Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary

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Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (1706)

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L E V I T C U S

CHAP. XII.

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After the laws concerning clean and unclean food come the laws

concerning clean and unclean persons; and the first is in this chapter

concerning the ceremonial uncleanness of women in child-birth,

ver. 1-5.

And concerning their purification from that uncleanness,

ver. 6,

&c.

Ceremonial Purification.	B. C. 1490.

     

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.

     

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,

v. 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 males were not circumcised till the eighth day,

because they participated in the mother’s pollution during the days of

her separation.

2. There was also a longer time appointed for their purifying;

thirty-three days more (forty in all) if the birth were a male, and

double that time if a female,

v. 4, 5.

During this time they

were only separated from the sanctuary and forbidden to eat of the

passover, or peace-offerings, or, if a priest’s wife, to eat of any

thing that was holy to the Lord. Why the time of both those was double

for a female to what it was for a male I can assign no reason but the

will of the Law-maker; in Christ Jesus no difference is made of male

and female,

Gal. iii. 28; Col. iii. 11.

But this ceremonial uncleanness which the law laid women in child-bed

under was to signify the pollution of sin which we are all conceived

and born in,

Ps. li. 5.

For, if the root be impure, so is the branch, Who can bring a clean

thing out of an unclean? If sin had not entered, nothing but purity

and honour had attended all the productions of that great blessing,

Be fruitful and multiply; but now that the nature of man is

degenerated the propagation of that nature is laid under these marks of

disgrace, because of the sin and corruption that are propagated with

it, and in remembrance of the curse upon the woman that was first in

the transgression. That in sorrow (to which it is here further

added in shame) she should bring forth children. And the

exclusion of the woman for so many days from the sanctuary, and all

participation of the holy things, signified that our original

corruption (that sinning sin which we brought into the world with us)

would have excluded us for ever from the enjoyment of God and his

favours if he had not graciously provided for our purifying.

     

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.

     

A woman that had lain in, when the time set for her return to the

sanctuary had come, was not to attend there empty, but must bring her

offerings,

v. 6.

1. A burnt-offering; a lamb if she was able, if poor, a pigeon.

This she was to offer in thankfulness to God for his mercy to her, in

bringing her safely through the pains of child-bearing and all the

perils of child-bed, and in desire and hopes of God’s further favour

both to her and to the child. When a child is born there is joy and

there is hope, and therefore it was proper to bring this offering,

which was of a general nature; for what we rejoice in we must give

thanks for, and what we are in hopes of we must pray for. But, besides

this,

2. She must offer a sin-offering, which must be the same for

poor and rich, a turtle-dove or a young pigeon; for, whatever

difference there may be between rich and poor in the sacrifices of

acknowledgment, that of atonement is the same for both. This

sin-offering was intended either,

(1.) To complete her purification from that ceremonial uncleanness

which, though it was not in itself sinful, yet was typical of moral

pollution; or,

(2.) To make atonement for that which was really sin, either an

inordinate desire of the blessing of children or discontent or

impatience under the pains of child-bearing. It is only by Christ, the

great sin-offering, that the corruption of our nature is done away, and

to that it is owing that we are not for ever excluded by it from the

sanctuary, and from eating of the holy things. According to this law,

we find that the mother of our blessed Lord, though he was not

conceived in sin as others, yet accomplished the days of

purification, and then presented her son to the Lord, being a

first-born, and brought her own offering, a pair of

turtle-doves,
Luke ii. 22-24.

So poor were Christ’s parents that they were not able to bring a lamb

for a burnt-offering; and so early was Christ made under the law, to

redeem those that were under it. The morality of this law obliges

those women that have received mercy from God in child-bearing with all

thankfulness to own God’s goodness to them, acknowledging themselves

unworthy of it, and (which is the best purification of women that have

been saved in child-bearing,

1 Tim. ii. 15)

to continue in faith, and charity, and holiness, with sobriety;

for this shall please the Lord better than the turtle-doves or the

young pigeons.

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Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (1706)

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