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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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on the Whole Bible</h1></center>
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[<A HREF="MHC00000.HTM">Table of Contents</A>]<BR>
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Matthew Henry<BR><I>Commentary on the Whole Bible</I> (1706)
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<!-- (Begin Body) -->
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<CENTER>
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<BR><FONT SIZE=+3><B>L E V I T C U S</B></FONT>
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<BR>
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<BR><FONT SIZE=+2>CHAP. XII.</FONT>
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<HR SIZE=1 WIDTH=50>
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<FONT SIZE=-1>
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<P>
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After the laws concerning clean and unclean food come the laws
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concerning clean and unclean persons; and the first is in this chapter
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concerning the ceremonial uncleanness of women in child-birth,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Le+12:1-5">
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ver. 1-5</A>.
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And concerning their purification from that uncleanness,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Le+12:6-8">ver. 6</A>,
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&c.</P>
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</FONT>
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<A NAME="Le12_1"> </A>
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<A NAME="Le12_2"> </A>
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<A NAME="Le12_3"> </A>
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<A NAME="Le12_4"> </A>
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<A NAME="Le12_5"> </A>
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<A NAME="Sec1"> </A>
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<TABLE WIDTH="100%" BORDER=0>
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<TR><TD><FONT SIZE=+1><I>Ceremonial Purification.</I></FONT></TD>
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<TD ALIGN=RIGHT><FONT SIZE=-1>B. C.</FONT> 1490.</TD></TR>
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<TR><TD COLSPAN=2><HR SIZE=1></TD></TR>
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</TABLE>
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<P>
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<FONT SIZE=+1>1 And the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT> spake unto Moses, saying,
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2 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman have
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conceived seed, and born a man child: then she shall be unclean
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seven days; according to the days of the separation for her
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infirmity shall she be unclean.
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3 And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be
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circumcised.
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4 And she shall then continue in the blood of her purifying
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three and thirty days; she shall touch no hallowed thing, nor
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come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying be
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fulfilled.
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5 But if she bear a maid child, then she shall be unclean two
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weeks, as in her separation: and she shall continue in the blood
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of her purifying threescore and six days.
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</FONT></P>
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<P>
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The law here pronounces women lying-in ceremonially unclean. The Jews
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say, "The law extended even to an abortion, if the child was so formed
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as that the sex was distinguishable."
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1. There was some time of strict separation immediately after the
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birth, which continued seven days for a son and fourteen for a
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daughter,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Le+12:2,5"><I>v.</I> 2, 5</A>.
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During these days she was separated from her husband and friends, and
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those that necessarily attended her were ceremonially unclean, which
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was one reason why the males were not circumcised till the eighth day,
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because they participated in the mother's pollution during the days of
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her separation.
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2. There was also a longer time appointed for their purifying;
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thirty-three days more (forty in all) if the birth were a male, and
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double that time if a female,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Le+12:4,5"><I>v.</I> 4, 5</A>.
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During this time they
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were only separated from the sanctuary and forbidden to eat of the
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passover, or peace-offerings, or, if a priest's wife, to eat of any
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thing that was holy to the Lord. Why the time of both those was double
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for a female to what it was for a male I can assign no reason but the
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will of the Law-maker; in Christ Jesus no difference is made of male
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and female,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ga+3:28,Col+3:11">Gal. iii. 28; Col. iii. 11</A>.
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But this ceremonial uncleanness which the law laid women in child-bed
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under was to signify the pollution of sin which we are all conceived
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and born in,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+51:5">Ps. li. 5</A>.
