John Gill Commentary


John Gill Commentary
"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." — Leviticus 12:2 (ASV)
Speak unto the children of Israel
For this law only concerned them, and not other nations of the world:
if a woman has conceived seed ;
by lying with a man, and so becomes pregnant, and goes on with her pregnancy until she brings forth a child. The Jews from here gather that this law respects abortions; that if a woman has conceived and miscarries, she must bring her offering eighty-one days after the birth of a female, and forty-one after a maleF13; but the law seems only to regard such as are with child, and proceed to the due time of childbirth, whether then the child is born alive or dead:
and born a man child ;
which is, generally speaking, not only matter of joy to the mother, but to the whole family, see (John 16:21). Then she shall be unclean seven days. She must be separate from all company, except those whose presence is necessary to take care of her in her circumstances and do what is proper for her. Even these became ceremonially unclean thereby. Indeed, her husband was not permitted to sit near her, nor to eat and drink with her:
according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she
be unclean ;
She was unclean the same number of days, even seven, on account of childbirth, as she was for her monthly courses. These are called here an infirmity or sickness, incident to all females when grown up, at which time they were separate from all persons. The case was the same with a new mother; see (Leviticus 15:14–29).