Why in the Bible does it say childbirth is unclean?

[Purple_Junebug]

In Leviticus chapter 12 it says that when a woman has a baby she is “unclean” it also says this about a woman’s period. What does this mean? I have never seen it that way, I always thought childbirth and the monthly cycle were something beautiful, like a gift God gave to women. Am I wrong to think this? I have always wanted to have children (in the future of course, I am only 16 haha) but I don’t understand why that is unclean. Thanks for your replies.

 

[OraLabora]

In Leviticus chapter 12 it says that when a woman has a baby she is “unclean” it also says this about a woman’s period. What does this mean? I have never seen it that way, I always thought childbirth and the monthly cycle were something beautiful, like a gift God gave to women. Am I wrong to think this? I have always wanted to have children (in the future of course, I am only 16 haha) but I don’t understand why that is unclean. Thanks for your replies.

Maybe the author of Leviticus worked as a hospital janitor for a summer job while in university and had to clean up the delivery room after a messy delivery

(yes, I write this from experience).

 

[Phemie]

In Leviticus chapter 12 it says that when a woman has a baby she is “unclean” it also says this about a woman’s period. What does this mean? I have never seen it that way, I always thought childbirth and the monthly cycle were something beautiful, like a gift God gave to women. Am I wrong to think this? I have always wanted to have children (in the future of course, I am only 16 haha) but I don’t understand why that is unclean. Thanks for your replies.

You’re two years older than I was when I first read Leviticus (my very first experience with a real Bible, during a 40 Hours Devotion where I was the only person in the church). I was confused for years.

It would take much time to explain it but I found that Wiki has a good page about the ritual bath that will help you understand why. It involves bodily fluids, not just menstruation: men were considered unclean if they had a wet dream or even had had sex with their wives and anyone who came in contact with a carcass or a corpse was also considered unclean and had to do ritual purification.

 

[JRKH]

If one looks at many of these OT Laws governing what is unclean from activities to food etc, one can see some very real and good health and “sanitation” practices. While they may sound odd to us today with modern understandings of the world and medicine, they are not, overall, not without some foundation in maintianing the health of the community.

There are of course spiritual aspects to some of these laws that may not bear on the “medical”, (like being unclean after a wet dream) but many do. Childbirth and it’s aftermath as well as menstrating could have health impacts if not properly handled.
What today we might call “sanitizing” the OT Law calls “purifying”.

I’m not being terribly scientific or detailed here but just wanted to put this out there for consideration.

Peace
James

 

[JS_Cortez]

I read this from a Jewish book but since we’re talking about a Jewish law, it seems fitting…

The blood of the monthly period, the blood of the afterbirth, the semen of wet dream, they’re all the fluids of a loss of life. The blood of the monthly period and the semen the potential of life and the blood of the afterbirth the loss of the life from inside the mother.

The major difference with the blood from childbirth is that even that blood comes from a loss of life inside of the mother, she (hopefully and assuming the child is healthy) gets to have her newborn child placed in her arms.

But the loss of life seems to a be spiritual aspect for the needing to be ritually clean again. Same thing with touching a corpse. You have come in contact with the glimmer of death in each case.

 

[Purple_Junebug]

The sanitation metaphor made me understand. I thought the passage meant the woman is unclean spiritually, like having a baby makes you a bad person, that’s why I didn’t understand. But I just didn’t look at the obvious, of course it makes you physically not clean. Thanks guys

 

[puzzleannie]

Jcortez comes closest, another way to understand the concept of uncleanness which requires a ritual purification, such as following the menses or childbirth, is the fact that we do not merely clean the sacred vessels after communion, but they must be purified, and the cloth used to do this is a purificator. Surely the vessel was not soiled by holding Christ’s body and blood. Rather the vessel was dedicated to a sacred use and has to be ritually purified before it can be returned to use. In the same way, the woman’s body has been used by the Almighty as a vessel for life, the life-giving blood, the new baby with the attendant fluids and so forth, so before the vessel (her body) can be returned to normal “use”, the marital relation with her husband and even her presence in the home, preparing food etc., she must be purified ritually. That is why an observant Jewish community will build a community bath for that purpose even before erecting a synagogue, since the family life would breakdown if the woman could not be purified for her return to it.

 

[Vince1022]

In Leviticus chapter 12 it says that when a woman has a baby she is “unclean” it also says this about a woman’s period. What does this mean? I have never seen it that way, I always thought childbirth and the monthly cycle were something beautiful, like a gift God gave to women. Am I wrong to think this? I have always wanted to have children (in the future of course, I am only 16 haha) but I don’t understand why that is unclean. Thanks for your replies.

In the culture and social norms of the times, such an occasion was considered “unclean” because bodily fluids were violating boundaries. that is, what is “inside the body” became “outside the body.” Similarly, leprosy or other diseases were considered unclean. Contacting dead bodies was unclean because it blurred the boundary of life and death.

This bit about “unclean” has nothing to do with the sanctity of procreation, childbirth, sexual realtions,etc., morally today.

Hope this helps.