Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. It only takes a minute to sign up.
Sign up to join this community
According to Leviticus 22:27, this was the rule for offering newborn animals:
“When a bull or a sheep or a goat is born, it shall be seven days with its mother; and from the eighth day and thereafter it shall be accepted as an offering made by fire to the Lord.
Why was this the case and what was the significance of the eighth day?
On the eighth day יּ֤וֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי֙ Yom Ha-Shemini (Like a child that is circumcised in Leviticus 12:3) means the first day of its life [1st Day Clean from impurity] that animal is subject to be sanctified as being a sacrificial animal.
The sanctification requirement of purity after 7-days comes from [Leviticus 12:2] : "If a woman conceives and gives birth to a male, she shall be unclean for seven days; as [in] the days of her menstrual flow, she shall be unclean." (אִשָּׁה֙ כִּ֣י תַזְרִ֔יעַ וְיָֽלְדָ֖ה זָכָ֑ר וְטָֽמְאָה֙ שִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִ֔ים כִּימֵ֛י נִדַּ֥ת דְּוֹתָ֖הּ תִּטְמָֽא) - [Leviticus 12:3] "And on the eighth day, the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised." (וּבַיּ֖וֹם הַשְּׁמִינִ֑י יִמּ֖וֹל בְּשַׂ֥ר עָרְלָתֽוֹ)
