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 days of her purification are completed, whether for a son or daughter, she must bring a one-year-old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or dove for a sin offering to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting.
God required new mothers to bring specific animal sacrifices to the priest after their purification period was complete, regardless of whether they had a boy or girl.
📚 Historical Context
This was part of the Mosaic law given to the Israelites around 1400 BC, establishing ceremonial cleanliness rules for childbirth. The purification period lasted 40 days for a son and 80 days for a daughter, after which the mother needed to make offerings to be ceremonially clean again. These sacrifices were made at the tabernacle, which was the portable worship center during Israel's wilderness journey.
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