Worthy.Bible » Parallel » Numbers » Chapter 6 » Verse 1-27

Numbers 6:1-27 King James Version (KJV)

1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

2 Speak 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:

3 He 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.

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

5 All 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.

6 All the days that he separateth himself unto the LORD he shall come at no 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 the consecration of his God is upon his head.

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

9 And 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.

10 And 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:

11 And 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.

12 And 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.

13 And 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:

14 And 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,

15 And 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.

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

17 And 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.

18 And 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.

19 And 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:

20 And 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.

21 This 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,

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

24 The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:

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

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

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


Numbers 6:1-27 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

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

21 This is the law H8451 of the Nazarite H5139 who hath vowed, H5087 and of his offering H7133 unto the LORD H3068 for his separation, H5145 beside that that his hand H3027 shall get: H5381 according H6310 to the vow H5088 which he vowed, H5087 so he must do H6213 after the law H8451 of his separation. H5145

22 And the LORD H3068 spake H1696 unto Moses, H4872 saying, H559

23 Speak H1696 unto Aaron H175 and unto his sons, H1121 saying, H559 On this wise H3541 ye shall bless H1288 the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 saying H559 unto them,

24 The LORD H3068 bless H1288 thee, and keep H8104 thee:

25 The LORD H3068 make his face H6440 shine H215 upon thee, and be gracious H2603 unto thee:

26 The LORD H3068 lift up H5375 his countenance H6440 upon thee, and give H7760 thee peace. H7965

27 And they shall put H7760 my name H8034 upon the children H1121 of Israel; H3478 and I will bless H1288 them.


Numbers 6:1-27 American Standard (ASV)

1 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,

2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman shall make a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself unto Jehovah,

3 he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink; he shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any juice of grapes, nor eat fresh grapes or dried.

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

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

6 All the days that he separateth himself unto Jehovah he shall not come near to 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 unto God is upon his head.

8 All the days of his separation he is holy unto Jehovah.

9 And if any man die very suddenly beside him, and he defile the head of his separation; then he shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing, on the seventh day shall he shave it.

10 And on the eighth day he shall bring two turtle-doves, or two young pigeons, to the priest, to the door of the tent of meeting:

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

12 And he shall separate unto Jehovah the days of his separation, and shall bring a he-lamb a year old for a trespass-offering; but the former days shall be void, because his separation was defiled.

13 And this is the law of the Nazirite, when the days of his separation are fulfilled: he shall be brought unto the door of the tent of meeting:

14 and he shall offer his oblation unto Jehovah, one he-lamb a year old without blemish for a burnt-offering, and one ewe-lamb a year old without blemish for a sin-offering, and one ram without blemish for peace-offerings,

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

16 And the priest shall present them before Jehovah, and shall offer his sin-offering, and his burnt-offering:

17 and he shall offer the ram for a sacrifice of peace-offerings unto Jehovah, with the basket of unleavened bread: the priest shall offer also the meal-offering thereof, and the drink-offering thereof.

18 And 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 And 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 upon the hands of the Nazirite, after he hath shaven `the head of' his separation;

20 and the priest shall wave them for a wave-offering before Jehovah; this is holy for the priest, together with the wave-breast and heave-thigh: and after that the Nazirite may drink wine.

21 This is the law of the Nazirite who voweth, `and of' his oblation unto Jehovah for his separation, besides that which he is able to get: according to his vow which he voweth, so he must do after the law of his separation.

22 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,

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

24 Jehovah bless thee, and keep thee:

25 Jehovah make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:

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

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


Numbers 6:1-27 Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

1 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,

2 `Speak unto the sons of Israel, and thou hast said unto them, When a man or woman doeth singularly, by vowing a vow of a Nazarite, to be separate to Jehovah;

3 from wine and strong drink he doth keep separate; vinegar of wine, and vinegar of strong drink he doth not drink, and any juice of grapes he doth not drink, and grapes moist or dry he doth not eat;

4 all days of his separation, of anything which is made of the wine-vine, from kernels even unto husk, he doth not eat.

5 `All days of the vow of his separation a razor doth not pass over his head; till the fulness of the days which he doth separate to Jehovah he is holy; grown up hath the upper part of the hair of his head.

6 `All days of his keeping separate to Jehovah, near a dead person he doth not go;

7 for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister -- he is not unclean for them at their death, for the separation of his God `is' on his head;

8 all days of his separation he `is' holy to Jehovah.

9 `And when the dead dieth beside him in an instant, suddenly, and he hath defiled the head of his separation, then he hath shaved his head in the day of his cleansing; on the seventh day he doth shave it,

10 and on the eighth day he bringeth in two turtle-doves or two young pigeons unto the priest, unto the opening of the tent of meeting,

11 and the priest hath prepared one for a sin-offering, and one for a burnt-offering, and hath made atonement for him, because of that which he hath sinned by the body, and he hath hallowed his head on that day;

12 and he hath separated to Jehovah the days of his separation, and he hath brought in a lamb, a son of a year, for a guilt-offering, and the former days are fallen, for his separation hath been defiled.

