Close Topic Options

Girls Make Mothers More Unclean?

Girls Make You More Unclean?

Why if a woman delivers a human female is she then considered to be more unclean?

"And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman have conceived seed, and born a man child: then she shall be unclean seven days . . . But if she bare a maid child, then she shall be unclean two weeks" (Leviticus 12:1-5).

Unclean Mothers Girls

The uncleanness for seven days after a boy is born may be actually an interruption of the process due to circumcision that was usually carried out at the eighth day after the child is born. If she would be consider "unclean" during that eighth day then she would not be able to witness the circumcision of her son.

Now with regards to why the cleaning takes longer if it's a girl, there are many theories. But I will quote what Levine said about it:

Girls Make Mothers More Unclean? Revealed Bible The

I have a different take on this one. I think that the period of unclean lasts less for a male because a male child needs to be attended to more after the circumcision. A female child, not being circumcised, would not need to be comforted as much without the trauma. Just a thought.

Unclean Mothers Girls

Here again we are taking two lines only out of the Bible. Let's put it into context.
We know today that soap and water will take care of the "unclean" question. The God of the Jews didn't know that.
The God of the Jews knew nothing about the human reproductive process, except that putting a male, and female in close proximity caused children. The next passage is long, but every word on every line is important in showing God's idea that something different happens to a woman's body when she delivers a girl instead of a boy child. Delivering a girl child causes her to be "unclean" twice as long as for a boy child.

The Lord said to Moses, "Tell the Israelites: When a woman has conceived and gives birth to a boy, she shall be unclean for seven days, with the same uncleanness as her menstrual period. On the eighth day, the flesh of the boy's fore-skin shall be circumcised, and then she shall spend thirty-three days more in becoming purified of her blood; she shall not touch anything sacred nor enter the sanctuary till the days of her purification are fulfilled.
If she gives birth to a girl, for fourteen days she shall be as unclean as at her menstruation, after which she shall spend sixty-six days in becoming purified of her blood. When the days of her purification for a son or a daughter are fulfilled, she shall bring to the priest at the entrance of the Meeting Tent a yearling lamb for a holocaust and a pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering. The priest shall offer them up before the Lord to make atonement for her, and thus she will be clean again after her flow of blood. Such is the law for the woman who gives birth to a boy or a girl child. (Leviticus 12:1)

Passing blood at childbirth is a sin that is offensive to God. So each new mother has to go to the priest and make amends for her offense. I can see this in my mind's eye. The woman bows to the ground. The priest says, "You delivered a child? Boy or girl? That will be one lamb and one turtle dove or pigeon. Next!"
After becoming clean, the woman still had to take a sin offering to the priest. Was the 'sin" to have a child, or was the 'sin" really just because God had a blood fetish?

Unclean Mothers Girls

I don't believe that the "unclean" laws indicate in any way that God had a "blood fetish" or that He didn't understand the human reproductive system, or any other indication that God is not or was not perfect. I think it had everything to do with bringing an apostate, degenerate group of people, filled with superstition and false doctrine, out of those states. If you think about it, those laws protected the women and children.

Remember, up until recently, infant mortality rates throughout history have been extremely high. That is largely because of the fact that most people didn't live even the simplest rules of hygiene. The cleanliness laws of the Law of Moses addressed these things, using words and concepts that these degenerate, superstitious people could follow.

By designating the women and little girls as being "unclean" for a certain amount of time, they were both removed from the common, disease bearing community. The same thing for the little boys. Now, why was the unclean period longer for boys than for girls? Perhaps it was something as simple as the fact that the men would have rebelled even more if they couldn't get hold of their sons right away. Or, perhaps it was because everyone took as much care as possible to protect boys, but couldn't be bothered to protect and care for girls. Since this is still a problem in many current societies (Middle Eastern, Oriental, and African) maybe by demanding a longer period for births involving girls, it pointed out that they needed special care.

Girls Make Mothers More Unclean?

If she becomes freed? When the female flows past her time it is called hemorrhaging. Something is medically wrong that could, and often does, cause death. But the God that "created" this body told her to go to her tent because she was unclean? Again the God of the Jews knew nothing about the human body! No matter, eight days and two turtle doves to the priest for her sin, and she"ll be right as rain!

Blood on the tip of the right ear, on the thumbs of the right hand, and on the great toes of their right feet? Splash blood on the altar? Mix blood with oil and sprinkle it on Aaron, his sons and their vestments so that they may be sacred? How were they able to stand in this bloody mess? How did they distinguish left from right when they were covered with blood? But who among these people had the intestinal fortitude to say to this God, "I don't think I want any blood on the tip of my right ear just yet. Maybe later."
The God of the Jews had a blood fetish! Many celebrate it to this day. They drink wine or grape juice in great reverence, drinking the "blood" of Christ.

Edited: Nighthawk on 29th May, 2006 - 5:42pm