Numbers 6

King James Version

Full text for Numbers Chapter 6

1¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

2Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman shall separate [themselves] to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate [themselves] unto the LORD:

3He shall separate [himself] from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried.

4All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk.

5All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth [himself] unto the LORD, he shall be holy, [and] shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow.

6All the days that he separateth [himself] unto the LORD he shall come at no dead body.

7He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when they die: because the consecration of his God [is] upon his head.

8All the days of his separation he [is] holy unto the LORD.

9And if any man die very suddenly by him, and he hath defiled the head of his consecration; then he shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing, on the seventh day shall he shave it.

10And on the eighth day he shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons, to the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation:

11And the priest shall offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, and make an atonement for him, for that he sinned by the dead, and shall hallow his head that same day.

12And he shall consecrate unto the LORD the days of his separation, and shall bring a lamb of the first year for a trespass offering: but the days that were before shall be lost, because his separation was defiled.

13And this [is] the law of the Nazarite, when the days of his separation are fulfilled: he shall be brought unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation:

14And he shall offer his offering unto the LORD, one he lamb of the first year without blemish for a burnt offering, and one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish for a sin offering, and one ram without blemish for peace offerings,

15And a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, and wafers of unleavened bread anointed with oil, and their meat offering, and their drink offerings.

16And the priest shall bring [them] before the LORD, and shall offer his sin offering, and his burnt offering:

17And he shall offer the ram [for] a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD, with the basket of unleavened bread: the priest shall offer also his meat offering, and his drink offering.

18And the Nazarite shall shave the head of his separation [at] the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall take the hair of the head of his separation, and put [it] in the fire which [is] under the sacrifice of the peace offerings.

19And the priest shall take the sodden shoulder of the ram, and one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and shall put [them] upon the hands of the Nazarite, after [the hair of] his separation is shaven:

20And the priest shall wave them [for] a wave offering before the LORD: this [is] holy for the priest, with the wave breast and heave shoulder: and after that the Nazarite may drink wine.

21This [is] the law of the Nazarite who hath vowed, [and of] his offering unto the LORD for his separation, beside [that] that his hand shall get: according to the vow which he vowed, so he must do after the law of his separation.

22¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

23Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them,

24The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:

25The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:

26The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

27And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

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.

Medium Summary

Numbers chapter 6 outlines the regulations for a Nazarite vow, which could be taken by either a man or a woman to separate themselves unto the Lord. Key prohibitions included abstaining from all grape products, letting their hair grow uncut for the duration of the vow, and avoiding any contact with dead bodies, even close family members, to maintain ritual purity. If a Nazarite was accidentally defiled by a sudden death, specific rituals involving shaving their head and offering sacrifices were required to cleanse them and restart their vow. Upon the fulfillment of the vow, the Nazarite was to bring a series of offerings to the tabernacle, including burnt, sin, and peace offerings, along with unleavened bread. After these sacrifices, the Nazarite would shave their consecrated hair at the tabernacle door and burn it under the peace offerings. The chapter concludes with the divine instruction for Aaron and his sons to bless the children of Israel using a specific three-part formula, known as the Aaronic blessing, promising divine blessing, grace, and peace.

Long Summary

Numbers chapter 6 commences with the Lord instructing Moses on the law of the Nazarite vow, a voluntary act of special consecration to God for a set period. Both men and women could undertake this vow, which involved three primary restrictions. First, the Nazarite was forbidden from consuming any product of the grapevine, including wine, strong drink, vinegar, fresh grapes, or dried grapes, from the kernels to the husk. Second, no razor was to touch their head for the entire duration of their separation, symbolizing their holiness and dedication to the Lord through their uncut hair. Third, the Nazarite was prohibited from coming near any dead body, even that of a parent, sibling, or spouse, as this would defile their consecrated state. The text emphasizes that throughout this period, the Nazarite was considered "holy unto the LORD." If a Nazarite was inadvertently defiled by a sudden death, they were required to undergo a cleansing process: shaving their head on the seventh day and bringing two turtledoves or young pigeons to the priest on the eighth day for sin and burnt offerings. Additionally, a lamb for a trespass offering was required, and the days prior to the defilement were considered lost, necessitating a restart of the vow. Upon the successful completion of the vow, the Nazarite was to present themselves at the tabernacle door with specific offerings: a male lamb for a burnt offering, a female lamb for a sin offering, and a ram for peace offerings, along with a basket of unleavened bread, cakes, and wafers, accompanied by meat and drink offerings. After these sacrifices, the Nazarite would shave their consecrated hair at the tabernacle entrance and burn it in the fire beneath the peace offerings. The priest would then perform a wave offering with parts of the ram and bread, after which the Nazarite was permitted to drink wine again. The chapter concludes with a distinct section detailing the priestly blessing, where the Lord instructs Aaron and his sons how to bless the children of Israel. This blessing, known as the Aaronic blessing, comprises three couplets, invoking the Lord's blessing and keeping, His shining face and grace, and His lifted countenance and peace, signifying God's promise to put His name upon them and bless them.

Core Concepts

  • Nazarite VowA voluntary vow taken by individuals, male or female, to separate themselves unto the Lord for a specific period, involving strict adherence to certain divine precepts.
  • Abstinence from Vine ProductsA core prohibition for Nazarites, requiring them to abstain from all products of the grapevine, including wine, strong drink, and grapes, symbolizing their separation and dedication.
  • Uncut HairA visible sign of the Nazarite's consecration, as no razor was to touch their head for the vow's duration, with the hair later shaved and offered at its completion.
  • Avoidance of Dead BodiesA crucial purity regulation for Nazarites, forbidding contact with any deceased person, even close family, to maintain their holy state before the Lord.
  • Defilement and CleansingProcedures for a Nazarite who accidentally became unclean by a sudden death, requiring ritual shaving, specific sacrifices, and a restart of the vow period.
  • Completion OfferingsThe prescribed sacrifices and rituals performed by a Nazarite at the fulfillment of their vow, including burnt, sin, and peace offerings, along with the shaving and burning of their consecrated hair.
  • Aaronic BlessingA divine instruction to Aaron and his sons for a specific three-part blessing upon the children of Israel, invoking God's protection, grace, and peace, signifying God's name being placed upon them.