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,
`And if his hand reach not to the sufficiency of a lamb, then he hath brought in his guilt-offering -- he who hath sinned -- two turtle-doves or two young pigeons to Jehovah, one for a sin-offering, and one for a burnt-offering; and he hath brought them in unto the priest, and hath brought near that which `is' for a sin-offering first, and hath wrung off its head from its neck, and doth not separate `it', and he hath sprinkled of the blood of the sin-offering on the side of the altar, and that which is left of the blood is wrung out at the foundation of the altar; it `is' a sin-offering. `And the second he maketh a burnt-offering, according to the ordinance, and the priest hath made atonement for him, because of his sin which he hath sinned, and it hath been forgiven him.
And it cometh to pass on the eighth day, Moses hath called for Aaron and for his sons, and for the elders of Israel, and he saith unto Aaron, `Take to thyself a calf, a son of the herd, for a sin-offering, and a ram for a burnt-offering, perfect ones, and bring near before Jehovah. `And unto the sons of Israel thou dost speak, saying, Take ye a kid of the goats for a sin-offering, and a calf, and a lamb, sons of a year, perfect ones, for a burnt-offering, and a bullock and a ram for peace-offerings, to sacrifice before Jehovah, and a present mixed with oil; for to-day Jehovah hath appeared unto you.' And they take that which Moses hath commanded unto the front of the tent of meeting, and all the company draw near and stand before Jehovah; and Moses saith, `This `is' the thing which Jehovah hath commanded; do `it', and the honour of Jehovah doth appear unto you.' And Moses saith unto Aaron, `Draw near unto the altar, and make thy sin-offering, and thy burnt-offering, and make atonement for thyself, and for the people, and make the offering of the people, and make atonement for them, as Jehovah hath commanded.' And Aaron draweth near unto the altar, and slaughtereth the calf of the sin-offering, which `is' for himself; and the sons of Aaron bring the blood near unto him, and he dippeth his finger in the blood, and putteth `it' on the horns of the altar, and the blood he hath poured out at the foundation of the altar; and the fat, and the kidneys, and the redundance of the liver, of the sin-offering, he hath made a perfume on the altar, as Jehovah hath commanded Moses; and the flesh and the skin he hath burnt with fire, at the outside of the camp. And he slaughtereth the burnt-offering, and the sons of Aaron have presented unto him the blood, and he sprinkleth it on the altar round about; and the burnt-offering they have presented unto him, by its pieces, and the head, and he maketh perfume on the altar; and he washeth the inwards and the legs, and maketh perfume for the burnt-offering on the altar. And he bringeth near the offering of the people, and taketh the goat of the sin-offering which `is' for the people, and slaughtered it, and maketh it a sin-offering, like the first; and he bringeth near the burnt-offering, and maketh it, according to the ordinance; and he bringeth near the present, and filleth his palm with it, and maketh perfume on the altar, apart from the burnt-offering of the morning. And he slaughtereth the bullock and the ram, a sacrifice of the peace-offerings, which `are' for the people, and sons of Aaron present the blood unto him (and he sprinkleth it on the altar round about), and the fat of the bullock, and of the ram, the fat tail, and the covering `of the inwards', and the kidneys, and the redundance above the liver, and they set the fat on the breasts, and he maketh perfume with the fat on the altar; and the breasts, and the right leg hath Aaron waved -- a wave-offering before Jehovah, as He hath commanded Moses.
and two turtle-doves, or two young pigeons, which his hand reacheth to, and one hath been a sin-offering, and the one a burnt-offering; and he hath brought them in on the eighth day for his cleansing unto the priest, unto the opening of the tent of meeting, before Jehovah.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Numbers 6
Commentary on Numbers 6 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 6
Nu 6:1-22. The Law of the Nazarite in His Separation.
2-8. When either man or woman … shall vow a vow of a Nazarite—that is, "a separated one," from a Hebrew word, "to separate." It was used to designate a class of persons who, under the impulse of extraordinary piety and with a view to higher degrees of religious improvement, voluntarily renounced the occupations and pleasures of the world to dedicate themselves unreservedly to the divine service. The vow might be taken by either sex, provided they had the disposal of themselves (Nu 30:4), and for a limited period—usually a month or a lifetime (Jud 13:5; 16:17). We do not know, perhaps, the whole extent of abstinence they practised. But they separated themselves from three things in particular—namely, from wine, and all the varieties of vinous produce; from the application of a razor to their head, allowing their hair to grow; and from pollution by a dead body. The reasons of the self-restrictions are obvious. The use of wine tended to inflame the passions, intoxicate the brain, and create a taste for luxurious indulgence. The cutting off the hair being a recognized sign of uncleanness (Le 14:8, 9), its unpolled luxuriance was a symbol of the purity he professed. Besides, its extraordinary length kept him in constant remembrance of his vow, as well as stimulated others to imitate his pious example. Moreover, contact with a dead body, disqualifying for the divine service, the Nazarite carefully avoided such a cause of unfitness, and, like the high priest, did not assist at the funeral rites of his nearest relatives, preferring his duty to God to the indulgence of his strongest natural affections.
9-12. If any man die very suddenly by him, and he hath defiled the head of his consecration—Cases of sudden death might occur to make him contract pollution; and in such circumstances he was required, after shaving his head, to make the prescribed offerings necessary for the removal of ceremonial defilement (Le 15:13; Nu 19:11). But by the terms of this law an accidental defilement vitiated the whole of his previous observances, and he was required to begin the period of his Nazaritism afresh. But even this full completion did not supersede the necessity of a sin offering at the close. Sin mingles with our best and holiest performances, and the blood of sprinkling is necessary to procure acceptance to us and our services.
13-20. when the days of his separation are fulfilled, &c.—On the accomplishment of a limited vow of Nazaritism, Nazarites might cut their hair wherever they happened to be (Ac 18:18); but the hair was to be carefully kept and brought to the door of the sanctuary. Then after the presentation of sin offerings and burnt offerings, it was put under the vessel in which the peace offerings were boiled; and the priest, taking the shoulder (Le 7:32), when boiled, and a cake and wafer of the meat offering, put them on the hands of the Nazarites to wave before the Lord, as a token of thanksgiving, and thus released them from their vow.
Nu 6:23-27. The Form of Blessing the People.
23-27. Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the congregation of Israel, &c.—This passage records the solemn benediction which God appointed for dismissing the people at the close of the daily service. The repetition of the name "Lord" or "Jehovah" three times, expresses the great mystery of the Godhead—three persons, and yet one God. The expressions in the separate clauses correspond to the respective offices of the Father, to "bless and keep us"; of the Son, to be "gracious to us"; and of the Holy Ghost, to "give us peace." And because the benediction, though pronounced by the lips of a fellow man, derived its virtue, not from the priest but from God, the encouraging assurance was added, "I the Lord will bless them."