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.
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.
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.
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.'
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.
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."
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.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Numbers 6
Commentary on Numbers 6 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
The Nazarite. - The legal regulations concerning the vow of the Nazarite are appended quite appropriately to the laws intended to promote the spiritual order of the congregation of Israel. For the Nazarite brought to light the priestly character of the covenant nation in a peculiar form, which had necessarily to be incorporated into the spiritual organization of the community, so that it might become a means of furthering the sanctification of the people in covenant with the Lord.
(Note: The rules of the Talmud are found in the tract. Nasir in the Mishnah. See also Lundius, jüd. Heiligthümer, B. iii. p. 53. Bähr, Symbolik, ii. pp. 430ff.; Hengstenberg, Egypt and the Books of Moses , pp. 190ff. My Archaeologie, i. §67; and Herzog's Cyclopaedia.)
Numbers 6:1-2
The words, “ if a man or woman make a separate vow, a Nazarite vow, to live consecrated to the Lord, ” with which the law is introduced, show not only that the vow of the Nazarite was a matter of free choice, but that it was a mode of practising godliness and piety already customary among the people. Nazir , from נזר to separate, lit., the separated, is applied to the man who vowed that he would make a separation to (for) Jehovah, i.e., lead a separate life for the Lord and His service. The origin of this custom is involved in obscurity. There is no certain clue to indicate that it was derived from Egypt, for the so-called hair-offering vows are met with among several ancient tribes (see the proofs in Spencer, de legg. Hebr. rit. iv. 16, and Knobel in loc. ), and have no special relationship to the Nazarite, whilst vows of abstinence were common to all the religions of antiquity. The Nazarite vow was taken at first for a particular time, at the close of which the separation terminated with release from the vow. This is the only form in which it is taken into consideration, or rules are laid down for it in the law before us. In after times, however, we find life-long Nazarites among the Israelites, e.g., Samson, Samuel, and John the Baptist, who were vowed or dedicated to the Lord by their parents even before they were born (Judges 13:5, Judges 13:14; 1 Samuel 1:11; Luke 1:15).
(Note: This is also related by Hegesippus (in Euseb. hist. eccl. ii. 23) of James the Just, the first bishop of Jerusalem. On other cases of this kind in the Talmud, and particularly on the later form of the Nazarite vow, - for example, that of the Apostle Paul (Acts 18:18), - see Winer, bibl. R. W. ii. pp. 138-9, and Oehler in Herzog's Cycl.)
Numbers 6:3-4
The vow consisted of the three following points, Numbers 6:1-4 : In the first place, he was to abstain from wine and intoxicating drink ( shecar , see Leviticus 10:9); and neither to drink vinegar of wine, strong drink, nor any juice of the grape (lit., dissolving of grapes, i.e., fresh must pressed out), nor to eat fresh grapes, or dried (raisins). In fact, during the whole period of his vow, he was not to eat of anything prepared from the vine, “ from the kernels even to the husk, ” i.e., not the smallest quantity of the fruit of the vine. The design of this prohibition can hardly have been, merely that, by abstaining from intoxicating drink, the Nazarite might preserve perfect clearness and temperance of mind, like the priests when engaged in their duties, and so conduct himself as one sanctified to the Lord ( Bähr ); but it goes much further, and embraces entire abstinence from all the deliciae carnis by which holiness could be impaired. Vinegar, fresh and dried grapes, and food prepared from grapes and raisins, e.g., raisin-cakes, are not intoxicating; but grape-cakes, as being the dainties sought after by epicures and debauchees, are cited in Hosea 3:1 as a symbol of the sensual attractions of idolatry, a luxurious kind of food, that was not in harmony with the solemnity of the worship of Jehovah. The Nazarite was to avoid everything that proceeded from the vine, because its fruit was regarded as the sum and substance of all sensual enjoyments.
