The Meaning of Leviticus 12:6 Explained

Leviticus 12:6

KJV: 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:

YLT: 'And in the fulness of the days of her cleansing for son or for daughter she doth bring in a lamb, a son of a year, for a burnt-offering, and a young pigeon or a turtle-dove for a sin-offering, unto the opening of the tent of meeting, unto the priest;

Darby: And when the days of her cleansing are fulfilled, for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring a yearling lamb for a burnt-offering, and a young pigeon or a turtle-dove for a sin-offering, to the entrance of the tent of meeting, unto the priest.

ASV: And when the days of her purifying are fulfilled, for a son, or for a daughter, she shall bring a lamb a year old for a burnt-offering, and a young pigeon, or a turtle-dove, for a sin-offering, unto the door of the tent of meeting, unto the priest:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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: 

What does Leviticus 12:6 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 12:6 mean?

And when are fulfilled the days of her purification whether for a son or a daughter she shall bring 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 the priest
וּבִמְלֹ֣את ׀ יְמֵ֣י טָהֳרָ֗הּ לְבֵן֮ א֣וֹ לְבַת֒ תָּבִ֞יא כֶּ֤בֶשׂ בֶּן־ שְׁנָתוֹ֙ לְעֹלָ֔ה וּבֶן־ יוֹנָ֥ה אוֹ־ תֹ֖ר לְחַטָּ֑את אֶל־ פֶּ֥תַח אֹֽהֶל־ מוֹעֵ֖ד הַכֹּהֵֽן

וּבִמְלֹ֣את ׀  And  when  are  fulfilled 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: מָלֵא 
Sense: to fill, be full.
יְמֵ֣י  the  days 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
טָהֳרָ֗הּ  of  her  purification 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: טָהֳרָה  
Sense: purifying, cleansing, purification, purity, cleanness.
לְבֵן֮  whether  for  a  son 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
לְבַת֒  a  daughter 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
תָּבִ֞יא  she  shall  bring 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
כֶּ֤בֶשׂ  a  lamb 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֶּבֶשׂ  
Sense: lamb, sheep, young ram.
בֶּן־  of  the  first 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
שְׁנָתוֹ֙  year 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁנָה  
Sense: year.
לְעֹלָ֔ה  as  a  burnt  offering 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֹלָה  
Sense: whole burnt offering.
וּבֶן־  and  a  young 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יוֹנָ֥ה  pigeon 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: יׄונָה  
Sense: dove, pigeon.
תֹ֖ר  a  turtledove 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: תֹּור  
Sense: dove, turtledove.
לְחַטָּ֑את  as  a  sin  offering 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חַטָּאָה 
Sense: sin, sinful.
פֶּ֥תַח  the  door 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: פֶּתַח  
Sense: opening, doorway, entrance.
אֹֽהֶל־  of  the  tabernacle 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֹהֶל  
Sense: tent.
מוֹעֵ֖ד  of  meeting 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹועֵד  
Sense: appointed place, appointed time, meeting.
הַכֹּהֵֽן  the  priest 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.