Numbers6

Numbers chapter 6 details the law of the Nazarite vow, a special consecration to the Lord. Individuals taking this vow were required to abstain from wine and all products of the vine, avoid cutting their hair, and not come near any dead body. Upon completion, specific offerings were made, and the Nazarite's hair was shaved and burned. The chapter concludes with the Aaronic blessing, a formula for priests to bless the children of Israel.

The Law of the Nazirite Vow

1
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
2
“Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them: ‘When either man or woman shall make a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to the LORD, ​
3
he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink. He shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of fermented drink, neither shall he drink any juice of grapes, nor eat fresh grapes or dried. ​
4
All the days of his separation he shall eat nothing that is made of the grapevine, from the seeds even to the skins.
5
“‘All the days of his vow of separation no razor shall come on his head, until the days are fulfilled, in which he separates himself to the LORD. He shall be holy. He shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow long. ​
6
“‘All the days that he separates himself to the LORD he shall not go near a dead body. ​
7
He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when they die; because his separation to God is on his head. ​
8
All the days of his separation he is holy to the LORD.

Defilement and Restoration

9
“‘If any man dies very suddenly beside him, and he defiles the head of his separation; then he shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing. On the seventh day he shall shave it. ​
10
On the eighth day he shall bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest, to the door of the Tent of Meeting.
11
The priest shall offer one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, and make atonement for him, because he sinned by reason of the dead, and shall make his head holy that same day. ​
12
He shall separate to the LORD the days of his separation, and shall bring a male lamb a year old for a trespass offering; but the former days shall be void, because his separation was defiled. ​

Concluding the Nazirite Vow

13
“‘This is the law of the Nazirite: when the days of his separation are fulfilled, he shall be brought to the door of the Tent of Meeting, ​
14
and he shall offer his offering to the LORD, one male lamb a year old without defect for a burnt offering, and one ewe lamb a year old without defect for a sin offering, and one ram without defect for peace offerings, ​
15
and a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and their meal offering, and their drink offerings.
16
The priest shall present them before the LORD, and shall offer his sin offering, and his burnt offering.
17
He shall offer the ram for a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD, with the basket of unleavened bread. The priest shall offer also its meal offering, and its drink offering.
18
The Nazirite shall shave the head of his separation at the door of the Tent of Meeting, and shall take the hair of the head of his separation, and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of peace offerings. ​
19
The priest shall take the boiled shoulder of the ram, and one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them on the hands of the Nazirite, after he has shaved the head of his separation;
20
and the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the LORD. This is holy for the priest, together with the breast that is waved and the thigh that is offered. After that the Nazirite may drink wine. ​
21
“‘This is the law of the Nazirite who vows, and of his offering to the LORD for his separation, besides that which he is able to get. According to his vow which he vows, so he must do after the law of his separation.’”

The Aaronic Priestly Blessing

22
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ​
23
“Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, ‘This is how you shall bless the children of Israel.’ You shall tell them,
24
‘The LORD bless you, and keep you. ​
25
The LORD make his face to shine on you, and be gracious to you. ​
26
The LORD lift up his face toward you, and give you peace.’ ​
27
“So they shall put my name on the children of Israel; and I will bless them.” ​

Study Notes for Numbers 6

Verse 2

The term 'Nazarite' (Heb. *nazir*) means 'separated' or 'consecrated.' Unlike the hereditary priesthood, this vow was typically voluntary and temporary, symbolizing intense, personal dedication to the LORD.

Verse 3

The requirement to abstain entirely from all grape products (wine, vinegar, grapes) ensured a radical separation from common celebration and symbolized self-denial and focus on holiness.

Verse 5

The uncut hair was the visible physical sign of the Nazirite’s consecration (*nezer*). This physical manifestation of the vow paralleled the high priest's requirement not to cut his hair, emphasizing the Nazirite's temporary priestly status.

Verse 6

The Nazirite had to avoid all contact with the dead, a stringent requirement mirroring the highest standard of cultic purity demanded of the high priest, signifying the holiness of the vow.

Verse 7

Even immediate family members could not override the sanctity of the vow. The consecration of God upon his head took precedence over common duties of mourning.

Verse 9

This section addresses accidental defilement. God provides a path for purification and restoration, demonstrating that the vow, though broken unintentionally, could be resumed rather than permanently cancelled.

Verse 11

The required sin offering and burnt offering indicate that defilement, even accidental, required purification and atonement before the Nazirite could resume their consecrated status.

Verse 12

If defiled, the previous days were 'lost,' meaning the Nazirite had to restart the entire period of separation after completing the purification ritual, emphasizing the seriousness of maintaining purity.

Verse 13

This transition marks the end of the separation period, where the Nazirite publicly fulfills the vow and returns to ordinary status by presenting specific offerings at the Tabernacle door.

Verse 14

The required offerings covered dedication (burnt), purification (sin), and fellowship (peace), comprehensively concluding the period of special holiness.

Verse 18

Shaving the head symbolized the transfer of the signs of consecration (the hair) to the sanctuary fire. This public act formally ended the separation.

Verse 20

After the concluding ritual, the Nazirite was permitted to drink wine again, signifying the successful completion and termination of the temporary heightened status of holiness.

Verse 22

This sudden thematic shift introduces the formal, trifold blessing mandated by God for the priests to pronounce over the people, ensuring divine favor upon the community.

Verse 24

The first line focuses on material provision and divine protection ('keep thee'), essential for Israel's journey and survival in the wilderness.

Verse 25

The second line uses the metaphor of God's 'face shining' to request divine favor, acceptance, and grace, implying a benevolent and intimate relationship.

Verse 26

The final line requests *shalom* (wholeness, well-being, peace)—the ultimate blessing in ancient Israel—climaxing the blessing formula.

Verse 27

By pronouncing God's name (YHWH) upon the people, the priests acted as authorized representatives, but the actual power and resulting blessing came directly from God ('I will bless them').

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