Leviticus 12:2
in Leviticus 12“Say to the Israelites, ‘A woman who becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son will be unclean for seven days, as she is during the days of her menstruation.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman conceive seed, and bear a man-child, then she shall be unclean seven days; as in the days of the impurity of her sickness shall she be unclean.
KJV
Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman have conceived seed, and born a man child: then she shall be unclean seven days; according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean.
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This verse in Leviticus 12
Commentary
6 notes on this verseSeven days - Not for any filthiness which was either in the conception, or in bringing forth, but to signify the universal and deep pollution of man's nature, even from the birth, and from the conception. Seven days or thereabouts, nature is employed in the purgation of most women.
This site's exposition
the LORD spake unto Moses, saying
on Leviticus 12:1-4
Chapter 11 was spoken to Moses and Aaron together, and this one is spoken to Moses alone. The mother's seven days of uncleanness and her three and thirty days of purifying make forty in total. The one instruction here addressed to anyone but her is the circumcision of her son at verse 3, and John Gill ties that eighth day to the morning after her first seven end. Luke 2:21 records the eighth day kept for Jesus.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Speak unto the children of Israel,.... For this law only concerned them, and not other nations of the world: if a woman have conceived seed; by lying with a man, and so becomes pregnant, and goes on with her pregnancy until she brings forth a child.
During these days she was separated from her husband and friends, and those that necessarily attended her were ceremonially unclean, which was one reason why the males were not circumcised till the eighth day, because they participated in the mother's pollution during the days of her separation.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
If a woman, &c.--The mother of a boy was ceremonially unclean for a week, at the end of which the child was circumcised (Ge 17:12; Ro 4:11-13); the mother of a girl for two weeks (Le 12:5) --a stigma on the sex (1Ti 2:14, 15) for sin, which was removed by Christ; everyone who came near her during that time contracted a similar defilement.
If a woman have conceived - In the extent mentioned here the ordinances of this chapter have little relation to us: and to inquire into their physical reasons, as far as they related to the Jews, could afford but little edification; and to make such a subject sufficiently plain would require such minute examination and circumstantial detail as could scarcely be proper for several readers. All that is necessary to be said the reader will find on Lev 12:4.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Rashi commented: “ If a woman have conceived seed, and born [ a male ].
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
17 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| דַּבֵּ֞ר | daber | speak | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| בְּנֵ֤י | benei | [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| לֵאמֹ֔ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אִשָּׁה֙ | ʾishah | a woman | H802 → | 781 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| תַזְרִ֔יעַ | tazria' | she will bear a child | H2232 → | 56 times |
| וְיָלְדָ֖ה | veyaldah | and she will bear | H3205 → | 496 times |
| זָכָ֑ר | zakhar | a male | H2145 → | 82 times |
| וְטָֽמְאָה֙ | vetameah | and she will be unclean | H2930 → | 162 times |
| שִׁבְעַ֣ת | shivat | seven | H7651 → | 394 times |
| יָמִ֔ים | yamim | days | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| כִּימֵ֛י | kimei | like [the] days of | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| נִדַּ֥ת | nidat | menstrous impurity of | H5079 → | 29 times |
| דְּוֹתָ֖הּ | devotah | being unwell she | H1738 → | |
| תִּטְמָֽא׃ | titma' | she will be unclean | H2930 → | 162 times |
דַּבֵּ֞רspeak
daberH1696 →1141 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
בְּנֵ֤י[the] people of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙Israel
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
לֵאמֹ֔ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
אִשָּׁה֙a woman
ʾishahH802 →781 times
כִּ֣יthat
kiH3588 →4482 times
תַזְרִ֔יעַshe will bear a child
tazria'H2232 →56 times
וְיָלְדָ֖הand she will bear
veyaldahH3205 →496 times
זָכָ֑רa male
zakharH2145 →82 times
וְטָֽמְאָה֙and she will be unclean
vetameahH2930 →162 times
שִׁבְעַ֣תseven
shivatH7651 →394 times
יָמִ֔יםdays
yamimH3117 →2304 times
כִּימֵ֛יlike [the] days of
kimeiH3117 →2304 times
נִדַּ֥תmenstrous impurity of
nidatH5079 →29 times
דְּוֹתָ֖הּbeing unwell she
devotahH1738 →
תִּטְמָֽא׃she will be unclean
titma'H2930 →162 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Luke 2:22And when the time of purification according to the Law of Moses was complete, His parents brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord
it leads to
- Leviticus 12:1–8
Then the LORD said to Moses,
- Leviticus 12:1–8
Through
Leviticus 18:19You must not approach a woman to have sexual relations with her during her menstrual period.
it leads to
- Leviticus 20:18
If a man lies with a menstruating woman and has sexual relations with her, he has exposed the source of her flow, and she has uncovered the source of her blood. Both of them…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Leviticus 20:18
Through
Job 25:4How then can a man be just before God? How can one born of woman be pure?
it leads to
- Romans 5:1
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
- Psalms 130:3
If You, O LORD, kept track of iniquities, then who, O Lord, could stand?
- Job 9:2
“Yes, I know that it is so, but how can a mortal be righteous before God?
- Job 15:14–16
What is man, that he should be pure, or one born of woman, that he should be righteous?
- Romans 5:1
Through
Job 15:14What is man, that he should be pure, or one born of woman, that he should be righteous?
it leads to
- Ecclesiastes 7:20
Surely there is no righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.
- Job 14:4
Who can bring out clean from unclean? No one!
- Ecclesiastes 7:20
About Leviticus
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.