Chapter Twelve
Purification After Giving Birth
12:1 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, If a woman conceives and bears a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days. As at the time of her menstruation, she shall be unclean.
Leviticus chapter twelve is the shortest chapter in the book, but it is long on questions, as it does not offer any explanations for the regulations. Many consider the premise of a woman giving birth being unclean a conundrum. The question that is often asked is, “How could the miracle of life, namely bringing a child into this world, make someone unclean?” Which is typically followed by another question that sounds something like, “Didn’t God give the command to be fruitful and multiply?” (See Genesis 1:28; 9:1-7) The focus of these questions is on the life of the new child. God did indeed make such a command and children are indeed a blessing, just as Solomon wrote, “Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward.” (Psalm 127:3) However, the problem appears not to be the mother nor the child, but what takes place during childbirth.
The word ‘menstruation’ is two Hebrew words, ‘mid·dǎṯ’[1] (meaning impurity, a flow of blood during a women’s menstruation period), and ‘dewōṯ’[2] (a verb designating infirmity, usually a reference to a women’s menstrual cycle). The blood released in the process of giving birth to a child is related as a women’s menstruation. Many believe this chapter would be more appropriately placed with the text of chapter fifteen, which covers the topic of bodily discharges.[3]
If a woman gives birth to a baby boy, she would be considered unclean from the moment of birth to end of seven days.
12:3 And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. 4 Then she shall continue for thirty-three days in the blood of her purifying. She shall not touch anything holy, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying are completed.
Just as God instructed Abraham many years earlier (see Genesis 17:9-14), the child is to be circumcised on the eighth day. Afterwards, the mother is to abstain from touching anything holy or participate in any holy ritual or festival for another 33 days, during her days of purifying. The meaning of the phrase, ’the blood of her purifying,” is widely debated. Many believe that the discharges of blood during the first week are impure, while the blood that may be discharged after that period of time are not considered impure. Regardless of why, the total period of purification after giving birth to a male child is 40 days.
12:5 But if she bears a female child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her menstruation. And she shall continue in the blood of her purifying for sixty-six days.
If a baby girl was born, the period of being unclean is doubled and the period of purifying is also doubled, making the total period of purification after giving birth to a female child, 80 days. Since the text here, nor anywhere else in Scripture, offers no explanation as to why the difference, there have been a great number of speculations and opinions, however none appear probable.
12:6 “And when the days of her purifying are completed, whether for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting a lamb a year old for a burnt offering, and a pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering, 7 and he shall offer it before the LORD and make atonement for her. Then she shall be clean from the flow of her blood. This is the law for her who bears a child, either male or female. 8 And if she cannot afford a lamb, then she shall take two turtledoves or two pigeons, 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.”
When the period of purification was over, regardless if for a son or daughter, the mother was to bring to the Tabernacle a one-year old lamb for a burnt offering and a pigeon or turtledove for a sin offering. The priest was to offer them before YHWH and make atonement for her. At that time the mother would be considered clean from the flow of blood that may have occurred during and after childbirth. If the mother cannot afford a lamb, then she could bring either two turtledoves or two pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering.
The logistics of meeting a priest during the time the Tabernacle was in use would have been fairly trivial as the Tabernacle was literally in the center of camp. However, later, during the time of the Temple, especially as the people of Israel began to spread out, the effort to travel to the Temple, being in Jerusalem, was much greater. The gospel of Luke records the story of Jesus’ parents making that trek after Mary’s period of purification was over. In addition to the offerings for purification, Jesus was also presented to God since Jesus was her firstborn (see Exodus 13:1-16). “And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” (Luke 2:22-24)
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[1] Strong’s Hebrew 5079.
[2] Strong’s Hebrew 1738.
[3] See Considerations under Leviticus 15:32-33 regarding “Extended Uncleanliness.”