Leviticus 12

Leviticus 12

TUESDAY  Reflections

There is some disagreement as to why God had these regulations and specifically the difference between times of being unclean after giving birth to a girl or a boy. Some see this as a holdover which God allowed because the people of the time saw the birth of a girl as more dangerous for a mother than the birth of a boy. One thing is clear it was the mother who was unclean because of the birth and not the child, no matter the sex of the baby.

Many years ago, I read one doctor's reasoning which seemed sound to me, though I do not now know who it was nor the book. His thought was this was God's way of letting the mother recover after the birth of the child. This was especially important in regards to the husband's desire to return to having sexual relations. If the child was a boy, the man would be less likely to hurry to have another child since an heir had been born. With a female child, the man, concerned about getting an heir, might want to try as quickly as possible to have another child and not give the woman enough time to recover before becoming pregnant again. This sounds very pragmatic to me and since so much of the ceremonial law protected the Israelites from physical dangers it is reasonable.   

Lev 12:1-8
(1)  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
(2)  Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman have conceived seed, and born a man child: then she shall be unclean seven days; according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean.
(3)  And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.
(4)  And she shall then continue in the blood of her purifying three and thirty days; she shall touch no hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying be fulfilled.
(5)  But if she bear a maid child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her separation: and she shall continue in the blood of her purifying threescore and six days.
(6)  And when the days of her purifying are fulfilled, for a son, or for a daughter, she shall bring a lamb of the first year for a burnt offering, and a young pigeon, or a turtledove, for a sin offering, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest:
(7)  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.
(8)  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.