13 `And this `is' the law of the Nazarite; in the day of the fulness of the days of his separation doth `one' bring him in unto the opening of the tent of meeting,

14 and he hath brought near his offering to Jehovah, one he-lamb, a son of a year, a perfect one, for a burnt-offering, and one she-lamb, a daughter of a year, a perfect one, for a sin-offering, and one ram, a perfect one, for peace-offerings,

15 and a basket of unleavened things of flour, cakes mixed with oil, and thin cakes of unleavened things anointed with oil, and their present, and their libations.

16 `And the priest hath brought `them' near before Jehovah, and hath made his sin-offering and his burnt-offering;

17 and the ram he maketh a sacrifice of peace-offerings to Jehovah, besides the basket of unleavened things; and the priest hath made its present and its libation.

18 `And the Nazarite hath shaved (at the opening of the tent of meeting) the head of his separation, and hath taken the hair of the head of his separation, and hath put `it' on the fire which `is' under the sacrifice of the peace-offerings.

19 `And the priest hath taken the boiled shoulder from the ram, and one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one thin unleavened cake, and hath put on the palms of the Nazarite after his shaving his separation;

20 and the priest hath waved them, a wave-offering before Jehovah; it `is' holy to the priest, besides the breast of the wave-offering, and besides the leg of the heave-offering; and afterwards doth the Nazarite drink wine.

21 `This `is' the law of the Nazarite, who voweth his offering to Jehovah for his separation, apart from that which his hand attaineth; according to his vow which he voweth so he doth by the law of his separation.'

22 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,

23 `Speak unto Aaron, and unto his sons, saying, Thus ye do bless the sons of Israel, saying to them,

24 `Jehovah bless thee and keep thee;

25 `Jehovah cause His face to shine upon thee, and favour thee;

26 `Jehovah lift up His countenance upon thee, and appoint for thee -- peace.

27 `And they have put My name upon the sons of Israel, and I -- I do bless them.'


Numbers 6:1-27 Darby English Bible (DARBY)

1 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If a man or a woman have vowed the special vow of a Nazarite, to consecrate themselves to Jehovah;

3 he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink: he shall drink no vinegar of wine, nor vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat grapes, fresh or dried.

4 All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine, from the seed-stones, even to the skin.

5 All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor come upon his head; until the days be fulfilled, that he hath consecrated himself to Jehovah, he shall be holy; he shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow.

6 All the days that he hath consecrated himself to Jehovah, he shall come near no 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; for the consecration of his God is upon his head.

8 All the days of his separation he is holy to Jehovah.

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

10 And on the eighth day he shall bring two turtle-doves, or two young pigeons, to the priest, at the entrance of the tent of meeting.

11 And the priest shall offer 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 person; and he shall hallow his head that same day.

12 And he shall [again] consecrate to Jehovah the days of his separation, and shall bring a yearling lamb for a trespass-offering. But the first days are forfeited, for his consecration hath been defiled.

13 And this is the law of the Nazarite on the day when the days of his consecration are fulfilled: he shall be brought to the entrance of the tent of meeting.

14 And he shall present his offering to Jehovah, one yearling he-lamb without blemish for a burnt-offering, and one yearling ewe-lamb without blemish for a sin-offering, and one ram without blemish for a peace-offering;

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

16 And the priest shall present them before Jehovah, and shall offer his sin-offering and his burnt-offering:

17 and he shall offer the ram, a sacrifice of peace-offering to Jehovah, with the basket of unleavened bread; the priest shall offer also his oblation and his drink-offering.

18 And the Nazarite shall shave the head of his consecration at the entrance to the tent of meeting, and shall take the hair of the head of his consecration, and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of the peace-offering.

19 And 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 upon the hands of the Nazarite, after he hath shaven [the hair of] his consecration.

20 And the priest shall wave them as wave-offering before Jehovah; it is holy for the priest, with the breast of the wave-offering and with the shoulder of the heave-offering; and afterwards the Nazarite may drink wine.

21 This is the law of the Nazarite who hath vowed: his offering to Jehovah for his consecration, beside what his hand is able to get; according to the vow which he vowed, so shall he do, according to the law of his consecration.

22 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

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

24 Jehovah bless thee, and keep thee;

25 Jehovah make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee;

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

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


Numbers 6:1-27 World English Bible (WEB)

1 Yahweh 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 Yahweh,

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 there shall no razor come on his head, until the days are fulfilled, in which he separates himself to Yahweh. 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 Yahweh 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 Yahweh.

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 Yahweh 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.

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 Yahweh, one male lamb a year old without blemish for a burnt offering, and one ewe lamb a year old without blemish for a sin offering, and one ram without blemish 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 Yahweh, and shall offer his sin offering, and his burnt offering.

