The Meaning of Leviticus 12:8 Explained

Leviticus 12:8

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.

YLT: 'And if her hand find not the sufficiency of a sheep, then she hath taken two turtle-doves, or two young pigeons, one for a burnt-offering, and one for a sin-offering, and the priest hath made atonement for her, and she hath been cleansed.'

Darby: And if her hand cannot find what is sufficient for a sheep, she shall bring two turtle-doves or two young 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.

ASV: And if her means suffice not for a lamb, then she shall take two turtle-doves, or two young pigeons; the 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Leviticus 12:8 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 12:8 mean?

And if not to bring her hand is able a lamb then she may bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons one as a burnt offering and one as a sin offering so shall make atonement for her the priest and she will be clean -
וְאִם־ לֹ֨א תִמְצָ֣א יָדָהּ֮ דֵּ֣י שֶׂה֒ וְלָקְחָ֣ה שְׁתֵּֽי־ תֹרִ֗ים א֤וֹ שְׁנֵי֙ בְּנֵ֣י יוֹנָ֔ה אֶחָ֥ד לְעֹלָ֖ה וְאֶחָ֣ד לְחַטָּ֑את וְכִפֶּ֥ר עָלֶ֛יהָ הַכֹּהֵ֖ן וְטָהֵֽרָה פ

וְאִם־  And  if 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
תִמְצָ֣א  to  bring 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: מָצָא  
Sense: to find, attain to.
יָדָהּ֮  her  hand 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
דֵּ֣י  is  able 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בְּדֵי 
Sense: sufficiency, enough.
שֶׂה֒  a  lamb 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֶׂה  
Sense: one of a flock, lamb, sheep, goat, young sheep, young goat.
וְלָקְחָ֣ה  then  she  may  bring 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
שְׁתֵּֽי־  two 
Parse: Number, fdc
Root: שְׁנַיִם  
Sense: two.
תֹרִ֗ים  turtledoves 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: תֹּור  
Sense: dove, turtledove.
שְׁנֵי֙  two 
Parse: Number, mdc
Root: שְׁנַיִם  
Sense: two.
בְּנֵ֣י  young 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יוֹנָ֔ה  pigeons 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: יׄונָה  
Sense: dove, pigeon.
אֶחָ֥ד  one 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: אֶחָד  
Sense: one (number).
לְעֹלָ֖ה  as  a  burnt  offering 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֹלָה  
Sense: whole burnt offering.
וְאֶחָ֣ד  and  one 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, masculine singular
Root: אֶחָד  
Sense: one (number).
לְחַטָּ֑את  as  a  sin  offering 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חַטָּאָה 
Sense: sin, sinful.
וְכִפֶּ֥ר  so  shall  make  atonement 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּפַר 
Sense: to cover, purge, make an atonement, make reconciliation, cover over with pitch.
עָלֶ֛יהָ  for  her 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
הַכֹּהֵ֖ן  the  priest 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
וְטָהֵֽרָה  and  she  will  be  clean 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: טָהֵר  
Sense: to be clean, be pure.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation