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<TITLE>Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible [Leviticus, Chapter XII].</TITLE>
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<center><h1>Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary
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Matthew Henry<BR><I>Commentary on the Whole Bible</I> (1706)
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<BR><FONT SIZE=+3><B>L E V I T C U S</B></FONT>
<BR>
<BR><FONT SIZE=+2>CHAP. XII.</FONT>
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<P> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
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,
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Le+12:1-5">
ver. 1-5</A>.
And concerning their purification from that uncleanness,
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Le+12:6-8">ver. 6</A>,
&c.</P>
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<A NAME="Le12_1"> </A>
<A NAME="Le12_2"> </A>
<A NAME="Le12_3"> </A>
<A NAME="Le12_4"> </A>
<A NAME="Le12_5"> </A>
<A NAME="Sec1"> </A>
<TABLE WIDTH="100%" BORDER=0>
<TR><TD><FONT SIZE=+1><I>Ceremonial Purification.</I></FONT></TD>
<TD ALIGN=RIGHT><FONT SIZE=-1>B. C.</FONT> 1490.</TD></TR>
<TR><TD COLSPAN=2><HR SIZE=1></TD></TR>
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<P> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<FONT SIZE=+1>1 And the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT> spake unto Moses, saying,
&nbsp; 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.
&nbsp; 3 And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be
circumcised.
&nbsp; 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.
&nbsp; 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.
</FONT></P>
<P> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
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,
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Le+12:2,5"><I>v.</I> 2, 5</A>.
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,
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Le+12:4,5"><I>v.</I> 4, 5</A>.
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,
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ga+3:28,Col+3:11">Gal. iii. 28; Col. iii. 11</A>.
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,
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+51:5">Ps. li. 5</A>.
For, if the root be impure, so is the branch, <I>Who can bring a clean
thing out of an unclean?</I> If sin had not entered, nothing but purity
and honour had attended all the productions of that great blessing,
<I>Be fruitful and multiply;</I> 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 <I>in sorrow</I> (to which it is here further
added <I>in shame</I>) she should <I>bring forth children.</I> 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.</P>
<A NAME="Le12_6"> </A>
<A NAME="Le12_7"> </A>
<A NAME="Le12_8"> </A>
<P> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<FONT SIZE=+1>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:
&nbsp; 7 Who shall offer it before the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT>, and make an atonement for
her; and she shall be cleansed from the issue of her blood. This
<I>is</I> the law for her that hath born a male or a female.
&nbsp; 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.
</FONT></P>
<P> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
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,
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Le+12:6"><I>v.</I> 6</A>.
1. A <I>burnt-offering;</I> 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 <I>sin-offering,</I> 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 <I>accomplished the days of
purification,</I> and then presented her son to the Lord, being a
first-born, and brought her own offering, <I>a pair of
turtle-doves,</I>
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Lu+2:22-24">Luke ii. 22-24</A>.
So poor were Christ's parents that they were not able to bring a lamb
for a burnt-offering; and so early was Christ <I>made under the law, to
redeem those that were under it.</I> 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,
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Ti+2:15">1 Tim. ii. 15</A>)
to <I>continue in faith, and charity, and holiness, with sobriety;</I>
for this shall please the Lord better than the turtle-doves or the
young pigeons.</P>
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