17 He shall offer the ram for a sacrifice of peace offerings to Yahweh, 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 Yahweh. 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 Yahweh 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."

22 Yahweh 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 'Yahweh bless you, and keep you.

25 Yahweh make his face to shine on you, And be gracious to you.

26 Yahweh 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."


Numbers 6:1-27 Bible in Basic English (BBE)

1 And the Lord said to Moses,

2 Say to the children of Israel, If a man or a woman takes an oath to keep himself separate and give himself to the Lord;

3 He is to keep himself from wine and strong drink, and take no mixed wine or strong drink or any drink made from grapes, or any grapes, green or dry.

4 All the time he is separate he may take nothing made from the grape-vine, from its seeds to its skin.

5 All the time he is under his oath let no blade come near his head; till the days while he is separate are ended he is holy and his hair may not be cut.

6 All the time he is separate he may not come near any dead body.

7 He may not make himself unclean for his father or his mother, his sister or his brother, if death comes to them; because he is under an oath to keep himself separate for God.

8 All the time he is separate he is holy to the Lord.

9 If death comes suddenly to a man at his side, so that he becomes unclean, let his hair be cut off on the day when he is made clean, on the seventh day.

10 And on the eighth day let him take to the priest, at the door of the Tent of meeting, two doves or two young pigeons;

11 And the priest will give one for a sin-offering and the other for a burned offering to take away the sin which came on him on account of the dead, and he will make his head holy that same day.

12 And he will give to the Lord his days of being separate, offering a he-lamb of the first year as an offering for error: but the earlier days will be a loss, because he became unclean.

13 And this is the law for him who is separate, when the necessary days are ended: he is to come to the door of the Tent of meeting,

14 And make his offering to the Lord; one he-lamb of the first year, without a mark, for a burned offering, and one female lamb of the first year, without a mark, for a sin-offering, and one male sheep, without a mark, for peace-offerings,

15 And a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of the best meal mixed with oil, and thin unleavened cakes covered with oil, with their meal offering and drink offerings.

16 And the priest will take them before the Lord, and make his sin-offering and his burned offering;

17 Giving the sheep of the peace-offerings, with the basket of unleavened bread; and at the same time, the priest will make his meal offering and his drink offering.

18 Then let his long hair, the sign of his oath, be cut off at the door of the Tent of meeting, and let him put it on the fire on which the peace-offerings are burning.

19 And the priest will take the cooked leg of the sheep and one unleavened cake and one thin cake out of the basket, and put them on the hands of the separate one after his hair has been cut,

20 Waving them for a wave offering before the Lord; this is holy for the priest, together with the waved breast and the leg which is lifted up; after that, the man may take wine.

21 This is the law for him who takes an oath to keep himself separate, and for his offering to the Lord on that account, in addition to what he may be able to get; this is the law of his oath, which he will have to keep.

22 And the Lord said to Moses,

23 Say to Aaron and his sons, These are the words of blessing which are to be used by you in blessing the children of Israel; say to them,

24 May the Lord send his blessing on you and keep you:

25 May the light of the Lord's face be shining on you in grace:

26 May the Lord's approval be resting on you and may he give you peace.

27 So they will put my name on the children of Israel, and I will give them my blessing.

Commentary on Numbers 6 John Gill's Exposition of the Bible


Introduction

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 6

In this chapter is given the law concerning Nazarites, Numbers 6:1; which directs what they were to abstain from, from drinking wine, or any strong liquors, from shaving their heads, and defiling themselves with the dead, Numbers 6:3; and in case of a defilement, directions are given what offerings a Nazarite should bring to be offered for him, Numbers 6:9; and when the time of his Nazariteship was up, an account is given of what rites and ceremonies should then be performed, Numbers 6:13; and the chapter is concluded with the form of blessing the children of Israel, to be used by Aaron and his sons, Numbers 6:22.


Verse 1

And the Lord spake unto Moses,.... At the same time, or immediately after the law concerning the woman suspected of adultery was given; with which the following law concerning Nazarites may be thought to have a close connection, as some Jewish writers observe, women being concerned in it as well as men; and as wine leads to adultery, as Jarchi observes, abstinence from it, which the Nazarite's vow obliged to, and forbearance of trimming and dressing the hair, and a being more strictly and closely devoted to the service of God, were very likely means of preserving from unchastity, and any suspicion of it:

saying; as follows.


