New King James Version
Leviticus 12:8
8‘And if she is not able to bring a lamb, then she may bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons—one as a burnt offering and the other as a sin offering. So the priest shall make atonement for her, and she will be clean.’ ”
Leviticus 12:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)But if she cannot afford a lamb, she is to bring two doves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. In this way the priest will make atonement for her, and she will be clean.’ ”
- English Standard Version (ESV)And if she cannot afford a lamb, then she shall take two turtledoves or two pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. And the priest shall make atonement for her, and she shall be clean."
- New Living Translation (NLT)“If a woman cannot afford to bring a lamb, she must bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons. One will be for the burnt offering and the other for the purification offering. The priest will sacrifice them to purify her, and she will be ceremonially clean.”
Context of Leviticus 12:8
6‘When the days of her purification are fulfilled, whether for a son or a daughter, she shall bring to the priest a lamb of the first year as a burnt offering, and a young pigeon or a turtledove as a sin offering, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 7Then he shall offer it before the Lord, and make atonement for her. And she shall be clean from the flow of her blood. This is the law for her who has borne a male or a female. ‘And if she is not able to bring a lamb, then she may bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons—one as a burnt offering and the other as a sin offering. So the priest shall make atonement for her, and she will be clean.’ ”
Read all of Leviticus 12Leviticus 12:8 word by word
וְאִם־לֹ֨א תִמְצָ֣א יָדָהּ֮ דֵּ֣י שֶׂה֒ וְלָקְחָ֣ה שְׁתֵּֽי־תֹרִ֗ים א֤וֹ שְׁנֵי֙ בְּנֵ֣י יוֹנָ֔ה אֶחָ֥ד לְעֹלָ֖ה וְאֶחָ֣ד לְחַטָּ֑את וְכִפֶּ֥ר עָלֶ֛יהָ הַכֹּהֵ֖ן וְטָהֵֽרָה׃ פRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And if she be not able to bringיָדyâd · handH3027
- And if she be not able to bringדַּיday · sufficiencyH1767
- And if she be not able to bringמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
- a lambשֶׂהώeh ώêy · sheepH7716
- then she shall bringלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
- twoשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
- turtlesתֹּרtôr tôr · turtledoveH8449
- or two youngבֵּןbên · son: young animalH1121
- pigeonsיוֹנָהyônâh · doveH3123
- the oneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
- for the burnt offeringעֹלָה‛ôlâh ‛ôlâh · burnt offeringH5930
- for a sin offeringחַטָּאתchaţţâ'âh chaţţâ'th · sin: sin offeringH2403
- and the priestכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
- shall make an atonementכִּפֶּרkâphar · to atoneH3722
- for her, and she shall be cleanטָהֵרţâhêr · be pureH2891
Cross-references for Leviticus 12:8
- Leviticus 1:14‘And if the burnt sacrifice of his offering to the Lord is of birds, then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves or young pigeons.
- Leviticus 5:7‘If he is not able to bring a lamb, then he shall bring to the Lord, for his trespass which he has committed, two turtledoves or two young pigeons: one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering.
- Leviticus 14:22and two turtledoves or two young pigeons, such as he is able to afford: one shall be a sin offering and the other a burnt offering.
- Leviticus 15:14On the eighth day he shall take for himself two turtledoves or two young pigeons, and come before the Lord, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and give them to the priest.
- Luke 2:22Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord
- 2 Corinthians 8:9For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.
- Leviticus 4:26And he shall burn all its fat on the altar, like the fat of the sacrifice of the peace offering. So the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin, and it shall be forgiven him.
Commentaries on Leviticus 12:8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8And if she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons - As the Virgin Mary brought only the latter, hence it is evident that she was not able, i. e., she was not rich enough to provide the former; for such a holy woman would not have brought the less offering had she been capable of bringing the greater. How astonishing is this! The only heir to the throne of David was not able to bring a lamb to offer in sacrifice…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6-8Verses 6-8 The sacrificial act expressed an acknowledgment of sin and a dedication of herself to Yahweh. See Leviticus 8:14. Leviticus 12:6 Of the first year - literally, as in the margin, “a son of his year.” This expression is supposed to mean one less than a year old, while the “son of a year” is one that has just completed its first year. Leviticus 12:8 A lamb - Rather, one of the flock; either a sheep or a goat; it is not the same word as in…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8cannot afford a lamb: The alternative offering is for the poorer members of society (see Leviticus 5:7–13; compare Luke 2:22–24).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 6-86-8. the days of her purifying--Though the occasion was of a festive character, yet the sacrifices appointed were not a peace offering, but a burnt offering and sin offering, in order to impress the mind of the parent with recollections of the origin of sin, and that the child inherited a fallen and sinful nature. The offerings were to be presented the day after the period of her separation had ended--that is, forty-first for a boy, eighty-first for a…Read the comment
Topics related to Leviticus 12:8
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Leviticus 12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries