Numbers 6
World English Bible
WEB1Yahweh 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, 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 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. 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 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. 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 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, 14and he shall offer his offering to Yahweh: 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 Yahweh, and shall offer his sin offering and his burnt offering. 17He 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. 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 Yahweh. 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 Yahweh 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.’” 22Yahweh 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. 25Yahweh make his face to shine on you, and be gracious to you. 26Yahweh 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.”
World English Bible, 2020 stable text edition. Public domain; “World English Bible” is a trademark of eBible.org. eBible.org
Overview
Numbers Chapter 6 presents the instructions for the Nazirite vow, a special commitment to God that involves abstaining from certain worldly pleasures and dedicating oneself to holiness. The chapter begins by outlining the requirements for anyone who wishes to take this vow, which includes abstaining from wine and strong drink, avoiding contact with dead bodies, and allowing their hair to grow long as a sign of their dedication. This vow symbolizes a deeper commitment to God, reflecting a desire for spiritual purity and separation from the distractions of everyday life. The Nazirite vow can be taken by both men and women, emphasizing that all believers can pursue a closer relationship with God through personal sacrifice. #Nazirite #Holiness
The chapter concludes with the priestly blessing, a beautiful declaration of God’s favor and protection over His people. The Lord instructs Aaron and his sons to bless the Israelites with these words: "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace" (Numbers 6:24-26). This blessing encapsulates the essence of God’s desire for His people to experience His presence, grace, and peace in their lives. It serves as a reminder of the importance of community and the role of spiritual leaders in guiding and uplifting the faithful. #PriestlyBlessing #GodsFavor
Referenced by
- Leviticus 9:22v22Leviticus 9:22 describes Aaron lifting his hands to bless the people, similar to the priestly blessing given in Numbers 6:22-27, emphasizing the role of the priest in mediating God's blessing to the people.
- Judges 13:5v2Judges 13:5 describes Samson as a Nazirite from birth, which is a vow of dedication to God outlined in Numbers 6:2-5. This vow includes abstaining from wine, not cutting hair, and avoiding contact with the dead, signifying a life set apart for God's purposes.
- Judges 16:17v5Judges 16:17 reveals Samson's Nazirite vow, specifically the prohibition against cutting his hair, which is outlined in Numbers 6:5 as part of the Nazirite vow.
- 1 Chronicles 17:27v24David's request for God's blessing in 1 Chronicles 17:27 reflects the priestly blessing in Numbers 6:24-26, emphasizing the desire for God's enduring favor and presence.
- Psalms 67:1v24Psalm 67:1 echoes the priestly blessing found in Numbers 6:24-26, invoking God's grace and blessing upon His people.
- Psalms 80:3v25Psalm 80:3 calls for God's face to shine upon His people, echoing the priestly blessing in Numbers 6:25, which asks for God's face to shine and bring peace.
- Psalms 134:3v24Psalm 134:3 speaks of the Lord blessing from Zion, which resonates with the priestly blessing in Numbers 6:24-26, where the Lord's blessing and peace are invoked upon His people.
- Jeremiah 35:6v2Jeremiah 35:6 describes the Rechabites' vow to abstain from wine, similar to the Nazirite vow in Numbers 6:2-3, which also includes abstaining from wine as a sign of dedication to God.
- Amos 2:12v2Amos 2:12 criticizes Israel for making the Nazirites drink wine, contrary to the Nazirite vow described in Numbers 6:2-3, which includes abstaining from wine.
- Acts 18:18v18Acts 18:18 mentions Paul cutting his hair because of a vow, which is reminiscent of the Nazirite vow described in Numbers 6:18, indicating a period of special dedication to God.
Topics in this chapter
- Holiness
- Peace
- Blessing
- Dedication
- Grace
- Nazirite
- Consecration
- Nazirite Vow
- Priestly Blessing
- Vows
- Aaronic Blessing
- Benediction
- Divine Favor
- Purity
- Set Apart
- Aaron
- Abstinence
- Assurance
- Atonement
- Choral Music in the Bible
- Commitment
- Covenant
- Defilement
- Favor
- Integrity
- Interfaith Dialogue
- Israelite Camp
- Law
- Leadership in the Bible
- Lifestyle
- Moses
- Nazarite
- Peace Movement in the Bible
- Priest
- Protection
- Relationship with God
- Religious Art
- Restoration
- Ritual Law
- Sacrifice
- Self-Control
- Shalom
- Spiritual Growth
- Strength
- The Lord
- The Presence of God
- Uncut Hair
- Unity
- Wilderness Journey
Related chapters
- Judges 13Nazirite VowNaziriteVows
- 1 Samuel 1NaziriteVowsConsecration
- Psalms 67Religious ArtDivine Favor
- Judges 16Nazirite VowNaziriteConsecration
- Acts 18NaziriteDedication
- Philippians 4BenedictionShalomAssurance
- Judges 14NazariteNazirite VowNazirite
- Psalms 29Benediction
- Psalms 80Choral Music in the BibleFavorReligious Art
- Leviticus 9AaronReligious ArtDedication
- Leviticus 21Set ApartConsecrationAaron
- Genesis 33FavorRelationship with GodShalom
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