Verse 2

Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them,.... Whom the following law only concerned, and not Gentiles; so runs the Jewish canon,"the Gentiles have no Nazariteship, though they may bring their vows and freewill offerings as an Israelite, yet if they vow the vow of a Nazarite, the law of the Nazarite is not obliging on them, or they bound by it; but it is free for them to drink wine, and defile themselves for the dead; for it is written, "speak unto the children of Israel"F17Misn. Nazir, c. 9. sect. 1. Maimon & Bartenora in ib. :"

when either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite; or "do a wonderful thing"F18יפלא "mirificaverit", Montanus; "si mirandum aliquid fecerit", Munster; and some in Fagius and Vatablus; so Aben Ezra. ; something unusual and uncommon, and what is out of the way of the men of the world, who give themselves up to pleasure, and have little regard to the worship and service of God; wherefore for a person, a man or woman, to vow abstinence from wine and dress, and from the company of others, and to oblige themselves to strict and close devotion to God, was something singular and surprising. This is to be understood of such persons who were at their own disposal; for such that were in their minority, and under the power of parents, or were married women, if they vowed, their vows did not stand, and their parents or husbands could disannul them, unless they had consented to them by their silence, when they heard them made, Numbers 30:3. There were various sorts of Nazarites; some were appointed by God, as Samson; some were devoted by their parents, as Samuel; and some by themselves, concerning whom is this law more especially; some were perpetual Nazarites, a Nazarite for life, as the two persons just mentioned; though the Jews distinguish between a Samsonian Nazarite, and a perpetual oneF19Misn. Nazir, c. 1. sect. 2. ; and some were only for a certain time, according as they vowed:

to separate themselves unto the Lord; the Targum of Jonathan is, "to the name of the Lord"; to the honour of his name. Such persons devoted themselves, and set apart their time to serve the Lord in a stricter and purer manner than others, and therefore were had in great account, Lamentations 4:7; they were types of Christ, who, though he was not strictly a Nazarite, but a Nazarene, yet answered to the Nazarites in his being set apart in divine predestination by his Father to the office of Mediator; in the sanctification of himself, and devoting himself, his time and service, to his Father's glory; and in his being holy and harmless in his life and conversation, and separate from sinners: and they were also emblems of the special people of God, who are a separate people in election, redemption, and calling, and in the intercession of Christ; and as they will be at the last judgment, and to all eternity, and should be now separate from others in their lives and conversations.


Verse 3

He shall separate himself from wine,.... Old or new, as Ben Gersom; from drinking it, any of it: not only from an immoderate and excessive drinking of it, which every man should abstain from, but from drinking of it at all, that he might be more free and fit for the service of God; for prayer, meditation, reading the Scriptures, and attendance on the worship of God in all its branches, and be less liable to temptations to sin; for, as Aben Ezra observes, many transgressions are occasioned by wine, which, if drank immoderately, intoxicates the mind, and unfits for religious duties, excites lust, and leads on to many vices:

and strong drink; any other intoxicating and inebriating liquor besides wine, or any other sort of wines besides such that is made of the fruit of the vine, as wines of pomegranates, dates, &c. or such as are made of barley, as our ale, or of apples and pears, called cider and perry, respectively:

and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink; all the three Targums paraphrase it, vinegar of new wine, and vinegar of old wine, these operating in like manner as wine and strong drink themselves:

neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes; any liquor in which grapes are macerated, as the Targum of Jonathan; or water into which they are squeezed, or which is made of the lees of wine, or is a second sort of wine made of the grapes after they have been pressed, which we call "tiff":

nor eat moist grapes or dried; which have somewhat of the nature and taste of wine, and produce some of the like effects, and may lead to a desire after drinking it; wherefore this, as other things mentioned, are, as Aben Ezra says, a kind of an hedge, to keep at a distance from drinking wine.


Verse 4

All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree,.... Of its leaves, branches, and fruit, especially the latter, put into any sort of food, or infused into any liquor, or mixed with any sauce for food: the days or time of separation were according as the vow was made, for a shorter or longer time; though the JewsF20Misn. Nazir, c. 1. sect. 3. & c. 6. sect. 3. say, where the vow is, absolutely expressed, it is always to be understood of thirty days, during which time the Nazarite was not to eat or drink of any composition that had anything the vine in it:

from the kernels even to the husk; the JewsF21Misn. Nazir, c. 6. sect. 2. Aben Ezra in loc. are divided about the two words here used, which of them signifies the outermost part of the grape, and which the innermost; Ben Gersom agrees with us, but it matters not much who are in the right, since both are forbidden: by this part of the law, the people of God, who are spiritual Nazarites, are taught to live temperately and soberly, and to abstain from all appearance of sin: it is pretty remarkable what the JewsF23T. Bab. Erubin, fol. 43. 1. say, that when the son of David comes, it will be free for a Nazarite to drink wine on sabbath days and festivals, though not on week days; from whence it appears, they seem to be conscious of a change of the ceremonial law in his days.


