Leviticus 12:4

Verse

The woman shall continue in purification from her bleeding for thirty-three days. She must not touch anything sacred or go into the sanctuary until the days of her purification are complete.

American Standard Version (1901)

And she shall 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.

Bible in Basic English

And she will be unclean for thirty-three days till the flow of her blood is stopped; no holy thing may be touched by her, and she may not come into the holy place, till the days for making her clean are ended.

Douay-Rheims 1899

But she shall remain three and thirty days in the blood of her purification. She shall touch no holy thing, neither shall she enter into the sanctuary, until the days of her purification be fulfilled.

Free Bible Version

The woman must wait a further thirty-three days for the purification of her bleeding. She is not allowed to touch anything holy, and she is not allowed to enter the sanctuary until her time of purification is finished.

Geneva Bible 1599

And she shall continue in the blood of her purifying three and thirtie dayes: she shall touch no halowed thing, nor come into the Sanctuarie, vntil the time of her purifying be out.

King James (Authorized) Version

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.

One Unity Resource Bible

She shall continue in purification of blood for thirty-three days. She shall not touch any holy thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying are completed.

Translation for Translators

Then the woman must wait 33 days to be purified from her bleeding during childbirth. She must not touch anything that is sacred or enter the Sacred Tent area until that time is ended.

Unlocked Literal Bible

Then the mother's purification from her bleeding will continue for thirty-three days. She must not touch any holy thing or come into the tabernacle area until the days of her purification are finished.

Noah Webster Bible

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.

World English Bible

She shall continue in the blood of purification thirty-three days. She shall not touch any holy thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying are completed.

Young's Literal Translation

and thirty and three days she doth abide in the blood of her cleansing; against any holy thing she doth not come, and unto the sanctuary she doth not go in, till the fulness of the days of her cleansing.

Context

Purification after Childbirth

³And on the eighth day the flesh of the boy’s foreskin is to be circumcised.⁴The woman shall continue in purification from her bleeding for thirty-three days. She must not touch anything sacred or go into the sanctuary until the days of her purification are complete.

Summary

In Leviticus 12:4, it outlines the purification process for a woman after giving birth to a child. The verse specifies that she is to remain at home for a period of 33 days for her purification from the flow of blood, during which she is considered unclean. This period is extended to 66 days if she gives birth to a daughter. This ceremonial law served to emphasize the importance of cleanliness and ritual purity in the Israelite community, highlighting the separation between the sacred and the profane.

Commentary

Adam Clarke
John Gill
Tyndale

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

The blood of her purifying - A few words will make this subject sufficiently plain. 1. God designs that the human female should bring forth children. 2. That children should derive, under his providence, their being, all their solids and all their fluids, in a word, the whole mass of their bodies, from the substance of the mother. 3. For this purpose he has given to the body of the female an extra quantity of blood and nutritious juices. 4. Before pregnancy this superabundance is evacuated at periodical times. 5. In pregnancy, that which was formerly evacuated is retained for the formation and growth of the fetus, or the general strengthening of the system during the time of pregnancy. 6. After the birth of the child, for seven or fourteen days, more or less according to certain circumstances, that superabundance, no longer necessary for the growth of the child as before, continues to be evacuated: this was called the time of the female's purification among the Jews. 7. When the lacerated vessels are rejoined, this superfluity of blood is returned into the general circulation, and, by a wise law of the Creator, becomes principally useful to the breasts, and helps in the production of milk for the nourishment of the new-born infant. 8. And thus it continues till the weaning of the child, or renewed pregnancy takes place. Here is a series of mercies and wise providential regulations which cannot be known without being admired, and which should be known that the great Creator and Preserver may have that praise from his creatures which his wonderful working demands. The term purifying here does not imply that there is any thing impure in the blood at this or the other times referred to above; on the contrary, the blood is pure, perfectly so, as to its quality, but is excessive in quantity for the reasons above assigned. The idle tales found in certain works relative to the infectious nature of this fluid, and of the female in such times are as impious as they are irrational and absurd.

John Gill Bible Commentary

But if she bear a maid child,.... A daughter, whether born alive or dead, if she goes with it her full time: then she shall be unclean two weeks; or fourteen days running; and on the fifteenth day be free or loosed, as the Targum of Jonathan, just as long again as for a man child: as in her separation; on account of her monthly courses; the sense is, that she should be fourteen days, to all intents and purposes, as unclean as when these are upon her: and she shall continue in the blood of her purifying sixty and six days; which being added to the fourteen make eighty days, just as many more as in the case of a male child; the reason of which, as given by some Jewish writers, is, because of the greater flow of humours, and the corruption of the blood through the birth of a female than of a male: but perhaps the truer reason may be, what a learned man (p) suggests, that a male infant circumcised on the eighth day, by the profusion of its own blood, bears part of the purgation; wherefore the mother, for the birth of a female, must suffer twice the time of separation; the separation is finished within two weeks, but the purgation continues sixty six days; a male child satisfies the law together, and at once, by circumcision; but an adult female bears both the purgation and separation every month. According to Hippocrates (q), the purgation of a new mother, after the birth of a female, is forty two days, and after the birth of a male thirty days; so that it should seem there is something in nature which requires a longer time for purifying after the one than after the other, and which may in part be regarded by this law; but it chiefly depends upon the sovereign will of the lawgiver. The Jews do not now strictly observe this. Buxtorf (r) says, the custom prevails now with them, that whether a woman bears a male or a female, at the end of forty days she leaves her bed, and returns to her husband; but Leo of Modena relates (s), that if she bears a male child, her husband may not touch her for the space of seven weeks; and if a female, the space of three months; though he allows, in some places, they continue separated a less while, according as the custom of the place is. (p) Scheuchzer. Physic. Sacr. vol. 2. p. 314, 315. (q) Apud Grotium in loc. (r) Synagog. Jud. c. 5. p. 120. (s) History of Rites, Customs, &c. of the Jews, par. 4. c. 5. sect. 3.

Leviticus 12:4

Purification after Childbirth

Scripture
Sermons
Commentary

Berean Standard Bible

The woman shall continue in purification from her bleeding for thirty-three days. She must not touch anything sacred or go into the sanctuary until the days of her purification are complete.

American Standard Version (1901)

And she shall 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.

Bible in Basic English

Douay-Rheims 1899

Free Bible Version

Geneva Bible 1599

And she shall continue in the blood of her purifying three and thirtie dayes: she shall touch no halowed thing, nor come into the Sanctuarie, vntil the time of her purifying be out.

King James (Authorized) Version

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.

One Unity Resource Bible

She shall continue in purification of blood for thirty-three days. She shall not touch any holy thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying are completed.

Translation for Translators

Then the woman must wait 33 days to be purified from her bleeding during childbirth. She must not touch anything that is sacred or enter the Sacred Tent area until that time is ended.

Unlocked Literal Bible

Noah Webster Bible

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.

World English Bible

She shall continue in the blood of purification thirty-three days. She shall not touch any holy thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying are completed.

Young's Literal Translation

Adam Clarke
John Gill
Tyndale

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

Leviticus 12:4

Verse

Context

Purification after Childbirth

Summary

Commentary

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

Tyndale Open Study Notes

Leviticus 12:4

Purification after Childbirth

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

Tyndale Open Study Notes