Numbers 6:5
Secondly , during the whole term of his vow of consecration, no razor was to come upon his head. Till the days were fulfilled which he had consecrated to the Lord, he was to be holy, “ to make great the free growth (see Leviticus 10:6) of the hair of his head .” The free growth of the hair is called, in Numbers 6:7, “ the diadem of his God upon his head, ” like the golden diadem upon the turban of the high priest (Exodus 29:6), and the anointing oil upon the high priest's head (Leviticus 21:12). By this he sanctified his head (Numbers 6:11) to the Lord, so that the consecration of the Nazarite culminated in his uncut hair, and expressed in the most perfect way the meaning of his vow ( Oehler ). Letting the hair grow, therefore, was not a sign of separation, because it was the Israelitish custom to go about with the hair cut; nor a practical profession of a renunciation of the world, and separation from human society (Hengstenberg, pp. 190-1); nor a sign of abstinence from every appearance of self-gratification ( Baur on Amos 2:11); nor even a kind of humiliation and self-denial (Lightfoot, Carpzov. appar. p. 154); still less a “ sign of dependence upon some other present power ” ( M. Baumgarten ), or “ the symbol of a state of perfect liberty” ( Vitringa , obss. ss. 1, c. 6, §9; cf. Numbers 6:22, Numbers 6:8). The free growth of the hair, unhindered by the hand of man, was rather “the symbol of strength and abundant vitality” (cf. 2 Samuel 14:25-26). It was not regarded by the Hebrews as a sign of sanctity, as Bähr supposes, but simply as an ornament, in which the whole strength and fulness of vitality were exhibited, and which the Nazarite wore in honour of the Lord, as a sign that he “belonged to the Lord, and dedicated himself to His service,” with all his vital powers.
(Note: In support of this explanation, Oehler calls to mind those heathen hair-offerings of the Athenian youths, for example ( Plut. Thes. c. 5), which were founded upon the idea, that the hair in general was a symbol of vital power, and the hair of the beard a sign of virility; and also more especially the example of Samson, whose hair was not only the symbol, but the vehicle, of the power which fitted him to be the deliverer of his people.)
Numbers 6:6-8
Because the Nazarite wore the diadem of his God upon his head in the growth of his hair, and was holy to the Lord during the whole period of his consecration, he was to approach no dead person during that time, not even to defile himself for his parents, or his brothers and sisters, when they died, according to the law laid down for the high priest in Leviticus 21:11. Consequently, as a matter of course, he was to guard most scrupulously against other defilements, not only like ordinary Israelites, but also like the priests. Samson's mother, too, was not allowed to eat anything unclean during the period of her pregnancy (Judges 13:4, Judges 13:7, Judges 13:14).
Numbers 6:9-11
But if any one died suddenly in a moment “by him” ( עליו , in his neighbourhood), and he therefore involuntarily defiled his consecrated head, he was to shave his head on the day of his purification, i.e., on the seventh day (see Numbers 19:11, Numbers 19:14, Numbers 19:16, and Numbers 19:19), not “because such uncleanness was more especially caught and retained by the hair,” as Knobel fancies, but because it was the diadem of his God (Numbers 6:7), the ornament of his condition, which was sanctified to God. On the eighth day, that is to say, on the day after the legal purification, he was to bring to the priest at the tabernacle two turtle-doves or young pigeons, that he might make atonement for him (see at Leviticus 15:14-15, Leviticus 15:29., Numbers 14:30-31, and Numbers 12:8), on account of his having been defiled by a corpse, by preparing the one as a sin-offering, and the other as a burnt-offering; he was also “ to sanctify his head that same day, ” i.e., to consecrate it to God afresh, by the unimpeded growth of his hair.
