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Good News Translation

Numbers 6:6

Your hair is the sign of your dedication to God, and so you must not defile yourself by going near a corpse, not even that of your father, mother, brother, or sister.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Fraternity;   Nazarite;   Scofield Reference Index - Separation;   Thompson Chain Reference - Bodies, Dead;   Dead Bodies;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Dead, the;   Nazarites;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Nazarite;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Nazirite;   Priest;   Samson;   Vow;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Abstain, Abstinence;   Priest, Priesthood;   Soul;   Easton Bible Dictionary - John the Baptist;   Nazarite;   Purification;   Samson;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - John the Baptist;   Pentateuch;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Birds of Abomination;   Consecration;   Hair;   Nazirite;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Clean and Unclean;   Nazirite;   Numbers, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Nazirite;   Vote;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Nazarite ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Nazarene;   Nazarites;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Naz'arite,;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Samuel the Prophet;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Body;   Corpse;   Death;   Hair;   Nazirite;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Ancestor Worship;   Blessing, Priestly;   Commandments, the 613;   Corpse;   Mishnah;   Nazarite;   Nazir;   Priestly Code;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
"All the days that he separates himself to the LORD he shall not go near a dead body.
King James Version
All the days that he separateth himself unto the Lord he shall come at no dead body.
Lexham English Bible
"‘All the days of keeping himself separated for Yahweh he will not go to a person who is dead;
New Century Version
During their special time of belonging to the Lord , Nazirites must not go near a dead body.
New English Translation
"‘All the days that he separates himself to the Lord he must not contact a dead body.
Amplified Bible
'All the time that he separates himself to the LORD he shall not go near a dead body.
New American Standard Bible
'All the days of his life as a Nazirite for the LORD he shall not come up to a dead person.
Geneva Bible (1587)
During the time yt he separateth himselfe vnto the Lord, he shall come at no dead body:
Legacy Standard Bible
‘All the days of his dedication as a Nazirite to Yahweh he shall not go near to a dead person.
Contemporary English Version
During the time that you are a Nazirite, you must never go close to a dead body,
Complete Jewish Bible
"‘Throughout the period for which he has consecrated himself to Adonai , he is not to approach a corpse.
Darby Translation
All the days that he hath consecrated himself to Jehovah, he shall come near no dead body.
Easy-to-Read Version
"If you have taken the Nazirite vow, you must not go near someone who is dying during that special time of dedication. You have given yourself fully to the Lord ,
English Standard Version
"All the days that he separates himself to the Lord he shall not go near a dead body.
George Lamsa Translation
All the days that he separates himself to the LORD he shall not come near a dead body.
Christian Standard Bible®
He must not go near a dead body during the time he consecrates himself to the Lord.
Literal Translation
All the days of his separation to Jehovah he shall not go near a dead person.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
All the tyme ouer yt he absteyneth vnto the LORDE, shal he go to no deed.
American Standard Version
All the days that he separateth himself unto Jehovah he shall not come near to a dead body.
Bible in Basic English
All the time he is separate he may not come near any dead body.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
As long as he seperateth hym selfe vnto the Lorde, he shall come at no dead body.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
All the days that he consecrateth himself unto the LORD he shall not come near to a dead body.
King James Version (1611)
All the dayes that he separateth himselfe vnto the Lord, hee shall come at no dead body.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
all the days of his vow to the Lord: he shall not come nigh to any dead body,
English Revised Version
All the days that he separateth himself unto the LORD he shall not come near to a dead body.
Berean Standard Bible
Throughout the days of his separation to the LORD, he must not go near a dead body.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
In al the tyme of his halewing he schal not entre on a deed bodi,
Young's Literal Translation
`All days of his keeping separate to Jehovah, near a dead person he doth not go;
Update Bible Version
All the days that he separates himself to Yahweh he shall not come near to a dead body.
Webster's Bible Translation
All the days that he separateth [himself] to the LORD, he shall come at no dead body.
World English Bible
"All the days that he separates himself to Yahweh he shall not go near a dead body.
New King James Version
All the days that he separates himself to the LORD he shall not go near a dead body.
New Living Translation
And they must not go near a dead body during the entire period of their vow to the Lord .
New Life Bible
‘All the days he is set apart to the Lord, he must not go near a dead person.
New Revised Standard
All the days that they separate themselves to the Lord they shall not go near a corpse.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
All the days for which he hath separated himself unto Yahweh to no dead person, shall he go in.
Douay-Rheims Bible
All the time of his consecration he shall not go in to any dead,
Revised Standard Version
"All the days that he separates himself to the LORD he shall not go near a dead body.
THE MESSAGE
"Also, for the duration of the consecration to God , you must not go near a corpse. Even if it's the body of your father or mother, brother or sister, you must not ritually defile yourself because the sign of consecration to God is on your head.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
'All the days of his separation to the LORD he shall not go near to a dead person.

