Easy Bible・Leviticus 12

Purification After Childbirth

Key Passages

About this Chapter

Leviticus 12 describes the purification process for a woman after giving birth. After giving birth to a male child, the woman is considered unclean for seven days, and then she must continue in a period of purification for an additional 33 days. During this time, she is not allowed to touch anything sacred or enter the sanctuary. After the 40-day period, she is required to bring a lamb as a burnt offering and a dove or a pigeon as a sin offering to the priest for her purification. If the woman gives birth to a female child, the period of uncleanness is extended to 14 days, followed by 66 days of purification. The offerings for her purification are the same as for a male child. These regulations were given to the Israelites to emphasize the importance of cleanliness and to remind them of their need for purification before God. Although these purification laws may seem strict to us today, they served as a reminder to the Israelites that God is holy and that sin separates them from Him. They were meant to teach them about the seriousness of sin and the need for repentance and forgiveness. Today, we no longer need to follow these specific purification rituals, but we can still learn from them the importance of approaching God with a clean heart and a repentant spirit.