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Texts -- Numbers 6:1-9 (NET)

Context
The Nazirite Vow
6:1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses : 6:2 “Speak to the Israelites , and tell them, ‘When either a man or a woman takes a special vow , to take a vow as a Nazirite , to separate himself to the Lord , 6:3 he must separate himself from wine and strong drink , he must drink neither vinegar made from wine nor vinegar made from strong drink , nor may he drink any juice of grapes , nor eat fresh grapes or raisins . 6:4 All the days of his separation he must not eat anything that is produced by the grapevine , from seed to skin . 6:5 “‘All the days of the vow of his separation no razor may be used on his head until the time is fulfilled for which he separated himself to the Lord . He will be holy , and he must let the locks of hair on his head grow long. 6:6 “‘All the days that he separates himself to the Lord he must not contact a dead body . 6:7 He must not defile himself even for his father or his mother or his brother or his sister if they die , because the separation for his God is on his head . 6:8 All the days of his separation he must be holy to the Lord .
Contingencies for Defilement
6:9 “‘If anyone dies very suddenly beside him and he defiles his consecrated head , then he must shave his head on the day of his purification – on the seventh day he must shave it.

Pericope

NET

Bible Dictionary

  • Nazirite

    [isbe] NAZIRITE - naz'-i-rit (nazir, connected with nadhar, "to vow"; nazeir, nazeiraios, as also various words indicating "holiness" or "devotion"; the King James Version, Nazarite): 1. Antiquity and Origin 2. Conditions of the Vo...
    [nave] NAZIRITE Law concerning, Num. 6:1-21; Judg. 13:5. Character of, Lam. 4:7; Amos 2:11, 12. Instances of Samson, Judg. 13:5, 7; 16:17. Samuel, 1 Sam. 1:11. Rechabites, Jer. 35. John the Baptist, Matt. 11:18; Luke 1:15; 7:...

  • NAZARITE

    [ebd] (Heb. form Nazirite), the name of such Israelites as took on them the vow prescribed in Num. 6:2-21. The word denotes generally one who is separated from others and consecrated to God. Although there is no mention of any Naz...
    [smith] more properly Naz?irite (one separated), one of either sex who was bound by a vow of a peculiar kind to be set apart from others for the service of God. The obligation was either for life or for a defined time. There is no no...

  • HAIR

    [ebd] (1.) The Egyptians let the hair of their head and beard grow only when they were in mourning, shaving it off at other times. "So particular were they on this point that to have neglected it was a subject of reproach and ridi...
    [isbe] HAIR - har (se`ar, sa`ar, Aramaic se`ar, and their derivatives; thrix, gen. case trichos, kome): 1. Hair Fashions: Hair was worn in different fashions by the Orientals of Biblical times, and not always in the same way among ...

  • Fraternity

    [nave] FRATERNITY. Gen. 13:8; Deut. 15:7-15; Psa. 22:22; Psa. 133:1-3; Zech. 11:14; Mal. 2:10; Matt. 5:22-24; Matt. 18:15-18, 21, 22, 35; Matt. 23:8; Matt. 25:40; John 13:34 John 15:12. John 20:17; Rom. 12:10; 1 Cor. 6:1-8; 1 Cor....

  • Samson

    [ebd] of the sun, the son of Manoah, born at Zorah. The narrative of his life is given in Judg. 13-16. He was a "Nazarite unto God" from his birth, the first Nazarite mentioned in Scripture (Judg. 13:3-5; comp. Num. 6:1-21). The f...

  • John the Baptist

    [ebd] the "forerunner of our Lord." We have but fragmentary and imperfect accounts of him in the Gospels. He was of priestly descent. His father, Zacharias, was a priest of the course of Abia (1 Chr. 24:10), and his mother, Elisab...

