Leviticus 12 3

Leviticus 12:3 kjv

And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.

Leviticus 12:3 nkjv

And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.

Leviticus 12:3 niv

On the eighth day the boy is to be circumcised.

Leviticus 12:3 esv

And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.

Leviticus 12:3 nlt

On the eighth day the boy's foreskin must be circumcised.

Leviticus 12 verses

Leviticus 12 3 Meaning

Leviticus 12:3 prescribes that a male child born in Israel must undergo circumcision on the eighth day of his life. This command, rooted in God's covenant with Abraham, marked the male as part of the Abrahamic covenant community, symbolizing dedication to God and purification, occurring even before the mother completed her full purification period after childbirth.

Leviticus 12 3 Context

Leviticus chapter 12 details the laws concerning a woman's purification after childbirth. This verse, Leviticus 12:3, stands out as it introduces a command not directly about the mother's uncleanness, but rather the male child's entrance into the covenant. The previous verses specify a seven-day period of ritual impurity for the mother of a male child, making the command for circumcision on the eighth day directly follow a period of uncleanness. This historical context highlights Israel's unique identity as God's chosen people, set apart from surrounding cultures who may have practiced circumcision at varying ages or for different reasons, by instituting a specific, God-ordained timing for this covenant sign.

Leviticus 12 3 Word analysis

• And on the eighth day (וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי, u·vai·yōm hash·shĕ·mî·nî):

  • "eighth" (שְּׁמִינִי, shĕmînî): Numerically significant. The number eight in biblical thought often symbolizes new beginnings, completion, or a transcending of what came before (seven representing completeness or perfection). The old week ends on the seventh day; the eighth begins a new cycle. This timing emphasizes that the child is immediately brought into a new status under the covenant, distinct from the seven days of impurity associated with birth. It reflects divine ordering and specific intent.
  • "day" (יוֹם, yôm): A literal 24-hour day. The precision of the timing (eighth day) leaves no room for human preference or discretion.

• the flesh (בְּשַׂר, bĕśar):

  • "flesh" (בָּשָׂר, bāśār): Refers to the physical body or literally "the skin" in this context. It underscores the physical, visible nature of the covenant sign, making it an indelible mark upon the male's body. It is a tangible sign, not merely symbolic.

• of his foreskin (עָרְלָתוֹ, ʿorlāṯōw):

  • "foreskin" (עָרְלָה, ʿorlâ): The specific part of the body to be cut. In a broader biblical sense, "foreskin of the heart" (e.g., Deut 10:16) implies an uncircumcised, hardened, or unreceptive heart to God's commands. The physical removal symbolizes a removal of spiritual hardness and readiness to enter God's covenant. It directly contrasts the 'uncircumcised' who are outside the covenant people.

• shall be circumcised (יִמּוֹל, yimmôl):

  • "shall be circumcised" (מול, mûl, Hiphil passive): The Hebrew verb "mûl" indicates "to cut off" or "to circumcise." The Hiphil passive conjugation emphasizes that the act is done to the child, implying divine institution and an active agent performing it. It's a command, not a suggestion, demonstrating obedience to God's specific instructions. The passivity indicates the child cannot perform it himself, symbolizing dependence on God's initiative and the community's responsibility to administer the sign.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "And on the eighth day": This phrase highlights divine sovereignty over life and timing. The precise timing had potential practical benefits (like vitamin K levels, crucial for blood clotting, which peak around the eighth day, though this scientific knowledge would not have been accessible at the time, underscoring divine wisdom). Theologically, it separates the child from any 'natural' or 'unclean' status associated with birth by immediately marking him as belonging to God's clean covenant people.

• "the flesh of his foreskin": Specifies the exact ritual. This bodily act served as a perpetual physical reminder of the covenant. The connection of this specific physical part to life and procreation ties into the covenant's promise of numerous offspring and nationhood. The visible mark signified lineage and inclusion in the chosen people.

• "shall be circumcised": The definitive nature of this command. It's an obligation, a necessary sign of being a covenant member. It foreshadows the spiritual cutting away of sin or fleshly desires for newness in Christ, showing how God always requires a "cutting" for new life and sanctification.

Leviticus 12 3 Bonus section

The concept of "eighth day" in the Bible extends beyond circumcision. It often marks a period of culmination followed by a fresh start, especially in matters of purification and dedication. For example, the dedication of the Tabernacle and priesthood (Lev 9) took place on the eighth day after a seven-day ordination, marking their completion and divine acceptance. The purification of a person afflicted by serious skin diseases or abnormal bodily discharge also required specific rites on the eighth day (Lev 14:10, 23; 15:14, 29). This consistent "eighth day" motif highlights a principle of moving from a state of defilement or completion into a new state of cleanness, holiness, and fellowship with God, symbolizing a fresh beginning or restoration. In the New Testament, this foreshadows Christ's resurrection on the "first day of the week," which is the "eighth day" in relation to the Sabbath, inaugurating the new creation.

Leviticus 12 3 Commentary

Leviticus 12:3 is a pivotal verse, embedding the ancient command for male circumcision into the very fabric of Mosaic Law, immediately following a mother's purification. This practice, initiated with Abraham (Gen 17), served as the indelible sign of God's covenant with Israel. Its placement here emphasizes that a male child, even before his mother's complete ritual cleansing, was consecrated to God through this act on the eighth day. This timing underscored the divine origin and perfect nature of the covenant, often understood to symbolize new beginnings or completion beyond natural human cycles. The physical cutting away of the foreskin marked the child as distinct, belonging to God, and signifying spiritual dedication. In the New Testament, while the physical rite ceases to be a salvific requirement (Acts 15), its theological significance is transmuted: it becomes a type pointing to spiritual circumcision, the cutting away of the heart of stone by the Holy Spirit (Col 2:11-12, Rom 2:28-29), demonstrating the inward spiritual reality to which the outward physical act always pointed. This demonstrates a continuum in God's saving plan, where visible signs point to deeper spiritual truths and a relationship with Him.