1 And the LORD H3068 spake H1696 unto Moses, H4872 saying, H559
2 Speak H1696 unto the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 and say H559 unto them, When either man H376 or woman H802 shall separate H6381 themselves to vow H5087 a vow H5088 of a Nazarite, H5139 to separate H5144 themselves unto the LORD: H3068
3 He shall separate H5144 himself from wine H3196 and strong drink, H7941 and shall drink H8354 no vinegar H2558 of wine, H3196 or vinegar H2558 of strong drink, H7941 neither shall he drink H8354 any liquor H4952 of grapes, H6025 nor eat H398 moist H3892 grapes, H6025 or dried. H3002
4 All the days H3117 of his separation H5145 shall he eat H398 nothing that is made H6213 of the vine H3196 tree, H1612 from the kernels H2785 even to the husk. H2085
5 All the days H3117 of the vow H5088 of his separation H5145 there shall no razor H8593 come H5674 upon his head: H7218 until the days H3117 be fulfilled, H4390 in the which he separateth H5144 himself unto the LORD, H3068 he shall be holy, H6918 and shall let the locks H6545 of the hair H8181 of his head H7218 grow. H1431
6 All the days H3117 that he separateth H5144 himself unto the LORD H3068 he shall come H935 at no dead H4191 body. H5315
7 He shall not make himself unclean H2930 for his father, H1 or for his mother, H517 for his brother, H251 or for his sister, H269 when they die: H4194 because the consecration H5145 of his God H430 is upon his head. H7218
8 All the days H3117 of his separation H5145 he is holy H6918 unto the LORD. H3068
9 And if any man H4191 die H4191 very H6621 suddenly H6597 by him, and he hath defiled H2930 the head H7218 of his consecration; H5145 then he shall shave H1548 his head H7218 in the day H3117 of his cleansing, H2893 on the seventh H7637 day H3117 shall he shave H1548 it.
10 And on the eighth H8066 day H3117 he shall bring H935 two H8147 turtles, H8449 or two H8147 young H1121 pigeons, H3123 to the priest, H3548 to the door H6607 of the tabernacle H168 of the congregation: H4150
11 And the priest H3548 shall offer H6213 the one H259 for a sin offering, H2403 and the other H259 for a burnt offering, H5930 and make an atonement H3722 for him, for that H834 he sinned H2398 by the dead, H5315 and shall hallow H6942 his head H7218 that same day. H3117
12 And he shall consecrate H5144 unto the LORD H3068 the days H3117 of his separation, H5145 and shall bring H935 a lamb H3532 of the first H1121 year H8141 for a trespass offering: H817 but the days H3117 that were before H7223 shall be lost, H5307 because his separation H5145 was defiled. H2930
13 And this is the law H8451 of the Nazarite, H5139 when H3117 the days H3117 of his separation H5145 are fulfilled: H4390 he shall be brought H935 unto the door H6607 of the tabernacle H168 of the congregation: H4150
14 And he shall offer H7126 his offering H7133 unto the LORD, H3068 one H259 he lamb H3532 of the first H1121 year H8141 without blemish H8549 for a burnt offering, H5930 and one H259 ewe lamb H3535 of the first H1323 year H8141 without blemish H8549 for a sin offering, H2403 and one H259 ram H352 without blemish H8549 for peace offerings, H8002
15 And a basket H5536 of unleavened bread, H4682 cakes H2471 of fine flour H5560 mingled H1101 with oil, H8081 and wafers H7550 of unleavened bread H4682 anointed H4886 with oil, H8081 and their meat offering, H4503 and their drink offerings. H5262
16 And the priest H3548 shall bring H7126 them before H6440 the LORD, H3068 and shall offer H6213 his sin offering, H2403 and his burnt offering: H5930
17 And he shall offer H6213 the ram H352 for a sacrifice H2077 of peace offerings H8002 unto the LORD, H3068 with the basket H5536 of unleavened bread: H4682 the priest H3548 shall offer H6213 also his meat offering, H4503 and his drink offering. H5262
18 And the Nazarite H5139 shall shave H1548 the head H7218 of his separation H5145 at the door H6607 of the tabernacle H168 of the congregation, H4150 and shall take H3947 the hair H8181 of the head H7218 of his separation, H5145 and put H5414 it in the fire H784 which is under the sacrifice H2077 of the peace offerings. H8002
19 And the priest H3548 shall take H3947 the sodden H1311 shoulder H2220 of the ram, H352 and one H259 unleavened H4682 cake H2471 out of the basket, H5536 and one H259 unleavened H4682 wafer, H7550 and shall put H5414 them upon the hands H3709 of the Nazarite, H5139 after H310 the hair of his separation H5145 is shaven: H1548
20 And the priest H3548 shall wave H5130 them for a wave offering H8573 before H6440 the LORD: H3068 this is holy H6944 for the priest, H3548 with the wave H8573 breast H2373 and heave H8641 shoulder: H7785 and after H310 that the Nazarite H5139 may drink H8354 wine. H3196
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Numbers 6
Commentary on Numbers 6 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 6
Nu 6:1-22. The Law of the Nazarite in His Separation.
