King James Bible
"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; according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean."
God instructs Moses to communicate specific ritual laws to the Israelite community. This formulaic opening emphasizes that these regulations come from divine authority and are meant for the covenant people. The law addresses childbirth, specifically the birth of a male child. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, childbirth involved both celebration and ritual concerns about blood and bodily fluids. The mother enters a state of ritual impurity for one week following delivery. This ceremonial uncleanness is not moral failure but a temporary status requiring separation from sacred spaces and objects. The seven-day period parallels the ritual impurity during menstruation, linking postpartum bleeding to established purity laws. This comparison provides a familiar framework for understanding the duration and nature of the separation.