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For, if the root be impure, so is the branch, <I>Who can bring a clean
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thing out of an unclean?</I> If sin had not entered, nothing but purity
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and honour had attended all the productions of that great blessing,
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<I>Be fruitful and multiply;</I> but now that the nature of man is
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degenerated the propagation of that nature is laid under these marks of
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disgrace, because of the sin and corruption that are propagated with
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it, and in remembrance of the curse upon the woman that was first in
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the transgression. That <I>in sorrow</I> (to which it is here further
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added <I>in shame</I>) she should <I>bring forth children.</I> And the
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exclusion of the woman for so many days from the sanctuary, and all
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participation of the holy things, signified that our original
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corruption (that sinning sin which we brought into the world with us)
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would have excluded us for ever from the enjoyment of God and his
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favours if he had not graciously provided for our purifying.</P>
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<A NAME="Le12_6"> </A>
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<A NAME="Le12_7"> </A>
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<A NAME="Le12_8"> </A>
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<P>
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<FONT SIZE=+1>6 And when the days of her purifying are fulfilled, for a son,
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or for a daughter, she shall bring a lamb of the first year for a
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burnt offering, and a young pigeon, or a turtledove, for a sin
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offering, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,
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unto the priest:
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7 Who shall offer it before the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT>, and make an atonement for
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her; and she shall be cleansed from the issue of her blood. This
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<I>is</I> the law for her that hath born a male or a female.
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8 And if she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring
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two turtles, or two young pigeons; the one for the burnt
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offering, and the other for a sin offering: and the priest shall
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make an atonement for her, and she shall be clean.
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</FONT></P>
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<P>
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A woman that had lain in, when the time set for her return to the
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sanctuary had come, was not to attend there empty, but must bring her
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offerings,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Le+12:6"><I>v.</I> 6</A>.
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1. A <I>burnt-offering;</I> a lamb if she was able, if poor, a pigeon.
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This she was to offer in thankfulness to God for his mercy to her, in
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bringing her safely through the pains of child-bearing and all the
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perils of child-bed, and in desire and hopes of God's further favour
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both to her and to the child. When a child is born there is joy and
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there is hope, and therefore it was proper to bring this offering,
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which was of a general nature; for what we rejoice in we must give
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thanks for, and what we are in hopes of we must pray for. But, besides
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this,
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2. She must offer a <I>sin-offering,</I> which must be the same for
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poor and rich, a turtle-dove or a young pigeon; for, whatever
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difference there may be between rich and poor in the sacrifices of
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acknowledgment, that of atonement is the same for both. This
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sin-offering was intended either,
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(1.) To complete her purification from that ceremonial uncleanness
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which, though it was not in itself sinful, yet was typical of moral
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pollution; or,
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(2.) To make atonement for that which was really sin, either an
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inordinate desire of the blessing of children or discontent or
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impatience under the pains of child-bearing. It is only by Christ, the
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great sin-offering, that the corruption of our nature is done away, and
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to that it is owing that we are not for ever excluded by it from the
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sanctuary, and from eating of the holy things. According to this law,
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we find that the mother of our blessed Lord, though he was not
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conceived in sin as others, yet <I>accomplished the days of
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purification,</I> and then presented her son to the Lord, being a
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first-born, and brought her own offering, <I>a pair of
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turtle-doves,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Lu+2:22-24">Luke ii. 22-24</A>.
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So poor were Christ's parents that they were not able to bring a lamb
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for a burnt-offering; and so early was Christ <I>made under the law, to
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redeem those that were under it.</I> The morality of this law obliges
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those women that have received mercy from God in child-bearing with all
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thankfulness to own God's goodness to them, acknowledging themselves
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unworthy of it, and (which is the best purification of women that have
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been saved in child-bearing,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Ti+2:15">1 Tim. ii. 15</A>)
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to <I>continue in faith, and charity, and holiness, with sobriety;</I>
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for this shall please the Lord better than the turtle-doves or the
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young pigeons.</P>
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<!-- (End Body) -->
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[<A HREF="MHC03011.HTM">Previous</A>]
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[<A HREF="MHC03013.HTM">Next</A>]<BR>
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Matthew Henry<BR><I>Commentary on the Whole Bible</I> (1706)
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