Leviticus 12:3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The practice of circumcising a child on the eighth day holds profound significance, especially considering that Christ is the foundation through which our circumcision takes place. Just as men were circumcised with the tools made of stone, so too was Christ compared to that stone. Why the eighth day? The answer lies in the fact that the first day of the week is equivalent to the eighth after the completion of the seven days; following these days, we arrive back at the beginning. The seventh day concludes with the burial of the Lord, and with the return to the first, we celebrate the resurrection of the Lord. His resurrection assures us of an eternal day and consecrates the Lord’s Day for us. This day is directly linked to the Lord, as it marks His rising. The stone has been rolled away; let those who wish to be circumcised proclaim, "We are the circumcision."

During the initial week, there is a continuous flow of blood, followed by a gradual reduction over the subsequent thirty-three days until it eventually stops completely. Thus, the woman remains in a state of ritual impurity due to her own blood, rather than that which she has given birth to. This is supported by the blessing that instructs, "Grow and multiply" (Gen. 1:28).

Circumcision was established by God during Abraham's time as a symbol of His covenant with the chosen people. This rite entered into the sacred agreement with God by consecrating the procreative capacity, so that through this consecration, Abraham's physical descendants, being born to circumcised parents, became children of God and part of His spiritual lineage. When this ritual was performed on them, they were destined to bear children of God, thereby multiplying the tribe of God and growing the ranks of the kingdom of God. Under Moses, the Lord affirms the law concerning circumcision. The referenced passage from Leviticus should be understood alongside the prior verse, which states that if a woman gives birth to a male child, she shall be ceremonially unclean for seven days.