Leviticus 12:7
in Leviticus 12And the priest will present them before the LORD and make atonement for her; and she shall be ceremonially cleansed from her flow of blood. This is the law for a woman giving birth, whether to a male or to a female.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and he shall offer it before Jehovah, and make atonement for her; and she shall be cleansed from the fountain of her blood. This is the law for her that beareth, whether a male or a female.
KJV
Who shall offer it before the Lord, and make an atonement for her; and she shall be cleansed from the issue of her blood. This is the law for her that hath born a male or a female.
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This verse in Leviticus 12
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
If, however, she gives birth to a daughter
on Leviticus 12:5-7
Every number doubles for a daughter, two weeks against one and sixty-six days against thirty-three, and the text gives no reason. The offering at verse 6 is the same either way.
This site's exposition
This is the law for a woman giving birth
The atonement here is tied to her flow of blood. The closing formula, This is the law, matches the one that ends the food laws at 11:46. Verse 8 follows as an added provision for the poor.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Who shall offer it before the Lord,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
the days of her purifying--Though the occasion was of a festive character, yet the sacrifices appointed were not a peace offering, but a burnt offering and sin offering, in order to impress the mind of the parent with recollections of the origin of sin, and that the child inherited a fallen and sinful nature.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
AND HE SHALL OFFER IT BEFORE THE ETERNAL, AND MAKE ATONEMENT FOR HER; AND SHE SHALL BE CLEANSED FROM THE FOUNTAIN OF HER BLOOD. Scripture is stating that she shall offer a ransom for her soul. See Exodus:12.
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
14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהִקְרִיב֞וֹ | vehikrivo | and he will present it | H7126 → | 280 times |
| לִפְנֵ֤י | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| וְכִפֶּ֣ר | vekhiper | and he will make atonement | H3722 → | 102 times |
| עָלֶ֔יהָ | ʾaleiha | on her | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| וְטָהֲרָ֖ה | vetaharah | and she will be pure | H2891 → | 94 times |
| מִמְּקֹ֣ר | mimekor | from [the] spring of | H4726 → | 18 times |
| דָּמֶ֑יהָ | dameiha | blood<s> her | H1818 → | 360 times |
| זֹ֤את | zot | this | H2063 → | 603 times |
| תּוֹרַת֙ | torat | [is] [the] legal [procedure] of | H8451 → | 219 times |
| הַיֹּלֶ֔דֶת | haiyoledet | the [woman who] gives birth | H3205 → | 496 times |
| לַזָּכָ֖ר | lazakhar | for <the> male | H2145 → | 82 times |
| א֥וֹ | ʾo | or | H176 → | 321 times |
| לַנְּקֵבָֽה׃ | lanekevah | for <the> female | H5347 → | 22 times |
וְהִקְרִיב֞וֹand he will present it
vehikrivoH7126 →280 times
לִפְנֵ֤י<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
וְכִפֶּ֣רand he will make atonement
vekhiperH3722 →102 times
עָלֶ֔יהָon her
ʾaleihaH5921 →5755 times
וְטָהֲרָ֖הand she will be pure
vetaharahH2891 →94 times
מִמְּקֹ֣רfrom [the] spring of
mimekorH4726 →18 times
דָּמֶ֑יהָblood<s> her
dameihaH1818 →360 times
זֹ֤אתthis
zotH2063 →603 times
תּוֹרַת֙[is] [the] legal [procedure] of
toratH8451 →219 times
הַיֹּלֶ֔דֶתthe [woman who] gives birth
haiyoledetH3205 →496 times
לַזָּכָ֖רfor <the> male
lazakharH2145 →82 times
א֥וֹor
ʾoH176 →321 times
לַנְּקֵבָֽה׃for <the> female
lanekevahH5347 →22 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
Romans 3:23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
it leads to
- Ecclesiastes 7:20
Surely there is no righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.
- 1 John 1:8–10
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
- Romans 3:9
What then? Are we any better? Not at all. For we have already made the charge that Jews and Greeks alike are all under sin.
- Galatians 3:22
But the Scripture pronounces all things confined by sin, so that by faith in Jesus Christ the promise might be given to those who believe.
- Romans 11:32
For God has consigned everyone to disobedience so that He may have mercy on everyone.
- Ecclesiastes 7:20
Through
Leviticus 4:31Then he is to remove all the fat, just as it is removed from the peace offering, and the priest is to burn it on the altar as a pleasing aroma to the LORD.…
it leads to
- Leviticus 4:26
He must burn all its fat on the altar, like the fat of the peace offerings; thus the priest will make atonement for that man’s sin, and he will be forgiven.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Leviticus 4:26
Through
Job 1:5And when the days of feasting were over, Job would send for his children to purify them, rising early in the morning to offer burnt offerings for all of them. For Job thought, “Perhaps…
it leads to
- Job 42:8
So now, take seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. Then My servant Job will pray for you, for I will accept his prayer…
- Genesis 8:20
Then Noah built an altar to the LORD. And taking from every kind of clean animal and clean bird, he offered burnt offerings on the altar.
- Job 42:8
Where this verse is studied
On this page
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 (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
