Numbers, Chapter 6

Numbers Chapter 6

Verses 1-27: The Laws of the Nazirite

1. The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
2. “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: When either a man or woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate themselves to the Lord,
3. they shall abstain from wine and strong drink. They shall drink no vinegar made from wine or strong drink, nor shall they drink any juice of grapes, or eat fresh or dried grapes.
4. As long as they are bound by their Nazirite vow, they shall not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, not even the seeds or skins.
5. Throughout the period of their vow of separation, no razor shall touch their head; until the time is completed for which they separate themselves to the Lord, they shall be holy and shall let the locks of the hair of their head grow long.
6. All the days that they separate themselves to the Lord, they shall not go near a dead body.
7. They shall not make themselves unclean for their father or mother, for brother or sister, when they die, because their vow of separation to God is on their head.
8. All the days of their vow of separation, they are holy to the Lord.
9. If someone dies very suddenly beside them, and they defile their consecrated head, then they shall shave their head on the day of their cleansing; on the seventh day they shall shave it.
10. On the eighth day, they shall bring two turtledoves 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 atonement for them, because they sinned by reason of the dead body. They shall sanctify their head that same day,
12. and separate themselves to the Lord for the days of their Nazirite vow and bring a male lamb a year old for a guilt offering; but the previous days shall be void, because their separation was defiled.
13. This is the law for the Nazirite when the period of their separation is completed: They shall be brought to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting,
14. and offer their offering to the Lord: one male lamb a year old without defect for a burnt offering, one ewe lamb a year old without defect for a sin offering, one ram without defect for a peace offering,
15. a basket of unleavened bread made of fine flour mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and their grain offering and their drink offerings.
16. The priest shall present them before the Lord and shall offer their sin offering and their burnt offering.
17. He shall offer the ram as a sacrifice of peace offering to the Lord, together with the basket of unleavened bread; the priest shall also offer its grain offering and its drink offering.
18. Then the Nazirite shall shave their consecrated head at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, and shall take the hair of their consecrated head and put it on the fire under the sacrifice of the peace offering.
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 they have shaved their consecrated head.
20. Then the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the Lord; 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 their offering to the Lord in accordance with their separation, in addition to whatever else they can afford. They shall fulfill the vow they make, according to the law of the Nazirite.”
22. The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
23. “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘Thus you shall bless the Israelites: you shall say to them,
24. The Lord bless you and keep you;
25. the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
26. the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.’
27. So shall they put my name upon the Israelites, and I will bless them.”

Interpretation: Numbers 6 details the laws for the Nazirite vow, a voluntary commitment made by individuals to dedicate themselves to God for a specific period. This dedication involves abstaining from wine, not cutting their hair, and avoiding contact with the dead. The chapter concludes with the priestly blessing, invoking God’s protection, grace, and peace upon the Israelites.