  • Wine

    [ebd] The common Hebrew word for wine is yayin, from a root meaning "to boil up," "to be in a ferment." Others derive it from a root meaning "to tread out," and hence the juice of the grape trodden out. The Greek word for wine is ...
    [nave] WINE Made from grapes, Gen. 40:11; 49:11; Isa. 25:6; Jer. 40:10, 12; from pomegranates, Song 8:2. Kept in jars, Jer. 13:12; 48:12; in skins, Josh. 9:4, 13; Job 32:19; Matt. 9:17; Luke 5:37, 38; in bottles, Josh. 9:4, 13; Jo...

  • Razor

    [ebd] The Nazarites were forbidden to make use of the razor (Num. 6:5; Judg. 13:5). At their consecration the Levites were shaved all over with a razor (Num. 8:7; comp. Ps. 52:2; Ezek. 5:1).
    [isbe] RAZOR - ra'-zer (ta`ar, "knife" (Nu 6:5; Ps 52:2; Isa 7:20; Ezek 5:1), morah, "razor" (Jdg 13:5; 16:17; 1 Sam 1:11)). See BARBER; HAIR.
    [smith] Besides other usages, the practice of shaving the head after the completion of a vow must have created among the Jews a necessity for the special trade of a barber. (Leviticus 14:8; Numbers 6:9,18; 8:7; Judges 13:5; Isaiah 7:...
    [nave] RAZOR, Nazirite forbidden to use, Num. 6:5. Figurative Psa. 52:2; Isa. 7:20; Ezek. 5:1.

  • CORPSE

    [isbe] CORPSE - korps: This word in the King James Version is the translations of two Hebrew words, pegher, and gewiyah, while nebhelah, and guphah, which mean the same, are translated "body," with which the English word "corpse" (...

  • Shaving

    [isbe] SHAVING - shav'-ing (in Job 1:20, gazaz, usually galach; in Acts 21:24, xurao): Customs as to shaving differ in different countries, and in ancient and modern times. Among the Egyptians it was customary to shave the whole bo...
    [nave] SHAVING Forbidden to Nazirites, Num. 6:5; Judg. 13:5; to priests, Ezek. 44:20. See: Beard.

  • Abstinence, Total

    [nave] ABSTINENCE, TOTAL. From Intoxicating Beverages Lev. 10:8-10; Num. 6:3, 4; Judg. 13:4, 13-14; Esth. 1:8; Prov. 23:20, 31, 32; Prov. 31:4; Jer. 35:6-8, 14; Luke 1:15 See: Temperance. Instances of Israelites in the wilderne...

  • Food

    [isbe] FOOD - food: I. VEGETABLE FOODS 1. Primitive Habits 2. Cereals 3. Leguminous Plants 4. Food of Trees II. ANIMAL FOOD LITERATURE In a previous article (see BREAD) it has been shown that in the Bible "bread" usually stands for...
    [nave] FOOD. Articles of Milk, Gen. 49:12; Prov. 27:27; butter, Deut. 32:14; 2 Sam. 17:29; cheese, 1 Sam. 17:18; Job 10:10; bread, Gen. 18:5; 1 Sam. 17:17; parched grain, Ruth 2:14; 1 Sam. 17:17; flesh, 2 Sam. 6:19; Prov. 9:2; fi...

  • Vinegar

    [isbe] VINEGAR - vin'-e-ger (chomets; oxos): Vinegar, whose use as a condiment (Ruth 2:14) needs no comment, is formed when a saccharine fluid passes through a fermentation that produces acetic acid. In the ancient world vinegar wa...
    [nave] VINEGAR, a sour wine. Forbidden to Nazirites, Num. 6:3. Used with food, Ruth 2:14; Psa. 69:21; Prov. 10:26; 25:20. Offered to Christ on the cross, Matt. 27:34, 48; John 19:29, with Mark 15:23.

  • BALDNESS

    [ebd] from natural causes was uncommon (2 Kings 2:23; Isa. 3:24). It was included apparently under "scab" and "scurf," which disqualified for the priesthood (Lev. 21:20). The Egyptians were rarely subject to it. This probably aros...
    [smith] Natural baldness seems to have been uncommon, since it exposed people to public derision. (Leviticus 13:29; 2 Kings 2:23; Isaiah 3:24; 15:2; Jeremiah 47:5; Ezekiel 7:18) Artificial baldness marked the conclusion of a Nazar...

