Leviticus 12:1 "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,"

When God spoke of the food laws He spoke to both Moses and Aaron, but here just to Moses.

Leviticus 12:2 "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 [as] to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean."

The infirmity that it is talking about in this chapter, is the woman's menstruation cycle. So what this is telling us is that if a woman conceives and has a boy child, that she will be considered unclean for a seven day period, as it would be in that cycle. This is spoken of in Leviticus 15:19.

Leviticus 12:3 "And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised."

This is according to the rule that God laid down in Genesis 17:12 "And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy see." It doesn't matter whether it is a child of the household, or one brought into the household, bought by money, say that of a servant within your household.

Jesus spoke of this verse in John 7:22, 23 "Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the Sabbath day circumcise a man." [22] "If a man on the Sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken: are ye angry at Me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the Sabbath day?" [23] So this confirms that Moses is the writer of this book of Leviticus.

Leviticus 12:4 "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 day of her purifying be fulfilled."

This woman that has given birth would not have been able to participate in the sacrificial meals, or even enter into the sanctuary for thirty three days after the eight days are over...this would make it a full forty days.

Leviticus 12:5 "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."

It was seven days in the case of the male child, but if she has a female child, this time that she would be unclean would be two weeks. Then after the fourteen days, she continues for an additions sixty six days. So she would be in the purifying process twice as long then if she had a male child. If the woman is in this purifying period twice the length of time, it reduces the number of of female children. In studies done on this matter, statistics from a study on this matter show that if this period of eighty days is not observed, the number of females will far outnumber the male children born to that woman.

Leviticus 12:6 "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:"

When the woman's days of purifying are over, then the mother is to bring a lamb of one year to the sanctuary for a burnt offering, and also a young pigeon or turtledove for a sin offering to the sanctuary, and give it to the priest. These offerings do not imply any special guilt for having a child in birth. the burnt offering is to stress the importance of the strength of her surrender and absence from being in the presence of YHVH. The sin sacrifice is offered because of the sin that is manifested in her bodily condition.

Leviticus 12:7 "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."

"Issue" as recorded in the Hebrew text refers to a source of water, but in this case it refers to a source of blood.

Leviticus 12:8 "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.' "

If her hand is not sufficient to reach a lamb, then she shall bring two turtledoves, or two pigeons. One of the doves or pigeons for the burnt offering, and the other for the sins offering, and the priest will make the atonement for her. This verse eight is given when that woman is in extreme poverty.