Leviticus 12 8

Leviticus 12:8 kjv

And if she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons; the one for the burnt offering, and the other for a sin offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for her, and she shall be clean.

Leviticus 12:8 nkjv

'And if she is not able to bring a lamb, then she may bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons?one as a burnt offering and the other as a sin offering. So the priest shall make atonement for her, and she will be clean.' "

Leviticus 12:8 niv

But if she cannot afford a lamb, she is to bring two doves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. In this way the priest will make atonement for her, and she will be clean.'?"

Leviticus 12:8 esv

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."

Leviticus 12:8 nlt

"If a woman cannot afford to bring a lamb, she must bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons. One will be for the burnt offering and the other for the purification offering. The priest will sacrifice them to purify her, and she will be ceremonially clean."

Leviticus 12 verses

Leviticus 12 8 Meaning

Leviticus 12:8 details an alternative offering for a woman after childbirth who cannot afford the standard lamb for her purification rites. Instead of a lamb, she is permitted to bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons—one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. The passage concludes with the assurance that the priest, upon performing these rituals, will make atonement for her, and she will be declared ritually clean. This provision highlights God's mercy and equity, ensuring that purification and access to God's presence were available to all, regardless of their economic standing. It underscores the foundational truth that all individuals, rich or poor, are equal before God and equally in need of atonement.

Leviticus 12 8 Context

Leviticus chapter 12 outlines the purification laws for a woman after childbirth. This chapter follows a sequence of laws concerning purity and impurity, defining conditions that rendered an Israelite ceremonially unclean and thus unable to fully participate in communal worship or approach the sanctuary. Specifically, verse 8 comes at the end of the instructions regarding a woman's purification offerings, which vary based on whether she gives birth to a boy (40 days of impurity) or a girl (80 days). The preceding verses (Lev 12:6-7) detail the standard offering of a year-old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or turtledove for a sin offering. However, recognizing economic disparities, Leviticus 12:8 provides a crucial concession for the poor. This reveals God's meticulous care to make spiritual access and atonement available to all, emphasizing His compassion and justice, ensuring no one was barred from fellowship due to financial constraints. The historical context reflects a society with significant economic stratification where such provisions were vital for social cohesion and spiritual equity.

Leviticus 12 8 Word analysis

• And if she be not able (וְאִם לֹא־תַגִּיעַ יָדָהּ - ve'im lo-tagi'a yadah): This phrase, literally "and if her hand does not reach," signifies economic inability or poverty. It shows a divine understanding of varying financial capacities and a compassionate provision, ensuring that economic hardship does not hinder a person's ability to fulfill their religious obligations.
• to bring a lamb (לַכֶּבֶשׂ - la'keves): The standard and typically more valuable offering required for purification or other specific sacrifices, often signifying a higher level of expenditure. Its mention sets the baseline from which the concession is made.
• then she shall bring two turtledoves (תּוֹרִים - torim) or two young pigeons (בְּנֵי יוֹנָה - b'nei yonah): These birds were readily available and significantly less expensive, making them an accessible option for the poor. The inclusion of this alternative demonstrates God's condescension and the egalitarian nature of the covenant's sacrificial requirements for atonement.
• the one for the burnt offering (אֶחָד לְעֹלָה - echad l'olah): The olah (burnt offering) was completely consumed on the altar, symbolizing total surrender, devotion, and expiation of general sins, a complete giving to God.
• and the other for a sin offering (וְאֶחָד לְחַטָּאת - v'echad l'chattat): The chattat (sin offering) addressed specific instances of sin or ritual impurity, making atonement and bringing purification.
• and the priest (וְהִקְרִיב הַכֹּהֵן - v'hikriv hakohen): The priest served as the mediator, authorized by God to handle the sacred rituals, apply the Law, and facilitate the process of atonement and cleansing. This role was indispensable.
• shall make an atonement for her (וְכִפֶּר עָלֶיהָ - vechipper aleiha): From the root kipper, meaning to "cover," "expiate," or "make reconciliation." This is the central act of the sacrificial system—the ceremonial covering of sin or impurity to restore right relationship and favor with God. This divine act is administered through human agency.
• and she shall be clean (וְטָהֵרָה - v'taharah): To become ritually pure (from the root tahar). This signifies her restoration from ceremonial defilement to a state acceptable to God, allowing her to rejoin full community life and temple worship. It highlights that the purpose of the sacrifice was indeed achieved, fulfilling the purification requirement.

Leviticus 12 8 Bonus section

This verse carries a significant theological implication beyond its immediate context: it demonstrates that God is not dependent on grand offerings or material wealth for effective atonement. A poor person's modest sacrifice of two birds was just as effective in bringing about cleanliness and reconciliation as a rich person's lamb. This points to the divine truth that God values sincere obedience and a contrite spirit more than the monetary value of an offering. It prefigures the ultimate, priceless sacrifice of Jesus Christ, which, while supremely costly to God, is freely offered to all humanity, making salvation equally accessible to everyone who trusts in Him, fulfilling the spirit of equity seen in Leviticus 12:8 on a grand scale. The passage further reveals a legal and theological continuity of the need for blood atonement even for ritual impurity, setting the stage for understanding the profound necessity of Christ's perfect sacrifice for the remission of all sins, both ritual and moral.

Leviticus 12 8 Commentary

Leviticus 12:8 is a profound testament to God's equitable and compassionate nature within the meticulously prescribed Mosaic Law. While specific animal sacrifices were commanded for various impurities and sins, this verse, like others for the poor (e.g., Lev 5:7-11), underscores that spiritual cleansing and access to divine presence were never predicated on wealth or social status. The provision of two humble birds—turtledoves or pigeons—for both the burnt and sin offerings illustrates that the value of the sacrifice, in God's eyes, was not in its material cost but in the heart and obedience of the offerer. The ritual, through the priest's mediation and the act of atonement, effectively removed the defilement, declaring the woman "clean." This legal principle sets a precedent for the universality of God's grace, foreshadowing the New Covenant truth that salvation is offered freely to all who believe, regardless of earthly means (Luke 2:22-24, 2 Cor 8:12). It underscores that while sin (even ritual impurity stemming from the natural process of childbirth, connected to the fall and the transmission of fallen humanity) necessitates atonement, God always provides a way for reconciliation, making access to His holy presence available through prescribed means.