Leviticus 12-13
30 Jul 2026 - Theology
Blood and Skin Disease
Leviticus 12
This chapter details the law for a woman who gives birth.
If she gives birth to a male child, she shall be unclean for seven days (2), and then she shall continue in a state of blood purification for 33 days. (4)
Leviticus 12:3 - “And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.”
This command stems from the Lord’s covenant with Abraham in Genesis 17:
Genesis 17:12 - “And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations…”
If the woman gives birth to a female child, the woman shall be unclean for two weeks (14 days), and she shall continue in a state of blood purification for 66 days. (5)
When the days of blood purification are over, the woman shall offer a burnt offering and a sin offering (6).
Most of the blood of the sin offering was poured out at the bottom of the altar:
Leviticus 4:18 - “And he shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar which is before the Lord, that is in the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall pour out all the blood at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.”
This blood that was poured out was allowed to flow back into the earth. In the case of childbirth, the blood from the sin offering that returns to the earth acts as atonement for the blood that was spilled in giving birth, and the mother is then made clean. Any spilling of blood in general was seen as a sin and required atonement (see Genesis 4). The sin offering was offered for this reason, not because there was any sin in giving birth.
Leviticus 13
The laws given in this chapter deal with disease called tzara’at, which the KJV translates as leprosy. While leprosy (now called Hansen’s disease) was a common disease, this chapter concerns many different types of skin diseases, including eczema, psoriasis, impetigo, and also leprosy.
Leviticus 13:1-2 - “And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, saying, When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a rising, a scab, or bright spot, and it be in the skin of his flesh like the plague of leprosy; then he shall be brought unto Aaron the priest, or unto one of his sons the priests:”
If an Israelite noticed a skin problem, he or she would come (or be brought) to a priest. The priest did not act as a doctor or a medicine man, but people would look to them if they were ill, hoping for “miracle cures.” The priest would only examine the skin and declare whether the person was clean or unclean.
This chapter also contains laws regarding tzara’at of wool, linen, and leather (see verses 47-59). These were not diseases, but were probably mildew or fungus that could grow in fabrics or in leathers that had not been properly treated.
Leviticus 13:59 - “This is the law of the plague of leprosy in a garment of woollen or linen, either in the warp, or woof, or any thing of skins, to pronounce it clean, or to pronounce it unclean.”
For most kinds of tzara’at, people (or fabrics and leathers) were isolated for seven days and then examined again to see if the tzara’at was growing and spreading or if it had disappeared. If a skin condition grew serious and did not disappear, even after another examination made in 14 days, then the person with the condition was considered unclean.
Leviticus 13:45-46 - “And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean. All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be.”
Before modern times, people with skin diseases (especially leprosy) were feared and mistreated. Today, though, we know that leprosy may be an ugly disease, but it is not very contagious.
References
- The Hebrew - Greek Key Study Bible (KJV Version)
- The Torah Portion-by-Portion by Rabbi Seymour Rossel (2007)