2-8. When either man or woman … shall vow a vow of a Nazarite—that is, "a separated one," from a Hebrew word, "to separate." It was used to designate a class of persons who, under the impulse of extraordinary piety and with a view to higher degrees of religious improvement, voluntarily renounced the occupations and pleasures of the world to dedicate themselves unreservedly to the divine service. The vow might be taken by either sex, provided they had the disposal of themselves (Nu 30:4), and for a limited period—usually a month or a lifetime (Jud 13:5; 16:17). We do not know, perhaps, the whole extent of abstinence they practised. But they separated themselves from three things in particular—namely, from wine, and all the varieties of vinous produce; from the application of a razor to their head, allowing their hair to grow; and from pollution by a dead body. The reasons of the self-restrictions are obvious. The use of wine tended to inflame the passions, intoxicate the brain, and create a taste for luxurious indulgence. The cutting off the hair being a recognized sign of uncleanness (Le 14:8, 9), its unpolled luxuriance was a symbol of the purity he professed. Besides, its extraordinary length kept him in constant remembrance of his vow, as well as stimulated others to imitate his pious example. Moreover, contact with a dead body, disqualifying for the divine service, the Nazarite carefully avoided such a cause of unfitness, and, like the high priest, did not assist at the funeral rites of his nearest relatives, preferring his duty to God to the indulgence of his strongest natural affections.
9-12. If any man die very suddenly by him, and he hath defiled the head of his consecration—Cases of sudden death might occur to make him contract pollution; and in such circumstances he was required, after shaving his head, to make the prescribed offerings necessary for the removal of ceremonial defilement (Le 15:13; Nu 19:11). But by the terms of this law an accidental defilement vitiated the whole of his previous observances, and he was required to begin the period of his Nazaritism afresh. But even this full completion did not supersede the necessity of a sin offering at the close. Sin mingles with our best and holiest performances, and the blood of sprinkling is necessary to procure acceptance to us and our services.
13-20. when the days of his separation are fulfilled, &c.—On the accomplishment of a limited vow of Nazaritism, Nazarites might cut their hair wherever they happened to be (Ac 18:18); but the hair was to be carefully kept and brought to the door of the sanctuary. Then after the presentation of sin offerings and burnt offerings, it was put under the vessel in which the peace offerings were boiled; and the priest, taking the shoulder (Le 7:32), when boiled, and a cake and wafer of the meat offering, put them on the hands of the Nazarites to wave before the Lord, as a token of thanksgiving, and thus released them from their vow.
Nu 6:23-27. The Form of Blessing the People.
23-27. Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the congregation of Israel, &c.—This passage records the solemn benediction which God appointed for dismissing the people at the close of the daily service. The repetition of the name "Lord" or "Jehovah" three times, expresses the great mystery of the Godhead—three persons, and yet one God. The expressions in the separate clauses correspond to the respective offices of the Father, to "bless and keep us"; of the Son, to be "gracious to us"; and of the Holy Ghost, to "give us peace." And because the benediction, though pronounced by the lips of a fellow man, derived its virtue, not from the priest but from God, the encouraging assurance was added, "I the Lord will bless them."