Verse 5

All the days of the vow of his separation,.... Be the time he has vowed to be a Nazarite a week, a, month, or more, even a thousand days, but not less than thirty, as Ben Gersom observes:

there shall no razor come upon his head; he might not shave his beard, nor cut off his locks, and shave his head, nor cut short his locks with a pair of scissors, nor any with anything by which the hair may be removed, as Ben Gersom; nor pluck off his hair with his hands, as Maimonides saysF24Hilchot Nezirut, c. 5. sect. 11. ; but let it grow as long as it would during the time of his separation, which is expressed in the latter part of the verse:

until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto the Lord; to his service, to which he wholly addicted himself as long as his vow continued:

he shall be holy; separate from other men, and their practices and customs, and spend his time in holy exercises, in a religious way, and abstain from what might be a temptation to sin, or in the least hinder him in his acts of devotion:

and shall let the locks of his hair grow; two reasons Fagius gives of this part of the law, the one is, because of the mystery of it; letting the hair grow signified an increase of virtue or grace, as Samson's strength was increased and became very great while his hair was not cut; and so spiritual Nazarites, while they are in the way of their duty, grow in grace, and in knowledge of God and Christ, and all divine things, and grow stronger and stronger in the Lord, and in the power of his might; and Ainsworth hints at the same thing, and also supposes it might be an emblem of the subjection of the saints to Christ, as the letting the hair grow was a sign of the woman's subjection to man: the other is, that it was appointed to take the Israelites off of the errors and superstitious they had imbibed in Egypt, by ordering them to perform those rites and ceremonies to the honour of the true God, which they had used in the service of demons; and for this he cites a passage out of Cyrill; but it does not appear, by any good authority, that such a custom obtained among the Egyptians, or any other Gentiles so early; and what were used among them in later times took their rise from hence, and were imitations of this law; though there seems to be no great likeness between this law of Nazariteship and the customs of the Heathens, who used to consecrate their hair to their deities, Apollo, Hercules, Bacchus, Minerva, and Diana: what seems best to agree is what Lucian saysF25De Dea Syria. , who observes, that young men consecrate their beards, and let their hair grow, consecrated from their birth, which they afterwards cut and lay up in vessels in the temple, some of gold, others of silver.


Verse 6

All the days that he separateth himself unto the Lord,.... This phrase is repeated at every new article and branch of the law of the Nazarites, of which what follows is the third; showing that each part of it, during that time, was strictly to be observed:

he shall come at no dead body: not near to any, not even to be in the same place where a dead body lay, nor to touch one, nor to attend the funeral of any, nor be concerned at all about burying the dead; now, as such so defiled were unclean seven days, and during that time might not go into the tabernacle, the Nazarites were strictly cautioned against such pollution, that they might not be detained from the service of God they had devoted themselves unto; see Numbers 19:11.


Verse 7

He shall not make himself unclean for his father or for his mother, for his brother or for his sister, when they die,.... Aben Ezra adds also, for his wife, and for his daughter, and for others; what even the priests of the Lord, the common priests might do, a Nazarite might not, not come near any of his relations when dead, as to touch them, to close their eyes, or wash their bodies, and provide for their funeral, and attend that, or to be where they were; in this respect they were upon a level with the high priest, who was forbid the same, which shows how sacred these persons were; see Leviticus 21:1; this may instruct spiritual Nazarites to abstain from the company and conversation of sinners, dead in trespasses and sins, and from all dead works and sinful actions, which, as they are deserving of death, are defiling:

because the consecration of his God is upon his head; or that which shows him to be consecrated to God, and separated to his service, is upon his head, namely, his long hair: the Targum of Jonathan renders it, "the crown of his God"; so Aben Ezra observes, that some say that the word "Nazarite" is derived from "Nezer", a crown, in proof of which this passage is produced; and in this respect the Nazarites were not only types of Christ our King and high priest, who is a priest on his throne, and has on his head many crowns, but of the saints who are freed from the power and dominion of sin, and are made kings and priests unto God.


Verse 8

All the days of his separation he is holy unto the Lord. Set apart for his service, separate from all others, especially the dead, and under obligation to abstain from the above things; from drinking wine, from shaving his hair, and from defiling himself for the dead, and to be employed in holy and religious exercises during the time his vow is upon him.


Verse 9

And if any man die very suddenly by him,.... In the place where he is, whether house or field, a public or private place, in the tent where he is, as Jarchi; there are two words we render, "very suddenly", which many take to be synonymous; and that being of the same signification, two being used increase the sense, but others think they have a different meaning: the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan render them,"suddenly through ignorance,'understanding it of a chance matter, as when one man is killed by another, not wilfully and through malice, but without intention and design: Jarchi interprets the first of them by violence, and the latter through error or mistake, and so may include both cases; as when a man dies at once, through the force of a disease seizing him, or he is killed by the violent hands of a man, who stabs him in the presence of a Nazarite; or else when this is done ignorantly and through mistake; be it which way it will, if a Nazarite was present:

and he both defiled the head of his consecration: or the consecration of his head, his Nazariteship, that is, his hair, he being polluted by the dead, through being where it was:

then he shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing; which was the seventh day from his defilement, as follows:

on the seventh day he shall shave it; for so many days was a person unclean that had touched a body, of had been where one was, and on the seventh day he was to be cleansed, Numbers 19:11; and this was one way of cleansing the Nazarite, cutting off his locks of hair, which were to grow long, and made him to be a Nazarite; and shave his head for his pollution by the dead, put an end to his Nazariteship; and he was obliged to begin again, and his hair being polluted, must be shaved, and new hair grow to make him a Nazarite again: thus by one single breach of the law of God a man becomes guilty of all, and liable to its curse, and his legal righteousness becomes insufficient to justify him before God, and therefore his own righteousness must be renounced by him in the business of justification; and which, Ainsworth suggests, is the mystery of the Nazarite's head being shaved when polluted.


