Moses, typically associated with law-giving and obedience, here uniquely prescribes elaborate atonement offerings for voluntary consecration, blending legal authority with priestly ritual in ways found nowhere else in his corpus.
Numbers 6
The Nazirite Vow
1The LORD 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 the LORD,
3he 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.
4All 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 no razor shall come on his head, until the days are fulfilled in which he separates himself to the LORD. 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 the LORD he shall not go near a dead body.
7He 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.
8All the days of his separation he is holy to the LORD.
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.
10On the eighth day he shall bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest, to the door of the Tent of Meeting.
11The 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.
12He shall separate to the LORD 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,
14and he shall offer his 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 peace offerings,
15a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil with their meal offering and their drink offerings.
16The priest shall present them before the LORD, and shall offer his sin offering and his burnt offering.
17He shall offer the ram for a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD, with the basket of unleavened bread. The priest shall offer also its meal offering and its drink offering.
18The Nazirite shall shave the head of his separation at the door of the Tent of Meeting, take the hair of the head of his separation, and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of peace offerings.
19The priest shall take the boiled shoulder of the ram, 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;
20and the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the LORD. They are 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 the LORD for his separation, in addition to that which he is able to afford. According to his vow which he vows, so he must do after the law of his separation.’”
The Priestly Blessing
22The LORD 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‘The LORD bless you, and keep you.
25The LORD make his face to shine on you, and be gracious to you.
26The LORD 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.”
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Theme
Numbers 6 establishes two important religious institutions: the Nazirite vow and the priestly blessing. The Nazirite vow allowed any Israelite, male or female, to consecrate themselves to God through abstaining from grape products, avoiding contact with corpses, and letting their hair grow uncut. The chapter details the requirements, procedures for accidental defilement, and completion rituals involving various offerings. It concludes with the famous Aaronic blessing that priests were to pronounce over the people, invoking God's favor, protection, and peace.
Context
Following the purity laws and tribal arrangements of chapters 4-5, this chapter introduces voluntary consecration practices before the narrative resumes with tribal offerings in chapter 7.
Key Themes
Outline
- 1-5 Nazirite Vow Requirements God establishes the three main restrictions for those taking the special vow of separation.
- 6-8 Avoiding Corpse Defilement Nazirites must avoid all contact with dead bodies, even close family members.
- 9-12 Accidental Defilement Protocol Procedures for cleansing and restarting the vow if accidentally defiled by sudden death.
- 13-20 Completion Ceremony Detailed ritual offerings and procedures for concluding the Nazirite period.
- 21 Additional Vow Provisions Allowance for additional voluntary offerings beyond the required ceremonies.
- 22-27 The Priestly Blessing God gives Aaron and his sons the famous threefold blessing to pronounce over Israel.
The Nazirite Vow
6:1–6:21 law instruction solemn
God establishes the Nazirite vow through Moses, detailing the requirements for special consecration including abstaining from wine, not cutting hair, and avoiding contact with the dead. The passage outlines the purification rituals and offerings required when the vow is completed or defiled.
person_contrast
Moses, typically associated with law-giving and obedience, here uniquely prescribes elaborate atonement offerings for voluntary consecration, blending legal authority with priestly ritual in ways found nowhere else in his corpus.
The Priestly Blessing
6:22–6:27 law blessing peaceful
God gives Moses the priestly blessing formula for Aaron and his sons to pronounce over Israel. This threefold blessing invokes God's protection, favor, and peace upon the people, establishing a formal liturgical benediction.
person_contrast
Moses, typically associated with law and judgment throughout Numbers, here receives God's most tender blessing formula, marking a rare moment where the lawgiver becomes conduit for pure grace.
Insights
Moses, typically associated with law and judgment throughout Numbers, here receives God's most tender blessing formula, marking a rare moment where the lawgiver becomes conduit for pure grace.
Cross-References
Connected passages across Scripture
Numbers 6:2 3 references
Lexicals 3
Numbers 15:3 Lexical
and will make an offering by fire to the LORD—a burnt offering, or a sacrifice, to accomplish a vow, or as a free will o…
Leviticus 22:21 Lexical
Whoever offers a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD to accomplish a vow, or for a free will offering of the herd o…
Numbers 15:8 Lexical
When you prepare a bull for a burnt offering or for a sacrifice, to accomplish a vow, or for peace offerings to the LORD…
Numbers 6:3 5 references
Lexicals 5
Isaiah 24:9 Lexical
They will not drink wine with a song. Strong drink will be bitter to those who drink it.
Judges 13:14 Lexical
She may not eat of anything that comes of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thin…
1 Samuel 1:15 Lexical
Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit. I have not been drinking wine or strong drink, but I…
Judges 13:7 Lexical
but he said to me, ‘Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink. Don’t eat any unc…
Proverbs 31:4 Lexical
It is not for kings, Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for princes to say, ‘Where is strong drink?’
Numbers 6:5 1 reference
Numbers 6:7 1 reference
Numbers 6:9 3 references
Lexicals 3
Isaiah 29:5 Lexical
But the multitude of your foes will be like fine dust, and the multitude of the ruthless ones like chaff that blows away…
Proverbs 6:15 Lexical
Therefore his calamity will come suddenly. He will be broken suddenly, and that without remedy.
