Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Leviticus 14:22
And two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, such as he is able to get; and the one shall be a sin offering, and the other a burnt offering.
And two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, such as he is able to get,…. As good as he can get for his money, or his money he is possessed of will purchase; but if he was not able to purchase these of the better sort, the best he could get would be acceptable; so indulgent, kind, and merciful was God to the poor in this case; these were instead of the other two lambs required of those that were able to bring them, and answered all the purposes of them:
and the one shall be a sin offering, and the other a burnt offering: one of the turtledoves or one of the young pigeons should be for the one, and the other for the other; so that the poor man had as many offerings for his atonement and cleansing as the rich, and his expiation and purgation were as complete as theirs.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(22) Two turtledoves, or two young pigeonswhich were plentiful and cheap in Palestine (see Lev. 1:14), instead of the two lambs required of those who were able to bring them.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
two turtle doves: Tor, the turtle or ring-dove, so called by an onomatopia from its cooing, as in Greek , Latin, turtur and English, turtle. It is a species of the dove or pigeon, here called yonah, and in the Syriac yauno, from the verb to oppress, afflict, because of its being particularly defenceless, and exposed to rapine and violence. The dove is a genus of birds too well known to need a particular description; and of which there are several species besides the turtle-dove; as the wood pigeon, tame pigeon, and others. The dove is universally allowed to be one of the most beautiful objects in nature. The brilliancy of her plumage, the splendour of her eye, the innocence of her look, the excellence of her dispositions, and the purity of her manners, have been the theme of admiration and praise in every age. To the snowy whiteness of her wings, and the rich golden hues that adorn her neck, the inspired Psalmist alludes in most elegant strains – Psa 68:13. The voice of the dove is particularly tender and plaintive, and bears a striking resemblance to the groan of a person in distress; to which the inspired bards frequently allude – Isa 38:14, Isa 59:11, Eze 7:16. Her native dwelling is in the caves or hollows of the rock; allusions to which fact also occur in the Sacred Writings – Son 2:14, Jer 48:28. Her manners are as engaging as her form is elegant, and her plumage rich and beautiful. She is the chosen emblem of simplicity, gentleness, chastity, and feminine timidity, and for this reason, as well as from their abounding in the East, they were probably chosen as offerings by Jehovah. Psa 68:13, Son 2:14, Isa 38:14, Isa 59:11, Jer 48:28, Eze 7:16
Reciprocal: Gen 15:9 – General Lev 5:7 – one Lev 12:6 – a lamb Lev 12:8 – she be not able to bring a lamb Lev 14:30 – General Lev 15:14 – General Lev 27:8 – poorer Num 6:10 – General Num 8:12 – the one Mat 21:12 – doves Luk 5:14 – and offer