Verse 10

And on the eighth day he shall bring two turtles or two young pigeons to the priest,.... Not a turtledove and a young pigeon, as Ben Gersom observes, but two of one of the sorts, which was the offering of the poorer sort of childbearing women at their purification, and of profluvious persons, men or women, Leviticus 12:8; and this case of the Nazarite's being an uncleanness, could not be purged away but by sacrifice; which was typical of the sacrifice of Christ, by which that unclean thing sin is put away for ever; even the sins of holy things can be moved in no other way; these were to be brought to the priest to be offered by him:

to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation; for being defiled, the Nazarite might not go into the tabernacle, and therefore was to bring his offering to the door of it, where the priest received it of him.


Verse 11

And the priest shall offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering,.... That is, one of the turtles or young pigeons for the one kind of sacrifice, and one for the other sort; both being necessary; the one to expiate sin, and the other as a gift to God by way of thankfulness for acceptance of the former:

and make an atonement for him, for that he sinned by the dead; by being where the dead body was, which, though not sinful, in a moral sense, was, in a ceremonial one, and therefore required a sacrifice to atone for it; and which atonement was made by the sin offering typical of Christ, who was made an offering for sin:

and shall hallow his head the same day; consecrate himself to God afresh, particularly the hair of his head, let that grow again and begin his Nazariteship anew; so Jarchi interprets it, to return and begin the account of his Nazariteship.


Verse 12

And he shall consecrate unto the Lord the days of his separation,.... He was to begin his account again, from the time of his shaving his head, and devote as many days to the service of the Lord as what he had vowed before:

and shall bring a lamb of the first year for a trespass offering; we see how much trouble and expense were brought by a single act of pollution, and that involuntary too; how much more need is there of an atoning sacrifice for the sins of men, even for all of them, and for which only the sacrifice of Christ is sufficient?

but the days that were before shall be lost; which were before the pollution, how near soever the time of Nazariteship being at an end was, whether his vow was for thirty days, or a hundred, or a whole year; be it what it will, and the pollution happened on the last of those days, all were lost; he was obliged to begin again, and go through the whole time he at first vowed; and this was the case if he drank the least quantity of wine, or shaved ever so little of the hair of his head, or was any ways polluted by the dead; and this severity, as it may seem, was used to make him cautious that he broke not his vow by any means:

because his separation was defiled; in the case instanced in, by the dead, but it was the same if he broke the law of Nazariteship in any of the other articles of it.


Verse 13

And this is the law of the Nazarite,.... This has respect either to what goes before; those are the things he is obliged to that vows the vow of a Nazarite; what he is to abstain from during the time of his vow, and what he is to do in case of any defilement; or to what follows after, what is binding upon him, what offerings he is to bring, and what rites and ceremonies are to be observed by him when he has finished his vow:

when the days of his separation, or Nazariteship:

are fulfilled; whether more or fewer; when the time is quite up, and he has gone through his vow without any breach of it:

he shall be brought unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation; it is not said by whom he should be brought, whether by himself or by the priest; the Targum of Jonathan is,"he shall bring himself;'that is, present himself; and so Jarchi and Aben Ezra; which latter adds, or the priest shall bring him by command, whether he will or not, to offer his offering.


Verse 14

And he shall offer his offering unto the Lord,.... The Nazarite was to present his offering at the door of the tabernacle, to the priest, in order to be offered for him to the Lord:

one he lamb of the first year without blemish for a burnt offering; according to the law, manner, and custom of a burnt offering, as Aben Ezra observes, which, whether of the herd or of the flock, was to be a male and unblemished, and not more than a year old, Leviticus 1:3,

and one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish for a sin offering; as was the manner and custom of a sin offering, to be a female, as is remarked by the same writer, see Leviticus 4:32,

and one ram without blemish for peace offerings; all sorts of offerings were offered on this occasion; a "sin offering", though the vow was performed, and not any mistake made, or anything omitted that was known; yet, lest there should be any secret and unknown breach of the law of Nazariteship committed, a sin offering was required: this teaches us that there may be secret and unknown sins committed by the best of men, in their most sacred and solemn services; and that there is no justification before God by the best works of men, find that the purest and most perfect stand in need of the atoning sacrifice of Christ: a "burnt offering" was to be offered, which usually followed the sin offering, as it did here, though mentioned first, see Numbers 6:16; and which was done by way of thanksgiving to God for his acceptance of the sin offering: and "peace offerings" were, as Aben Ezra observes, for joy that he had performed his vow: the burnt offering was wholly the Lord's, the sin offering the priest had his part of, and the peace offerings the Nazarite and his friends ate of, and so everyone had their share in these oblations.


