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 15:29KJV
Know the Bible

Leviticus 15:29 (KJV)

What does Leviticus 15:29 mean?

Leviticus 15:29 describes how, on the eighth day after a woman’s period of ritual impurity, she is to bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest at the entrance of the tabernacle. This offering is part of the process for her to be declared clean according to the laws given to Israel.

In this verse, God is giving instructions to Moses for the Israelites about ritual purity. The focus is on a woman who has completed a period of uncleanness due to bodily discharge. The priest acts as the mediator, and the tabernacle is the central place of worship. The specific animals mentioned are accessible and commonly used for offerings, showing consideration for people of different means.

The Hebrew behind Leviticus 15:29

  • "eighth" (שְּׁמִינִי, shemini): This word marks the specific timing—after a full week, the eighth day is set apart for the ritual, emphasizing completion and new beginning.
  • "turtles" (תֹּר, tor) and "pigeons" (יוֹנָה, yonah): These birds were commonly available and affordable, making the ritual accessible to most people.
  • "door" (פֶּתַח, petach): This refers to the entrance of the tabernacle, highlighting that the offering is to be made in a public, communal place of worship, not in private.

Why Leviticus 15:29 matters

  • Leviticus 15:29 clarifies that ritual impurity was not permanent and could be resolved through a specific process, allowing people to rejoin community worship.
  • The verse shows that the law made provision for all, using animals that were within reach for most families, not just the wealthy.
  • This instruction fits into a larger section on bodily discharges and ritual cleanliness, underlining the importance of both physical and spiritual wholeness in Israel’s worship life.

Where else these words appear

“turtles” Hebrew H8449 · used in 14 verses

  • Genesis 15:9 And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.
  • Leviticus 12:6 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:
  • 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:

“eighth” Hebrew H8066 · used in 27 verses

  • Exodus 22:30 Likewise shalt thou do with thine oxen, and with thy sheep: seven days it shall be with his dam; on the eighth day thou shalt give it me.
  • Leviticus 23:39 Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath.
  • 1 Chronicles 12:12 Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth,

“pigeons” Hebrew H3123 · used in 32 verses

  • Genesis 8:8 Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground;
  • 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.
  • Song of Solomon 5:2 I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.