Leviticus 12:1-13:59

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Leviticus 12:1-5

The law here pronounces women lying-in ceremonially unclean. The Jews say, ?The law extended even to an abortion, if the child was so formed as that the sex was distinguishable.? 1. There was some time of strict separation immediately after the birth, which continued seven days for a son and fourteen for a daughter, Lev. 12:2, 5. During these days she was separated from her husband and friends, and those that necessarily attended her were ceremonially unclean, which was one reason why the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 12:1

And the Lord spake unto Moses ,.... The laws in the preceding chapter were delivered both to Moses and Aaron, but what follows in this only to Moses; but inasmuch as the priest had a concern in it, it being his business to offer the sacrifices required by the following law, it was no doubt given to Moses, to be delivered to Aaron, as well as to the people. R. Semlai remarks, that as the creation of man was after that of the beasts, fowls, fishes, &c.; so the laws concerning the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Leviticus 12:1-8

The purification of the Church. At the commencement of his treatise on this Book of Leviticus, Cyril of Alexandria truly says, that as the Word of God came into the world arrayed in flesh, in which bodily appearance he was seen of all, while his divinity was seen only by the elect; so has the written Word a letter, or outward sense, which is obvious to ordinary perception, and an inward meaning which must be spiritually discerned. According to this rule, the purification of the Church is... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Leviticus 12:1-8

Born in sin. cf. Genesis 3:16 ; Psalms 51:5 ; Luke 2:21 ; 1 Timothy 2:15 . From the division of the animals into clean and unclean, and the sanctity thereby inculcated, we are invited to proceed to those personal liabilities to uncleanness for which due rites were provided. The first of these takes life at its fountain-head, and refers to the uncleanness connected with birth. Motherhood involved a longer or shorter period of ceremonial separation—forty days in the case of a son,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Leviticus 12:1-8

The statutes on maternity. We may seek— I. THE EXPLANATION or THIS STATUTE . And we shall find the explanation 1 . The sorrow of maternity ( John 16:21 ) points clearly to the primeval curse, and therefore to the primeval sin ( Genesis 3:16 ). 2 . The birth of a human child means the entrance into the world of one in whom are the germs of sin ( Psalms 51:5 ; Psalms 58:3 ; Ephesians 2:3 ). 3 . Maternity suggests the sexual relation, and that suggests the... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Leviticus 12:1-8

This chapter would more naturally follow the 15th chapter of Leviticus. See the note to Leviticus 15:1. read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Leviticus 12:1

Leviticus 12:1. From uncleanness contracted by the touching or eating of external things, he now comes to that uncleanness which ariseth from ourselves. read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Leviticus 12:1-8

Concerning childbirth (12:1-8)One consequence of Eve’s sin that affected women in general was the trouble and pain of childbirth (Genesis 3:16). The process of conceiving and giving birth was affected by sin from the beginning (Psalms 51:5), which is probably the reason why Israelite law required the mother to be ceremonially cleansed after childbirth. If the child born was a boy, the mother was cut off from physical contact with members of her family for seven days, and from all things... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Leviticus 12:1

spake. See note on Leviticus 5:14 . read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Leviticus 12:1

This little chapter is big in the difficulty of its interpretation. We have discovered practically no help from any source whatever in our efforts to unravel the mysteries of this remarkable chapter."And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman conceive seed, and bear a man-child, then she shall be unclean seven days; as in the days of the impurity of her sickness shall she be unclean. And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be... read more

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