Verse 15

And a basket of unleavened bread,.... As at the consecration of Aaron and his sons, Exodus 29:2; though for peace offerings for thanksgiving leavened bread was offered, Leviticus 7:13,

cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, and wafers of unleavened bread anointed with oil; ten of each sort, as Jarchi says, ten cakes and ten wafers, see Exodus 29:9,

and their meat offering and their drink offering; which always used to attend every sacrifice.


Verse 16

And the priest shall bring them before the Lord,.... All the above offerings to the altar of burnt offering, and there present them to the Lord in the name of the Nazarite:

and shall offer his sin offering, and his burnt offering: here they stand in the proper order in which they were offered.


Verse 17

And he shall offer the ram for a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the Lord,.... After he had offered the other two:

with the basket of unleavened bread; which went along with that:

the priest shall also offer his meat offering, and his drink offering: of which he had his part, and were the usual appendages of other sacrifices; see Numbers 28:1.


Verse 18

And the Nazarite shall shave the head of his separation, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,.... The Targum of Jonathan is,"and the Nazarite shall shave the head of his separation without,'without the tabernacle, the door of it, where the people assembled together; so that this was to be done publicly, that it might be known of all, and no offence taken at the Nazarite's drinking wine, and concerning himself for the dead, and attending funerals, for by this action it was known that his Nazariteship was at an end; and whereas the hair of the Nazarite was consecrated to the Lord by his vow, and this vow being punctually fulfilled, it was sacred, and to be presented to the Lord, and to be of no use and service to himself or others, and therefore to be all clean shaven off; for, as MaimonidesF26Hilchot Nezirut, c. 8. sect. 6. says, if two hairs only were left, nothing was done, and the command of shaving not kept:

and shall take the hair of the head of his separation; being cut off and shaved:

and put it in the fire which is under the sacrifice of the peace offerings; under the pot or cauldron, as the Targum of Jonathan, in which the ram for the peace offerings was boiled: this was done in the court of the women in later times, at the southeast of which was a chamber called the chamber of the Nazarites, where they bailed their peace offerings, and shaved their hair and cast it under the potF1Misn. Middoth, c. 2. sect. 5. T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 16. 1. ; and this might not be put, as before observed, to any other use; if any of it was made use of in a sack that was made of hair cloth, we are toldF2Misn. Orlah, c. 3. sect. 3. that sack was to be burnt.


Verse 19

And the priest shall take the sodden shoulder of the ram,.... The left shoulder, for the right shoulder, which is the heave shoulder of every peace offering, belonged to the priest by another law; and by this law of the Nazarite, he had also the other shoulder, and so had both, which was peculiar to this case; the vow of the Nazarite being a very sacred thing and he being enabled to perform it, a greater expression of gratitude for it was expected and required of him: this shoulder was taken out of the pot in which it was boiled:

and one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one unleavened wafer; one of the ten cakes, and one of the ten wafers, both are mentioned; and which appear by this to be together in the basket of unleavened bread, from whence they were now to be taken, the rest having been offered with the other sacrifices:

and shall put them upon the hands of the Nazarite; the boiled shoulder, and the cake and wafer upon it:

after the hair of his separation is shaven; and cast into the fire; for the waving of these seems to be the last and finishing part of this whole affair.


Verse 20

And the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the Lord,.... Putting his hands under the Nazarite's, as in other cases where this ceremony was used; and so moving them to and fro, backwards and forwards, upwards and downwards, testifying hereby the goodness of God unto him, his sovereign dominion over him, that all he had depended on him, and was received from him; and that all he did, particularly in keeping his vow of Nazariteship, was through his assistance, and for which he made this grateful acknowledgment by delivering the above, together with what follows, to his priest:

this is holy for the priest, with the wave breast and heave shoulder; besides these which were given him by another law, the wave shoulder of the Nazarite's ram was given him to eat; it was holy, and set apart for his use, and his only, and it belonged not in common to the course of the priests then on duty, but to him only that officiated in this peculiar service; and so it is observed by the Jewish writersF3Maimon. in Misn. Challah, c. 4. sect. 9. , that the Nazarite's ram and some other things were not given to every priest, but to him that offered the sacrifice, as it is said, "he shall wave this is holy to the priest"; upon which it is observed, that it follows from hence, that the priest that waves is he that eats the sacrifice:

and after that the Nazarite may drink wine; and cut his hair, and shave his head, and be defiled for the dead as other persons, the vow of his Nazariteship being fulfilled.