  • KNIFE

    [smith] The knives of the Egyptians, and of other nations in early times, were probably only of hard stone, and the use of the flint or stone knife was sometimes retained for sacred purposes after the introduction of iron and steel....

  • BODY

    [isbe] BODY - bod'-i: I. PHILOLOGICAL: Generally speaking, the Old Testament language employs no fixed term for the human body as an entire organism in exact opposition to "soul" or "spirit." Various terms were employed, each of wh...

  • Husk

    [ebd] In Num. 6:4 (Heb. zag) it means the "skin" of a grape. In 2 Kings 4:42 (Heb. tsiqlon) it means a "sack" for grain, as rendered in the Revised Version. In Luke 15:16, in the parable of the Prodigal Son, it designates the bean...
    [nave] HUSK, a pod, Num. 6:4; 2 Kin. 4:42. Eaten by the prodigal son, Luke 15:16.

  • Prohibition

    [nave] PROHIBITION, of the use of intoxicating liquors. To priests on duty, Lev. 10:9. To Nazirites, Num. 6:3, 4. See: Abstinence, Total; Commandments; Drunkeess.

  • Purification

    [ebd] the process by which a person unclean, according to the Levitical law, and thereby cut off from the sanctuary and the festivals, was restored to the enjoyment of all these privileges. The great annual purification of the peo...

  • CONSECRATE; CONSECRATION

    [isbe] CONSECRATE; CONSECRATION - kon'-se-krat, kon-se-kra'-shun. 1. In the Old Testament: In the Old Testament for several Hebrew words of different meanings: (1) charam: "I will consecrate (the Revised Version (British and Americ...
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Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • To formulate a statement that summarizes the teaching of this book it will be helpful to identify some of the major revelations in Numbers. These constitute the unique values of the book.The first major value of Numbers is th...
  • I. Experiences of the older generation in the wilderness chs. 1-25A. Preparations for entering the Promised Land from the south chs. 1-101. The first census and the organization of the people chs. 1-42. Commands and rituals t...
  • The emphasis in this section continues to be on the importance of maintaining purity in the camp so God's blessing on Israel might continue unabated.The Nazarite (from the Hebrew root nazar, meaning "to separate") illustrated...
  • The location of this blessing in this context indicates that one of the priest's central tasks was to be a source of blessing for God's people.61This blessing, like the preceding Nazirite legislation, deals with the purificat...
  • The revelation of ordinances and instructions designed to enhance the spiritual sanctification of the Israelites as they journeyed on to the Promised Land ends with chapter 6. The narrative of events that transpired just befo...
  • The Angel of the Lord again appeared (cf. 6:11). This time He announced to a barren Danite woman that she would bear a son (cf. Gen. 16:11; Luke 1:26-38). Samson's birth by a barren woman indicated God's supernatural provisio...
  • The first recorded indication of Samson's superhuman strength is his ability to tear the lion apart with his bare hands (v. 6). A young lion tried to leap on Samson (v. 5), but instead the Spirit of the Lord leaped upon him (...
  • It was customary among the Philistines for a seven-day feast to precede the actual wedding ceremony (v. 10). In Samson's case the groom provided this feast, and it took place at the bride's home. It is most probable that duri...
  • 7:29 The people were to cut off their hair as a sign of grief."The command to cut off the hair' (lit., crown' . . .) is in the feminine in Hebrew, showing that the city (cf. 6:23--'O Daughter of Zion') is meant. The charge st...
  • 1:8-9 Zechariah was serving God faithfully by discharging some temple function as a member of his priestly division. There were so many priests then that the great privilege of offering incense on the golden incense altar in ...
  • Paul had attempted to reach the province of Asia earlier (16:6). Now the Lord permitted him to go there but from the west rather than from the east. Luke recorded his initial contact in Ephesus in this section to set the scen...
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