record various times when they should be thankful for
God's redemption of them in the events which comprise life (Lev. 9:3;
12:6; 23:12,18,19; Num. 6:12,14; 7:15,17,21; 28:3,9,11,19; 29:2,8,13).
This was to continually recall to them the events of their great
redemption through the Red Sea. And the essence of our redemption, our
baptism and salvation through the blood of the lamb, must likewise be
brought ever before us.
We note that the sin offering was of far lower value than the burnt offering in this case. Perhaps this was to reflect how whilst God does indeed want recognition of sin and the fact we are born into a sinful environment, far more significant to Him is our desire to dedicate life to Him, despite that background and environment which we have. We also note that this is about the only time when the order sin offering - burnt offering is reversed. Usually there was to be conviction of sin resulting in dedication, the burnt offering. But a newborn child is not sinful, there is no "sin" somehow buried physically in human flesh; for all we posit about human nature, we say about the Lord Jesus who fully shared that nature. So the idea was that the child was dedicated to Yahweh, that was the sense of the offering, along with an awareness that indeed we are all sinful in practice, and we recognize that the child is being born into a sinful family and environment.
Lev 12:7 and he shall offer it before Yahweh, and make atonement for her;
and she shall be cleansed from the fountain of her blood. ‘This is the law
for her who bears, whether a male or a female-
It is commonly stated in
the Mosaic law that the priest made atonement. Any thoughtful person would
have soon concluded that indeed the blood of bulls and goats could not of
itself atone for sin (Heb. 10:4). The role of the priest in bringing about
the atonement was therefore critical. And yet they too were flawed. So
this invited the spiritually minded to look forward to the coming of an
ideal priest, the Lord Jesus.
Lev 12:8 If she cannot afford a lamb, then she shall take two turtledoves,
or two young pigeons: the one for a burnt offering, and the other for a
sin offering; and the priest shall make atonement for her, and she shall
be clean’-
The poverty of Mary the mother of Jesus is indicated
by the fact she offered doves and not a lamb (Lk. 2:24). He knew poverty.
Previous Chapter