Verse 21

This is the law of the Nazarite, who hath vowed,.... The vow of a Nazarite; what he is obliged to do when his Nazariteship is up:

and of his offering unto the Lord for his separation; of the several offerings required of him, to offer to the Lord, for and upon his going through his Nazariteship, his burnt offering, sin offering, sacrifice of peace offerings, his meat offering and drink offering; together with the basket of unleavened bread, cakes and wafers:

besides that that his hands shall get; the above offerings were what he was obliged unto by the law of God, even though a poor man; but, besides these, it was expected of a man of substance, that he would voluntarily of himself offer more, according to his ability and the length of the time of his Nazariteship:

according to the vow which he hath vowed, so he must do after the law of his separation; there were some things he was obliged to do by his vow, and as he had vowed, there was a necessity upon him to fulfil it; as to abstain from the things he vowed so to do, and that as long a time as he fixed by his vow, and when finished to offer the sacrifices required of him.


Verse 22

And the Lord spake unto Moses,.... At the same time perhaps that the above law was given concerning the Nazarites; though why this should follow upon that, and what connection there is between the one and the other, it is not easy to say; the Nazarites were holy persons, and so were the priests; and therefore, according to Aben Ezra and others, the law of the one is joined to the law of the other:

saying; as follows.


Verse 23

Speak unto Aaron, and unto his sons,.... Aaron and his sons that succeeded him in all after generations, being the persons that were in a public manner to bless the people of Israel, they are particularly addressed, see Deuteronomy 10:8,

saying, on this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel; in such manner and with such words as after expressed; standing upon an eminence, lifting up their hands on high, spreading out their fingers, and raising their voices, and pronouncing the blessing in the Hebrew language, in the name of Jehovah, with their face towards the people; all which, according to the Jewish writersF4Maimon. Hilchot Neshiut Cappim. c. 14. sect. 11. Gersom in loc. , were to be strictly observed:

saying unto them; as follows.


Verse 24

The Lord bless thee,.... Jehovah, Father, Son, and Spirit; the word "Jehovah" being three times used, and a different accent put to each word, denoting three distinct persons and one Jehovah, according to Deuteronomy 6:4; who are each of them concerned in the blessing of the Lord's people, the spiritual Israel of God; Jehovah the Father blesses with all spiritual blessings, with electing, adopting, justifying, and pardoning grace, with regenerating and calling, and persevering grace, and with eternal life: Jehovah the Son blesses particularly with redeeming grace, and has a concern in all the other blessings; the saints are blessed with them in him, they are all in his hands, they are procured by him, come through him, and are the gifts of his grace: and Jehovah the Spirit blesses as a spirit of regeneration and sanctification, as the spirit of faith, as a comforter, as the spirit of adoption, and as the earnest and sealer of the saints unto the day of redemption:

and keep thee; from, the evil of the world, from the evil one Satan, from the evil of sin, and the power, prevalence, and dominion of it, and from falling totally and finally by it, and keep in a state of grace unto everlasting salvation.


Verse 25

The Lord make his face to shine upon thee,.... Cause himself, the sun of righteousness, to arise and shine upon them, and give both spiritual light and heat unto them; grant his gracious presence, the manifestations of himself, communion with him, clearer discoveries of his love, of interest in him, and an increase of spiritual light and knowledge of his Gospel, and the truths of it, and of his mind and will:

and be gracious unto thee; by granting larger measures of grace out of his fulness, by leading more abundantly into it, and making fresh and frequent applications of it; grace is often wished for from Christ as well as from the Father.


Verse 26

And the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee,.... Show his face and favour, look cheerfully on his people, declare himself well pleased with them in Christ, and appear as smiling upon them through him, indulging them with visits of love, restoring to them the joys of his salvation, and upholding them with his free Spirit; and so causing them to walk pleasantly and comfortably in the ways of God, expecting eternal life and happiness, as God's free gift through Christ:

and give thee peace; all outward needful prosperity, internal peace of mind, through the blood and righteousness of Christ, the peacemaker, and peace giver, and eternal peace in the world to come.


Verse 27

And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel,.... Call them by his name, the people of the Lord; call upon the name of the Lord to bless them, and pronounce the blessing on them in the name of the Lord, in or by the name Jehovah, as Jarchi, three times used in this form of blessing:

and I will bless them; really and truly bless them bless them with blessings indeed; with all sorts of blessings temporal and spiritual; with solid and substantial ones; and such are blessed, and will remain so, their blessings are irrevocable and irreversible; and unless the Lord blesses, in vain do the priests bless, or any of his ministers pronounce a blessing; theirs lies in words and wishes, his in real facts; they can only pray and wish for the blessing, it is he only that can give it, and can ratify and confirm what they declare and pronounce, according to his revealed word. Some refer the relative "them" to the priests, as if the sense was, I will bless the priests that bless Israel, for God will bless them that bless his people; but Aben Ezra thinks it belongs both to Israel, and to the priests, that God would confirm and establish the blessing of the priests pronounced on Israel, and bless the priests also, who needed the divine blessing as well as the people, and being found in the way of their duty, might expect it: the Targum of Jonathan is,"I will bless them in my Word;'his essential Word, Christ, in whom his chosen ones are blessed with all spiritual blessings, and who is the promised seed, in whom all nations of the earth shall be blessed.