Luke 2:24

24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in ¹the Law of the Lord, ²"a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons."

Luke 2:24 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 2:24

And to offer a sacrifice
That is, when the time of purification came, the parents of our Lord brought him from Bethlehem to Jerusalem, to present him in the temple to the Lord as his, and to redeem him; and not only so, but to offer the sacrifice required of child-bed women:

according to that which is said in the law of the Lord,
( Leviticus 12:8 )

a pair of turtle doves, or two young pigeons:
if the person was able, she was to bring a lamb of the first year for a burnt offering; and a young pigeon, or a turtle dove, for a sin offering; but in case of poverty, then the above sufficed, and one of them was for a burnt offering, and the other for a sin offering; which shows not only that the virgin offered for herself a sin offering, being ceremonially unclean, but also her mean estate and poverty, in that she offered the offering of the poorer sort; see ( Leviticus 12:6 Leviticus 12:8 ) .

Luke 2:24 In-Context

22 And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord

23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord")

24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons."

25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

Cross References

• 1. [See ver. 23 above]
• 2. Cited from Leviticus 12:8