Leviticus 12:8

And if she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons; the one for the burnt offering, and the other for a sin offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for her, and she shall be clean.

Cross-reference

Leviticus 1:14 permits turtledoves or pigeons for a burnt offering, the same alternative offered here for the poor mother.

Leviticus 5:7 also allows turtledoves or pigeons as a lesser sin offering for the poor, paralleling this poverty provision.

Leviticus 14:22 similarly permits turtledoves or pigeons for the poor leper's cleansing, showing a pattern of accommodating poverty.

Leviticus 15:14 prescribes two turtledoves or pigeons for a man's discharge, matching the offering here for postpartum purification.

In Leviticus 15:29, the same two-bird offering is required for purification from a discharge—a parallel to the childbirth purification here.

Leviticus 14:21 similarly provides an alternative for the poor in skin disease offerings, reinforcing the principle that poverty does not bar purification.

Leviticus 14:30 also specifies two turtledoves/pigeons for the poor, directly mirroring the provision for a woman unable to afford a lamb.

Leviticus 27:8 Related theme

Leviticus 27:8 shows a similar accommodation for the poor in vow valuations; both offer graded sacrifice based on ability.

Luke 2:22 Historical context

Luke 2:22 shows Mary and Joseph fulfilling this law by going to Jerusalem for purification after Jesus' birth.

Luke 2:24 Citation

Luke 2:24 directly quotes this verse, specifying the offering of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons for Jesus' purification.