Leviticus 12 · Verse 8

Leviticus 12:8

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.
Leviticus 12:8, King James Version

Leviticus 12:8 in other translations

BSBBut if she cannot afford a lamb, she shall bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. Then the priest will make atonement for her, and she will be clean.’”
WEBIf she cannot afford a lamb, then she shall take two turtledoves or two young pigeons: the one for a burnt offering, and the other for a sin offering. The priest shall make atonement for her, and she shall be clean.’”
ASVAnd 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.
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.'
DARBYAnd 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.
BBEAnd if she has not money enough for a lamb, then let her take two doves or two young pigeons, one for a burned offering and the other for a sin-offering, and the priest will take away her sin and she will be clean,
WebsterAnd if she shall not be 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?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Leviticus 12:6-8

6-8. the days of her purifying--Though the occasion was of a festive character, yet the sacrifices appointed were not a peace offering, but a burnt offering and sin offering, in order to impress the mind of the parent with recollections of the origin of sin, and that the child inherited a fallen and sinful nature. The offerings were to be presented the day after the period of her separation had ended--that is…

Read the full comment on Leviticus 12:6-8 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 8 And if she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons - As the Virgin Mary brought only the latter, hence it is evident that she was not able, i. e., she was not rich enough to provide the former; for such a holy woman would not have brought the less offering had she been capable of bringing the greater. How astonishing is this! The only heir to the throne of David was not able to bring a lamb to offer in sacrifice to God! How abominable must sin be when it required him who was in the form of God thus to empty and to humble himself, yea, even to the death of the cross, in order to make an atonement for it, and to purify the soul from all defilement! The priest shall make an atonement for her - Every act of man is sinful, but such as proceed from the influence of the grace and mercy of God. Her sorrow in conception, and her pain in bringing forth children, reminded the woman of her original offense; an offense which deserved death, an offense which she could not expiate, and for which a sacrifice must be offered: and in reference to better things the life of an animal must be offered as a ransom for her life. And being saved in childbed, though she deserved to die, she is required, as soon as the days of her separation were ended, to bring a sacrifice according to her ability to the priest, that he might offer it to God as an atonement for her. Thus, wherever God keeps up the remembrance of sin, he keeps up also the memorial of sacrifice, to show that the state of a sinner, howsoever deplorable, is not hopeless, for that he himself has found out a ransom. Every where, in the law and in the Gospel, in every ordinance and in every ceremony, we may see both the justice and the mercy of God. Hence, while we have the knowledge of our sin we have also the knowledge of our cure. Reader, whilst thou art confessing thy own misery do not forget the Lord's mercy; and remember, be saves to the uttermost all that come through Christ unto him.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Leviticus 12:8 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְאִם\־ve.'im-and ifH518
לֹ֨אlo'notH3808
תִמְצָ֣אtim.Tza'it will findH4672
יָדָהּ֮ya.Dahhand herH3027
דֵּ֣יdeisufficiency ofH1767
שֶׂה֒seha sheepH7716
וְלָקְחָ֣הve.la.ke.Chahand she will takeH3947
שְׁתֵּֽי\־she.tei-twoH8147
תֹרִ֗יםto.Rimturtle-dovesH8449
א֤וֹ'oorH176
שְׁנֵי֙she.NeitwoH8147
בְּנֵ֣יbe.Neiyoung ones ofH1121
יוֹנָ֔הyo.Naha doveH3123
אֶחָ֥ד'e.ChadoneH259
לְעֹלָ֖הle.'o.Lahto a burnt offeringH5930
וְאֶחָ֣דve.'e.Chadand oneH259
לְחַטָּ֑אתle.cha.Tatto a sin offeringH2403
וְכִפֶּ֥רve.khi.Perand he will make atonementH3722
עָלֶ֛יהָ'a.Lei.haon herH5921
הַכֹּהֵ֖ןha.ko.Henthe priestH3548
וְטָהֵֽרָה\׃\ \פve.ta.He.rahand she will be pureH2891

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Leviticus 12:8

  • Leviticus 5:7

    And if he be not able to bring a lamb, then he shall bring for his trespass, which he hath committed, two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, unto the Lord; one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering.

  • Leviticus 4:26

    And he shall burn all his fat upon the altar, as the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings: and the priest shall make an atonement for him as concerning his sin, and it shall be forgiven him.

  • Leviticus 1:14

    And if the burnt sacrifice for his offering to the Lord be of fowls, then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves, or of young pigeons.

  • Luke 2:22-24

    And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.

  • Leviticus 14:22

    And two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, such as he is able to get; and the one shall be a sin offering, and the other a burnt offering.

  • Leviticus 15:29

    And on the eighth day she shall take unto her two turtles, or two young pigeons, and bring them unto the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

  • Leviticus 15:14

    And on the eighth day he shall take to him two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, and come before the Lord unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and give them unto the priest:

  • 2 Corinthians 8:9

    For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
she be not able to bring a lamb. Heb. her hand find notsufficiency of a lamb.
1:14; 5:7; 14:22; 15:14,29; Lu 2:22,24; 2Co 8:9
make an atonement.
4:26When burnt offerings and sin offerings were brought together, the sin offerings were first offered.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Leviticus 12:7

    Who shall offer it before the Lord, and make an atonement for her; and she shall be cleansed from the issue of her blood. This is the law for her that hath born a male or a female.

  • Leviticus 12:8

    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.

Read all of Leviticus 12

Leviticus 12:8 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y si no alcanzare su mano lo suficiente para un cordero, tomará entonces dos tórtolas ó dos palominos, uno para holocausto, y otro para expiación: y el sacerdote hará expiación por ella, y será limpia.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et si ses moyens ne suffisent pas pour trouver un agneau, elle prendra deux tourterelles ou deux jeunes pigeons, l’un pour l’holocauste, et l’autre pour le sacrifice pour le péché; et le sacrificateur fera propitiation pour elle, et elle sera pure.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und wenn ihre Hand das zu einem Schafe Hinreichende nicht aufbringen kann, so soll sie zwei Turteltauben oder zwei junge Tauben nehmen, eine zum Brandopfer und eine zum Sündopfer; und der Priester soll Sühnung für sie tun, und sie wird rein sein.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Quod si non invenerit manus ejus, nec potuerit offerre agnum, sumet duos turtures vel duos pullos columbarum, unum in holocaustum, et alterum pro peccato: orabitque pro ea sacerdos, et sic mundabitur.