Isaiah 30:13 Lexical
therefore this iniquity shall be to you like a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking comes s…
Numbers 6:10 5 references
Lexicals 5
Leviticus 15:14 Lexical
“‘On the eighth day he shall take two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, and come before the LORD to the door of the Ten…
Leviticus 15:29 Lexical
On the eighth day she shall take two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, and bring them to the priest, to the door of the…
Leviticus 12:6 Lexical
“‘When the days of her purification are completed for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the door…
Leviticus 14:23 Lexical
“On the eighth day he shall bring them for his cleansing to the priest, to the door of the Tent of Meeting, before the L…
Leviticus 5:7 Lexical
“‘If he can’t afford a lamb, then he shall bring his trespass offering for that in which he has sinned, two turtledoves,…
Numbers 6:11 5 references
Lexicals 5
Exodus 29:36 Lexical
Every day you shall offer the bull of sin offering for atonement. You shall cleanse the altar when you make atonement fo…
Leviticus 5:10 Lexical
He shall offer the second for a burnt offering, according to the ordinance; and the priest shall make atonement for him…
2 Chronicles 29:24 Lexical
Then the priests killed them, and they made a sin offering with their blood on the altar, to make atonement for all Isra…
Leviticus 8:15 Lexical
He killed it; and Moses took the blood, and put it around on the horns of the altar with his finger, and purified the al…
Leviticus 5:6 Lexical
and he shall bring his trespass offering to the LORD for his sin which he has sinned: a female from the flock, a lamb or…
Numbers 6:13 2 references
Lexicals 2
Numbers 6:14 5 references
Lexicals 5
Numbers 29:13 Lexical
You shall offer a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to the LORD: thirteen young bulls, two r…
Numbers 28:19 Lexical
but you shall offer an offering made by fire, a burnt offering to the LORD: two young bulls, one ram, and seven male lam…
Ezekiel 46:4 Lexical
The burnt offering that the prince shall offer to the LORD shall be on the Sabbath day, six lambs without defect and a r…
Numbers 29:36 Lexical
but you shall offer a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, a pleasant aroma to the LORD: one bull, one ram, seven m…
Leviticus 23:18 Lexical
You shall present with the bread seven lambs without defect a year old, one young bull, and two rams. They shall be a bu…
Numbers 6:15 5 references
Lexicals 5
Leviticus 2:4 Lexical
“‘When you offer an offering of a meal offering baked in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mixed with…
Exodus 29:2 Lexical
unleavened bread, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil. You shall make them of fine…
Leviticus 7:12 Lexical
If he offers it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mixed with o…
Leviticus 8:26 Lexical
and out of the basket of unleavened bread that was before the LORD, he took one unleavened cake, one cake of oiled bread…
Exodus 29:23 Lexical
and one loaf of bread, one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer out of the basket of unleavened bread that is before the L…
Numbers 6:17 5 references
Lexicals 5
Leviticus 8:2 Lexical
“Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments, and the anointing oil, and the bull of the sin offering, and the tw…
2 Kings 16:13 Lexical
He burned his burnt offering and his meal offering, poured his drink offering, and sprinkled the blood of his peace offe…
Ezekiel 45:17 Lexical
It shall be the prince’s part to give the burnt offerings, the meal offerings, and the drink offerings, in the feasts, a…
Numbers 29:39 Lexical
“‘You shall offer these to the LORD in your set feasts—in addition to your vows and your free will offerings—for your bu…
1 Chronicles 29:21 Lexical
They sacrificed sacrifices to the LORD and offered burnt offerings to the LORD on the next day after that day, even one…
Numbers 6:18 5 references
Lexicals 5
Leviticus 17:5 Lexical
This is to the end that the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices, which they sacrifice in the open field, that…
Numbers 16:18 Lexical
They each took his censer, and put fire in it, and laid incense on it, and stood at the door of the Tent of Meeting with…
Leviticus 14:8 Lexical
“He who is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes, and shave off all his hair, and bathe himself in water; and he shall b…
Numbers 10:10 Lexical
“Also in the day of your gladness, and in your set feasts, and in the beginnings of your months, you shall blow the trum…
2 Chronicles 30:22 Lexical
Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who had good understanding in the service of the LORD. So they ate throu…
Numbers 6:19 5 references
Lexicals 5
Exodus 29:23 Lexical
and one loaf of bread, one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer out of the basket of unleavened bread that is before the L…
Leviticus 8:26 Lexical
and out of the basket of unleavened bread that was before the LORD, he took one unleavened cake, one cake of oiled bread…
Exodus 29:2 Lexical
unleavened bread, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil. You shall make them of fine…
Leviticus 2:4 Lexical
“‘When you offer an offering of a meal offering baked in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mixed with…
Leviticus 7:12 Lexical
If he offers it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mixed with o…
Numbers 6:20 5 references
Lexicals 5
Leviticus 10:15 Lexical
They shall bring the heaved thigh and the waved breast with the offerings made by fire of the fat, to wave it for a wave…
Exodus 29:27 Lexical
You shall sanctify the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the wave offering, which is waved, and which is rais…
Leviticus 9:21 Lexical
Aaron waved the breasts and the right thigh for a wave offering before the LORD, as Moses commanded.
Leviticus 10:14 Lexical
The waved breast and the heaved thigh you shall eat in a clean place, you, and your sons, and your daughters with you: f…
Leviticus 7:34 Lexical
For the waved breast and the heaved thigh I have taken from the children of Israel out of the sacrifices of their peace…
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