The Meaning of Leviticus 12:2 Explained

Leviticus 12:2

KJV: 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.

YLT: 'Speak unto the sons of Israel, saying, A woman when she giveth seed, and hath born a male, then she hath been unclean seven days, according to the days of separation for her sickness she is unclean;

Darby: Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman conceive seed, and bear a male, then she shall be unclean seven days; as in the days of the separation of her infirmity shall she be unclean.

ASV: Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman conceive seed, and bear a man-child, then she shall be unclean seven days; as in the days of the impurity of her sickness shall she be unclean.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Leviticus 12:2 Mean?

Context Summary

Leviticus 12:1-8 - Purification After Child-Bearing
The birth of a boy involved seven days' ceremonial defilement; of a girl, fourteen. Not the child, but the mother, was adjudged to be unclean, securing her a period of retirement and rest. The gracious gradation in the sacrifices made it possible for the poorest to obey, and it is a memorable fact that the mother of our Lord brought two pigeons or doves-meet emblems of her gentle nature-when she presented her babe in the Temple. See Luke 2:24. Our Lord became poor, that through His poverty we might be eternally enriched. In the light of this ceremonial, we are led back to Psalms 51:5, which we must personally and sadly ponder.
The initial rite of the Hebrew religion stood for separation. The parent taught the child to remember that he belonged to a separated race. It was impossible for him to consort with those who were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel. We all need to undergo the circumcision of Christ, which consists in putting away the sins of the flesh, and ceasing to trust in our own energy. See Colossians 2:11-12. [source]

Chapter Summary: Leviticus 12

1  The purification of a woman after childbirth
6  Her offerings for her purifying

What do the individual words in Leviticus 12:2 mean?

speak to the sons of Israel saying a woman if has conceived and borne a male child then she shall be unclean seven days as in the days of customary her impurity she shall be unclean
דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־ בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר אִשָּׁה֙ כִּ֣י תַזְרִ֔יעַ וְיָלְדָ֖ה זָכָ֑ר וְטָֽמְאָה֙ שִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִ֔ים כִּימֵ֛י נִדַּ֥ת דְּוֺתָ֖הּ תִּטְמָֽא

דַּבֵּ֞ר  speak 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
בְּנֵ֤י  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
לֵאמֹ֔ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אִשָּׁה֙  a  woman 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
תַזְרִ֔יעַ  has  conceived 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: זָרַע  
Sense: to sow, scatter seed.
וְיָלְדָ֖ה  and  borne 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: יָלַד 
Sense: to bear, bring forth, beget, gender, travail.
זָכָ֑ר  a  male  child 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: זָכָר  
Sense: male (of humans and animals) adj.
וְטָֽמְאָה֙  then  she  shall  be  unclean 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: טָמֵא 
Sense: to be unclean, become unclean, become impure.
שִׁבְעַ֣ת  seven 
Parse: Number, masculine singular construct
Root: שֶׁבַע  
Sense: seven (cardinal number).
יָמִ֔ים  days 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
כִּימֵ֛י  as  in  the  days 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
נִדַּ֥ת  of  customary 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: נִדָּה  
Sense: impurity, filthiness, menstruous, set apart.
דְּוֺתָ֖הּ  her  impurity 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person feminine singular
Root: דָּוָה  
Sense: (Qal) to be ill, be unwell.
תִּטְמָֽא  she  shall  be  unclean 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: טָמֵא 
Sense: to be unclean, become unclean, become impure.