Leviticus 15 29

Leviticus 15:29 kjv

And on the eighth day she shall take unto her two turtles, or two young pigeons, and bring them unto the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

Leviticus 15:29 nkjv

And on the eighth day she shall take for herself two turtledoves or two young pigeons, and bring them to the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting.

Leviticus 15:29 niv

On the eighth day she must take two doves or two young pigeons and bring them to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

Leviticus 15:29 esv

And on the eighth day she shall take two turtledoves or two pigeons and bring them to the priest, to the entrance of the tent of meeting.

Leviticus 15:29 nlt

On the eighth day she must bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons and present them to the priest at the entrance of the Tabernacle.

Leviticus 15 verses

Leviticus 15 29 Meaning

Leviticus 15:29 outlines the final steps for a woman to achieve ceremonial cleanness after experiencing a bodily discharge, whether a regular menstrual flow or an abnormal issue, as detailed earlier in the chapter. On the eighth day following the cessation of her discharge, she is commanded to bring two specific birds—either turtledoves or young pigeons—as a required purification offering to the priest at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. This ritual action symbolizes her complete purification and facilitates her re-entry into the sacred communal and spiritual life of the Israelite community, enabling her to participate fully in worship and interact without defiling others or holy objects.

Leviticus 15 29 Context

Leviticus chapter 15 provides detailed regulations concerning various bodily discharges that rendered individuals ceremonially unclean. These laws applied to men with semen or chronic discharges and to women with menstrual periods or abnormal prolonged flows. The overarching purpose was to underscore God's absolute holiness and to maintain the purity of His dwelling place (the Tabernacle) and His people. Defilement, though not always a result of sin, marked a separation from full participation in Israel's holy life. The extensive instructions emphasized that everything associated with the defiled person, including objects touched, would also become unclean, highlighting the contagious nature of impurity. These stringent requirements distinguished Israel's worship from the practices of surrounding pagan cultures, which often lacked such precise standards for hygiene or, conversely, incorporated bodily fluids into idolatrous fertility rituals. The detailed regulations were theological boundaries, impressing upon Israel the constant need for ceremonial purification to live in the presence of a holy God.

Leviticus 15 29 Word analysis

• And on the eighth day: Hebrew: Waw ba-yom ha-sh'mini (וְ בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי).
  • And: Waw functions as a conjunction, connecting this specific instruction to the broader context of purification rites described in the preceding verses of Leviticus 15.
  • on the eighth day: This timing is deeply significant in Israelite religious practice. The number "eight" often signifies completion of a cycle (seven days) and a new beginning, regeneration, or full restoration to a state of wholeness and spiritual accessibility (e.g., circumcision on the eighth day, new beginnings in covenant, resurrection). It denotes that the period of defilement is truly over and a full reset has occurred, enabling renewed entry into sacred space.
• she shall take for herself: Hebrew: tiqqach-lah (תִּקַּח לָהּ). This phrasing highlights the individual's personal responsibility and active role in fulfilling the divine requirement for her own purification. The act is initiated by her.
• two turtledoves or two young pigeons: Hebrew: shtei torim o sh'tei b'nei yonah (שְׁתֵּי תֹרִים אוֹ שְׁתֵּי בְּנֵי יוֹנָה).
  • turtledoves / young pigeons: These specific birds were common and affordable. Their inclusion as acceptable offerings ensures that financial status would not hinder any Israelite from undergoing necessary purification rites. This demonstrates God's gracious provision, making holiness attainable for all segments of society. The requirement of "two" birds usually signifies two distinct offerings: one for a sin offering (to atone for the defilement, which conceptually separates one from God's holiness) and one for a burnt offering (to signify complete dedication and restoration to God's presence).
• and bring them: Hebrew: veheviah (וְהֵבִיא הַלֵּוִי אֶל-הַכֹּהֵן). An active verb indicating the woman must personally present these offerings, underscoring her direct engagement in the cleansing process.
• to the priest: Hebrew: el-ha-kohen (אֶל-הַכֹּהֵן). The priest served as the designated mediator between God and the people under the Old Covenant. He was authorized to perform the rituals, oversee the sacrifices, and declare individuals clean, thus embodying the necessary conduit for reconciliation and access to the sacred.
• to the door of the tent of meeting: Hebrew: el-petach ohel-mo'ed (אֶל-פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד).
  • door of the tent of meeting: This specific location was the designated entrance to the Tabernacle, symbolizing the boundary between the sacred and the profane. Bringing the offering to this precise spot signifies approaching God's holy dwelling place and entering the sphere where divine encounters occurred, making the cleansing ritually potent before Him.
• before the Lord: Hebrew: lifnei Adonai (לִפְנֵי יְהוָה). This final phrase encapsulates the entire purpose of the ritual. It emphasizes that the entire purification act is not merely a formality but is performed in the very presence of YHWH Himself, demonstrating divine acknowledgement and sanction of the cleansing, leading to full restoration and communion with God.

Leviticus 15 29 Bonus section

The detailed and extensive purification laws in Leviticus, particularly concerning bodily emissions, served to profoundly impress upon ancient Israel the pervasive nature of impurity and the radical holiness of God. While not always directly linked to sin, defilement created a state of separation from the sacred. This system created a continuous awareness of humanity's separation from a perfectly holy God and taught dependence on divinely ordained means of restoration. The careful regulation of "uncleanness" and "cleanness" was also a strong polemic against the often crude and unregulated practices of surrounding pagan cults, which frequently blurred lines between human sexuality, bodily functions, and worship. Israel's laws stood as a beacon of separation and sacred distinction, promoting a unique, holy lifestyle distinct from their neighbors and demonstrating the ordered, pure nature of YHWH.

Leviticus 15 29 Commentary

Leviticus 15:29 provides the culmination of a rigorous purification process for women who experienced a bodily discharge, whether ordinary or extraordinary. The precise timing "on the eighth day" symbolically marks the end of a cycle of uncleanness and the beginning of a fresh state of ceremonial purity and spiritual wholeness. The specified offering of "two turtledoves or young pigeons" graciously accommodated all socio-economic levels, reinforcing that God's standards of holiness were equally accessible to everyone in the covenant community. The ritual was not merely a physical act but a profound theological statement, emphasizing God's intrinsic holiness and the absolute necessity for His people to reflect that purity to live in His presence and participate in His worship. By bringing the offering "to the priest" "at the door of the Tent of Meeting" "before the Lord," the individual formally submitted to God's prescribed means of reconciliation and re-entry into sacred communal life. These Levitical purification laws ultimately pointed forward to the more profound, once-for-all spiritual cleansing offered by the Messiah, Jesus Christ, whose perfect sacrifice supersedes the need for repeated animal sacrifices and provides true purity from sin, enabling direct communion with God (Heb 9:11-14, 10:11-14).