Expert: LEBoyd - 8/21/2007

Question
My question is from Luke 2:22 when Jesus was presented to the Lord.
Some say it was for His Pidyon Ha' Ben (redeeming the first born).
However if it was for His Pidyon Ha' Ben it should have taken place on the 31st day.
So what was the reason He is being presented after forty days?

Answer
Beth,

Thanks for the question.  You seems very knowledgeable about Pidyon Ha' Ben, so I won't go into a lot of detail on the history of it.

Depending on one's practice of Pidyon Ha' Ben, you will find many references to the mitzvah occurring *at least* 31 days after birth and not necessarily *on* the 31st day.

To me, what is important is the practice of Pidyon Ha' Ben compared to what you point out as the practice in Jesus' time.  Most suggest that this presentation of the first born was removed after the events of the Golden Calf during the exodus and that since the Levi's became the first born (Ex. 32) the redemption changed.

However, Luke clearly links the presentation of Jesus to Ex. 34.  In my opinion, it always appeared that the events of Ex. 34 were *after* the events of Ex. 32, especially because of the reference to the second set of tablets.  Therefore, it appears to me that the presentation of the first born was for all first borns (as Luke references) and not as generally practiced today.

I am not Jewish, so I definitely look at the Old and New Testaments differently than the Jews of today.  Therefore, I do not believe Pidyon Ha' Ben (as practiced in the last few centuries) was practiced in the same way during the 1st century A.D.  We know Mary and Joseph did not use coins, but a pair of turtledoves or pigeons.  Unfortunately, I have never found any direct references to when this practice began in regards to the coins.

For these reasons, in my Christian-viewpoint opinion I do not believe Jesus was presented at the temple in Luke 2 as a Pidyon Ha' Ben presentation, but as an Ex. 34 presentation.

I hope this helps some.