Numbers 6:12
He was then “ to bring a yearling sheep as a trespass-offering; ” and the days that were before were “ to fall, ” i.e., the days of consecration that had already elapsed were not to be reckoned on account of their having fallen, “ because his consecration had become unclean .” He was therefore to commence the whole time of his consecration entirely afresh, and to observe it as required by the vow. To this end he was to bring a trespass-offering, as a payment or recompense for being reinstated in the former state of consecration, from which he had fallen through his defilement, but not as compensation “for having prolonged the days of separation through his carelessness with regard to the defilement; that is to say, for having extended the time during which he led a separate, retired, and inactive life, and suspended his duties to his own family and the congregation, thus doing an injury to them, and incurring a debt in relation to them through his neglect” ( Knobel ). For the time that the Nazarite vow lasted was not a lazy life, involving a withdrawal from the duties of citizenship, by which the congregation might be injured, but was perfectly reconcilable with the performance of all domestic and social duties, the burial of the dead alone excepted; and no harm could result from this, ether to his own relations or the community generally, of sufficient importance to require that the omission should be repaired by a trespass-offering, from which neither his relatives nor the congregation derived any actual advantage. Nor was it a species of fine, for having deprived Jehovah of the time dedicated to Him through the breach of the vow, or for withholding the payment of his vow for so much longer a time ( Oehler in Herzog ). For the position of a Nazarite was only assumed for a definite period, according to the vow; and after this had been interrupted, it had to be commenced again from the very beginning: so that the time dedicated to God was not shortened in any way by the interruption of the period of dedication, and nothing whatever was withheld from God of what had been vowed to Him, so as to need the presentation of a trespass-offering as a compensation or fine. And there is no more reason for saying that the payment of the vow was withheld, inasmuch as the vow was fulfilled or paid by the punctual observance of the three things of which it was composed; and the sacrifices to be presented after the time of consecration was over, had not in the least the character of a payment, but simply constituted a solemn conclusion, corresponding to the idea of the consecration itself, and were the means by which the Nazarite came out of his state of consecration, without involving the least allusion to satisfaction, or reparation for any wrong that had been done.
The position of the Nazarite, therefore, as Philo, Maimonides, and others clearly saw, was a condition of life consecrated to the Lord, resembling the sanctified relation in which the priests stood to Jehovah, and differing from the priesthood solely in the fact that it involved no official service at the sanctuary, and was not based upon a divine calling and institution, but was undertaken spontaneously for a certain time and through a special vow. The object was simply the realization of the idea of a priestly life, with its purity and freedom from all contamination from everything connected with death and corruption, a self-surrender to God stretching beyond the deepest earthly ties, “a spontaneous appropriation of what was imposed upon the priest by virtue of the calling connected with his descent, namely, the obligation to conduct himself as a person betrothed to God, and therefore to avoid everything that would be opposed to such surrender” ( Oehler ). In this respect the Nazarite's sanctification of life was a step towards the realization of the priestly character, which had been set before the whole nation as its goal at the time of its first calling (Exodus 19:5); and although it was simply the performance of a vow, and therefore a work of perfect spontaneity, it was also a work of the Spirit of God which dwelt in the congregation of Israel, so that Amos could describe the raising up of Nazarites along with prophets as a special manifestation of divine grace. The offerings, with which the vow was brought to a close after the time of consecration had expired, and the Nazarite was released from his consecration, also corresponded to the character we have described.
Numbers 6:13-15
The directions as to the release from consecration are called “ the law of the Nazarite ” (Numbers 6:13), because the idea of the Nazarite's vows culminated in the sacrificial festival which terminated the consecration, and it was in this that it attained to its fullest manifestation. “ On the day of the completion of the days of his consecration, ” i.e., on the day when the time of consecration expired, the Nazarite was to bring to the tabernacle, or offer as his gifts to the Lord, a sheep of a year old as a burnt-offering, and an ewe of a year old as a sin-offering; the latter as an expiation for the sins committed involuntarily during the period of consecration, the former as an embodiment of that surrender of himself, body and soul, to the Lord, upon which every act of worship should rest. In addition to this he was to bring a ram without blemish as a peace-offering, together with a basket of unleavened cakes and wafers baked, which were required, according to Leviticus 7:12, for every praise-offering, “ and their meat and drink-offerings, ” i.e., the gifts of meal, oil, and wine, which belonged, according to Numbers 15:3., to the burnt-offerings and peace-offerings.
