On the eighth day the boy is to be circumcised. The eighth day of the son's life is the day of circumcision — the covenant sign given to Abraham in Genesis 17:12. The placement of the circumcision instruction within the purification regulations connects the covenant sign of the son to the purification period of the mother: on the day the mother's initial impurity resolves (day eight), the son receives the covenant mark. The circumcision on the eighth day is the son's entry into the covenant community on the first day of his cleanliness. Luke 1:59 records John the Baptist's circumcision on the eighth day; Luke 2:21 records Jesus' circumcision on the eighth day.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

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