Study notes

Leviticus 12

Introducing LeviticusWho wrote it, when, why, and what to look for as you read

11:1–15:33 Section

The laws in these chapters were about food, having babies and skin diseases. They were also about mould and liquid waste from people’s bodies.

There were two main points with these laws in Leviticus. The first was that the Israelites were to be different from other people groups. The foods they were allowed to eat and those they weren’t allowed to eat showed this. Being different showed that the Israelites didn’t follow the false gods of other people groups. They followed the true God who was holy.

The second main point was that God is the God of life. Death is the result of sin. God doesn’t want sin and death to be in the world that he created. So things that had to do with death made people unclean. God’s people received rules from him about how to be considered clean and pure. Being clean and pure allowed them to worship God together with the community.

12:1–8

These verses explain the rules about childbirth. Any bodily discharge, including blood, was "abnormal" because it weakened the person and made them ceremonially unclean (see study notes on Leviticus 5:3; 11:1–15:33). These verses focus on the discharge that comes with childbirth, not childbirth itself (12:2, 5, 7). The uncleanness was not sinful unless they ignored it and it came into contact with something holy (see 5:2–3).

12:3

By the eighth day, a baby’s body has developed enough for blood to clot well. This made circumcision safer at that time.

12:4

These thirty-three days, plus the previous seven days mentioned in Leviticus 12:2, 3 make a total of forty days for the mother's period of purification.

12:5

two weeks … sixty-six days: The total is eighty days. This is double the purification time needed for a son's birth (see also Leviticus 27:2–7).

12:6

sin offering: The Hebrew word is the same as the sin offering (khatta’t, see study note on Leviticus 4:1–5:13). Some scholars think this offering was only for purification or decontamination, including cases mentioned in Leviticus 5:1–6.

This offering here was part of a purification ceremony. But it is more probable that the sin offering addressed a lack or failure. In this context, the focus is on purity rather than sin. It is meant to restore the woman to community fellowship, not to forgive a sinner.

12:7

make atonement for her: Here “atonement” means ceremonial cleansing and making peace between the worshiper and God (see Leviticus 4:20; also refer to study note on 1:4).

Verse notes: Adapted by Mission Mutual (Aquifer Open Study Notes) from Tyndale Open Study Notes © 2023 Tyndale House Publishers. CC BY-SA 4.0. Section notes: Biblica Study Notes © 2023 Biblica, Inc. CC BY-SA 4.0, via BibleAquifer. About the sources