Numbers 6:16
The sin-offering and burnt-offering were carried out according to the general instructions.
Numbers 6:17
The completion of the consecration vow was concentrated in the preparation of the ram and the basket of unleavened bread for the peace-offering, along with the appropriate meat-offering and drink-offering.
Numbers 6:18
The Nazarite had also to shave his consecrated head, and put the hair into the altar-fire under the peace-offering that was burning, and thus hand over and sacrifice to the Lord the hair of his head which had been worn in honour of Him.
Numbers 6:19-20
When this had been done, the priest took the boiled shoulder of the ram, with an unleavened cake and wafer out of the basket, and placed these pieces in the hands of the Nazarite, and waved them before Jehovah. They then became the portion of the priest, in addition to the wave-breast and heave-leg which fell to the priest in the case of every peace-offering (Leviticus 7:32-34), to set forth the participation of the Lord in the sacrificial meal. But the fact that, in addition to these, the boiled shoulder was given up symbolically to the Lord through the process of waving, together with a cake and wafer, was intended to indicate that the table-fellowship with the Lord, shadowed forth in the sacrificial meal of the peace-offering, took place here in a higher degree; inasmuch as the Lord directed a portion of the Nazarite's meal to be handed over to His representatives and servants for them to eat, that he might thus enjoy the blessedness of having fellowship with his God, in accordance with that condition of priestly sanctity into which the Nazarite had entered through the vow that he had made.
Numbers 6:20
“ After that the Nazarite may drink wine ” (again), probably at the sacrificial meal, after the Lord had received His share of the sacrifice, and his release from consecration had thus been completed.
Numbers 6:21
“ This is the law of the Nazarite, who vowed his sacrificial gifts to the Lord on the ground of his consecration, ” i.e., who offered his sacrifice in accordance with the state of a Nazarite into which he had entered. For the sacrifices mentioned in Numbers 6:14. were not the object of a special vow, but contained in the vow of the Nazarite, and therefore already vowed ( Knobel ). “ Beside what his hand grasps, ” i.e., what he is otherwise able to perform (Leviticus 5:11), “ according to the measure of his vow, which he vowed, so must he do according to the law of his consecration, ” i.e., he had to offer the sacrifices previously mentioned on the ground of his consecration vow. Beyond that he was free to vow anything else according to his ability, to present other sacrificial gifts to the Lord for His sanctuary and His servants, which did not necessarily belong to the vow of the Nazarite, but were frequently added. From this the custom afterwards grew up, that when poor persons took the Nazarite's vow upon them, those who were better off defrayed the expenses of the sacrifices (Acts 21:24; Josephus, Ant. xix. 6, 1; Mishnah Nasir, ii. 5ff.).