Contextual Overview

1 The Lord commanded Moses 2 to give the following instructions to the people of Israel. Any of you, male or female, who make a special vow to become a nazirite and dedicate yourself to the Lord 3 shall abstain from wine and beer. You shall not drink any kind of drink made from grapes or eat any grapes or raisins. 4 As long as you are a nazirite, you shall not eat anything that comes from a grapevine, not even the seeds or skins of grapes. 5 As long as you are under the nazirite vow, you must not cut your hair or shave. You are bound by the vow for the full time that you are dedicated to the Lord , and you shall let your hair grow. 6Your hair is the sign of your dedication to God, and so you must not defile yourself by going near a corpse, not even that of your father, mother, brother, or sister. 8 As long as you are a nazirite, you are consecrated to the Lord . 9 If your consecrated hair is defiled because you are right beside someone who suddenly dies, you must wait seven days and then shave your head; and so you become ritually clean. 10 On the eighth day you shall bring two doves or two pigeons to the priest at the entrance of the Tent of the Lord 's presence. 11 The priest shall offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, to perform the ritual of purification for you because of your contact with a corpse. On the same day you shall reconsecrate your hair

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

he shall come: Numbers 19:11-16, Leviticus 19:28, Jeremiah 16:5, Jeremiah 16:6, Ezekiel 24:16-18, Matthew 8:21, Matthew 8:22, Luke 9:59, Luke 9:60, 2 Corinthians 5:16

Reciprocal: Leviticus 10:6 - Uncover Numbers 6:2 - When Numbers 9:6 - defiled Psalms 16:10 - my

Cross-References

Genesis 6:8
But the Lord was pleased with Noah.
Genesis 6:17
I am going to send a flood on the earth to destroy every living being. Everything on the earth will die,
Genesis 6:18
but I will make a covenant with you. Go into the boat with your wife, your sons, and their wives.
Exodus 32:14
So the Lord changed his mind and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.
Numbers 23:19
God is not like people, who lie; He is not a human who changes his mind. Whatever he promises, he does; He speaks, and it is done.
Deuteronomy 5:29
If only they would always feel this way! If only they would always honor me and obey all my commands, so that everything would go well with them and their descendants forever.
Deuteronomy 32:29
They fail to see why they were defeated; they cannot understand what happened.
Deuteronomy 32:36
The Lord will rescue his people when he sees that their strength is gone. He will have mercy on those who serve him, when he sees how helpless they are.
1 Samuel 15:11
"I am sorry that I made Saul king; he has turned away from me and disobeyed my commands." Samuel was angry, and all night long he pleaded with the Lord .
1 Samuel 15:29
Israel's majestic God does not lie or change his mind. He is not a human being—he does not change his mind."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

