CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
Numbers 6
Chapter 6 of 36
Chapter Overview
What happens in Numbers 6
God explains the Nazirite vow, a special way for any man or woman to dedicate themselves to the Lord for a set time. The chapter ends with the beautiful priestly blessing that Aaron and his sons were to speak over the people of Israel.
Scripture
Numbers 6
Rules for the Nazirite Vow
Study note
The Nazirite vow was a voluntary promise to be fully devoted to God for a certain period of time. During this time, the person had to follow three rules: no wine or grape products, no cutting their hair, and no contact with dead bodies. The growing hair was a visible sign of their dedication to God.
1 The Lord told Moses, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 "Tell the Israelites. A man or woman might take a special Nazirite vow. They set themselves apart for the Lord in a unique way." 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 "they must completely avoid wine and all other alcoholic drinks. They cannot drink wine vinegar or grape juice, and they cannot eat grapes or raisins." 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 "During the whole time of their vow, they cannot eat anything from a grapevine. They cannot eat even the seeds or the skins of grapes." 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 "For the whole time of their dedication, no razor may be used on their head. They are set apart as holy until their time of commitment to the Lord is finished. During this time, they must let their hair grow freely." 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 "Throughout their time of dedication to the Lord, they must stay away from any dead body." All the days that he separateth himself unto the LORD he shall come at no dead body.
7 "Even if their own father, mother, brother, or sister dies, they must not make themselves unclean by going near the body. Their dedication to God, shown by their uncut hair, must not be broken." 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 "They remain holy to the Lord for the entire time of their dedication." All the days of his separation he is holy unto the LORD.
What to Do If the Vow Is Broken
Study note
If someone near the Nazirite died suddenly, the Nazirite was made unclean through no fault of their own. The days already completed were lost, and the person had to start the entire vow over from the beginning after going through a purification process.
9 "Someone might die right next to them all of a sudden. This makes their special hair unclean. They must shave their head on the seventh day. That is the day of their cleansing." 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 "On the eighth day, they must bring two doves or two young pigeons to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting." 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 "The priest must sacrifice one bird as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering. This makes things right because the person became unclean from the dead body. That same day, the person must begin their dedication all over again." 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 "They must re-dedicate themselves to the Lord for the full length of their vow and bring a one-year-old male lamb as a guilt offering. The earlier days of their vow no longer count because their dedication was broken." 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.
Completing the Nazirite Vow
Study note
When the time of the vow was finished, the Nazirite brought several offerings to the Lord: a burnt offering, a sin offering, and a peace offering, along with bread and grain. Then the person shaved their head and burned the hair on the altar fire. After this, the Nazirite was free to drink wine again.
13 "Here is the procedure for when a Nazirite's dedication period is complete. The person must go to the entrance of the tent of meeting." 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 "They must present these gifts to the Lord. A one-year-old male lamb with no flaws for a burnt gift. A one-year-old female lamb with no flaws for a sin gift. A ram with no flaws for a peace gift." 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 "Along with these animals, they must bring a basket of bread made without yeast. This includes thick loaves of fine flour mixed with oil and thin wafers spread with oil. They must also bring the grain offerings and drink offerings that go with them." 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 "The priest must present all of these before the Lord and sacrifice the sin offering and the burnt offering." And the priest shall bring them before the LORD, and shall offer his sin offering, and his burnt offering:
17 "Then he must sacrifice the ram as a peace offering to the Lord, along with the basket of unleavened bread. He must also present the grain offering and drink offering that go with it." 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 "At the entrance of the tent of meeting, the Nazirite must shave off their special hair. Then they must take it and put it in the fire burning under the peace offering." 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 "After the hair is shaved off, the priest must take the boiled shoulder of the ram, one thick loaf, and one thin wafer from the basket. He must put them in the Nazirite's hands." 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 "The priest must then wave these items before the Lord as a wave offering. They become holy and belong to the priest, along with the breast that was waved and the thigh that was lifted up. After all this, the Nazirite is allowed to drink wine again." 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 rule for someone who takes the Nazirite vow. This is the minimum offering they must bring to the Lord for their dedication. If they can afford more, they may give more. But they must fulfill whatever vow they made, following the rules of their dedication." 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.
The Priestly Blessing
Study note
God gave Aaron and his sons a special blessing to speak over the people of Israel. This three-part blessing asks God to protect, show grace, and give peace. It is one of the oldest and most beloved prayers in the Bible and is still used in worship services today.
22 The Lord told Moses, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
23 "Tell Aaron and his sons to bless the Israelites with these words:" 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 you and keep you.'" The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:
25 "'The Lord make his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you.'" The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
26 "'The Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.'" The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
27 "When they speak my name over the Israelites in this way, I myself will bless them." And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.
Key Themes
Themes in Numbers 6
Voluntary devotion to GodPersonal holiness and self-disciplineThe beauty of God's blessingConsecration available to all
Prophetic Connections
How this chapter points to Christ
Numbers 6:24-26 2 Corinthians 13:14
The threefold priestly blessing anticipates the Trinitarian benediction, with God's keeping, grace, and peace reflecting the work of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Apply This Today
Living Numbers 6
The Nazirite vow shows that anyone, not just priests, can choose a deeper level of devotion to God. The priestly blessing reminds us that God desires to protect us, show us grace, and give us peace. These blessings are not earned but freely given by a loving God.
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