Purification for Childbirth

After describing what animals can be eaten and which are abominations and make one unclean by touching them, God then described to Moses another types of uncleanness, the uncleannesses related to giving birth. In chapter 11, there were two types of uncleanness. One type you were just unclean until evening. The second type, you had to wash your clothes and then you were unclean until evening. Now there are two additional types of uncleanness that are introduced. The uncleanness of when you have an issue of blood as a woman does after childbirth or during her customary impurity (to use the biblical term for menstrual cycle). Also, an uncleanness that is after seven days if she had a boy or fourteen days if she had a girl. With that uncleanness, she has to separate herself from hallowed things, but the separation isn't as severe as it is when she has her customary impurity. God is giving these different pictures of impurity as different ways that sin impacts us and associated with that, different kinds of responses that are required.