All the days that he separateth [himself] unto the Lord,.... This phrase is repeated at every new article and branch of the law of the Nazarites, of which what follows is the third; showing that each part of it, during that time, was strictly to be observed:

he shall come at no dead body: not near to any, not even to be in the same place where a dead body lay, nor to touch one, nor to attend the funeral of any, nor be concerned at all about burying the dead; now, as such so defiled were unclean seven days, and during that time might not go into the tabernacle, the Nazarites were strictly cautioned against such pollution, that they might not be detained from the service of God they had devoted themselves unto; see Numbers 19:11.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The law of the Nazarite is appropriately added to other enactments which concern the sanctity of the holy nation. That sanctity found its highest expression in the Nazarite vow, which was the voluntary adoption for a time of obligations to high and strict modes of self-dedication resembling, and indeed in some particulars exceeding, those under which the priests were placed. The present enactments do not institute a new kind of observance, but only regulate one already familiar to the Israelites Numbers 6:2.

Numbers 6:2

A Nazarite - Strictly, Nazirite. This term signifies “separated” i. e., as the words following show, “unto God.” It became a technical term at an early date; compare Judges 13:5, Judges 13:7; Judges 16:17.

Numbers 6:3

Liquor of grapes - i. e. a drink made of grape-skins macerated in water.

Numbers 6:4

From the kernels even to the husk - A sour drink was made from the stones of unripe grapes; and cakes were also made of the husks Hosea 3:1. This interdict figures that separation from the general society of men to which the Nazarite for the time was consecrated.

Numbers 6:5

Among the Jews the abundance of the hair was considered to betoken physical strength and perfection (compare 2 Samuel 14:25-26), and baldness was regarded as a grave blemish (compare Leviticus 21:20 note, Leviticus 13:40 ff; 2 Kings 2:23; Isaiah 3:24). Thus, the free growth of the hair on the head of the Nazarite represented the dedication of the man with all his strength and powers to the service of God.

Numbers 6:7

The consecration of his God - i. e. the unshorn locks: compare Leviticus 25:5 note, where the vine, left during the Sabbatical year untouched by the hand of man, either for pruning or for vintage, is called simply a “Nazarite.”

The third rule of the Nazarite interdicted him from contracting any ceremonial defilement even under circumstances which excused such defilement in others: compare Leviticus 21:1-3.

Numbers 6:9-12

Prescriptions to meet the case of a sudden death taking place “by him” (i. e. in his presence). The days of the dedication of the Nazarite had to be recommenced.

Numbers 6:13

When the days of his separation are fulfilled - Perpetual Nazariteship was probably unknown in the days of Moses; but the examples of Samson, Samuel, and John the Baptist, show that it was in later times undertaken for life. Again, Moses does not expressly require that limits should be assigned to the vow; but a rule was afterward imposed that no Nazarite vow should be taken for less than thirty days. To permit the vow to be taken for very short periods would diminish its solemnity and estimation.

Numbers 6:14, Numbers 6:15

The sin-offering (compare the marginal references), though named second, was in practice offered first, being intended to expiate involuntary sins committed during the period of separation. The burnt-offering (Leviticus 1:10 ff) denoted the self-surrender on which alone all acceptableness in the Nazarite before God must rest; the peace-offerings (Leviticus 3:12 ff) expressed thankfulness to God by whose grace the vow had been fulfilled. The offerings, both ordinary and additional, required on the completion of the Nazarite vow involved considerable expense, and it was regarded as a pious work to provide the poor with the means of making them (compare Acts 21:23 ff; Acts 1:0 Macc. 3:49).

Numbers 6:18

Shave the head - As the Nazarite had during his vow worn his hair unshorn in honor of God, so when the time was complete it was natural that the hair, the symbol of his vow, should be cut off, and offered to God at the sanctuary. The burning of the hair “in the fire under the sacrifice of the peace offering “represented the eucharistic communion with God obtained by those who realised the ideal which the Nazarite set forth (compare the marginal reference).

Numbers 6:20

The priest shall wave them - i. e. by placing his hands under those of the Nazarite: compare Leviticus 7:30.

Numbers 6:21

Beside that that his hand shall get - The Nazarite, in addition to the offerings prescribed above, was to present free-will offerings according to his possessions or means.


 
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