The Priestly or Aaronic Blessing. - The spiritual character of the congregation of Israel culminated in the blessing with which the priests were to bless the people. The directions as to this blessing, therefore, impressed the seal of perfection upon the whole order and organization of the people of God, inasmuch as Israel was first truly formed into a congregation of Jehovah by the fact that God not only bestowed His blessing upon it, but placed the communication of this blessing in the hands of the priests, the chosen and constant mediators of the blessings of His grace, and imposed it upon them as one portion of their official duty. The blessing which the priests were to impart to the people, consisted of a triple blessing of two members each, which stood related to each other thus: The second in each case contained a special application of the first to the people, and the three gradations unfolded the substance of the blessing step by step with ever increasing emphasis. - The first (Numbers 6:24), “ Jehovah bless thee and keep thee, ” conveyed the blessing in the most general form, merely describing it as coming from Jehovah, and setting forth preservation from the evil of the world as His work. “The blessing of God is the goodness of God in action, by which a supply of all good pours down to us from His good favour as from their only fountain; then follows, secondly, the prayer that He would keep the people, which signifies that He alone is the defender of the Church, and that it is He who preserves it with His guardian care” ( Calvin ). - The second (Numbers 6:25), “ Jehovah make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee, ” defined the blessing more closely as the manifestation of the favour and grace of God. The face of God is the personality of God as turned towards man. Fire goes out from Jehovah's face, and consumes the enemy and the rebellious (Leviticus 10:2, cf. Numbers 17:10; Numbers 20:3; Exodus 13:22; Psalms 34:17), and also a sunlight shining with love and full of life and good (Deuteronomy 30:20; Psalms 27:1; Psalms 43:3; Psalms 44:4). If “the light of the sun is sweet, and pleasant for the eyes to behold” (Ecclesiastes 11:7), “the light of the divine countenance, the everlasting light (Psalms 36:10), is the sum of all delight” ( Baumg .). This light sends rays of mercy into a heart in need of salvation, and makes it the recipient of grace. - The third (Numbers 6:26), “ Jehovah lift up His face to thee, and set (or give) thee peace ” (good, salvation), set forth the blessing of God as a manifestation of power, or a work of power upon man, the end of which is peace ( shalom ), the sum of all the good which God sets, prepares, or establishes for His people. אל פּנים נשׁא , to lift up the face to any one, is equivalent to looking at him, and does not differ from עינים נשׁא or שׂים ( Genesis 43:29; Genesis 44:21). When affirmed of God, it denotes His providential work upon man. When God looks at a man, He saves him out of his distresses (Psalms 4:7; Psalms 33:18; Psalms 34:16). - In these three blessings most of the fathers and earlier theologians saw an allusion to the mystery of the Trinity, and rested their conclusion, ( a ) upon the triple repetition of the name Jehovah ; ( b ) upon the ratio praedicati , that Jehovah, by whom the blessing is desired and imparted, is the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; and ( c ) upon the distinctorum benedictionis membrorum consideratio , according to which bis trina beneficia are mentioned (cf. Calovii Bibl. illustr. ad h. l.). There is truth in this, though the grounds assigned seem faulty. As the threefold repetition of a word or sentence serves to express the thought as strongly as possible (cf. Jeremiah 7:4; Jeremiah 22:29), the triple blessing expressed in the most unconditional manner the thought, that God would bestow upon His congregation the whole fulness of the blessing enfolded in His Divine Being which was manifested as Jehovah. But not only does the name Jehovah denote God as the absolute Being, who revealed Himself as Father, Son, and Spirit in the historical development of His purpose of salvation for the redemption of fallen man; but the substance of this blessing, which He caused to be pronounced upon His congregation, unfolded the grace of God in the threefold way in which it is communicated to us through the Father, Son, and Spirit.
(Note: See the admirable elaboration of these points in Luther's exposition of the blessing. Luther refers the first blessing to “bodily life and good.” The blessing, he says, desired for the people “that God would give them prosperity and every good, and also guard and preserve them.” This is carried out still further, in a manner corresponding to his exposition of the first article. The second blessing he refers to “the spiritual nature and the soul,” and observes, “Just as the sun, when it rises and diffuses its rich glory and soft light over all the world, merely lifts up its face upon all the world;...so when God gives His word, He causes His face to shine clearly and joyously upon all minds, and makes them joyful and light, and as it were new hearts and new men. For it brings forgiveness of sins, and shows God as a gracious and merciful Father, who pities and sympathizes with our grief and sorrow. The third also relates to the spiritual nature and the soul, and is a desire for consolation and final victory over the cross, death, the devil, and all the gates of hell, together with the world and the evil desires of the flesh. The desire of this blessing is, that the Lord God will lift up the light of His word upon us, and so keep it over us, that it may shine in our hearts with strength enough to overcome all the opposition of the devil, death, and sin, and all adversity, terror, or despair.”)
This blessing was not to remain merely a pious wish, however, but to be manifested in the people with all the power of a blessing from God. This assurance closes the divine command: “ They shall put My name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them .”