Numbers 6:1

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible

And Yahweh spake unto Moses, saying:

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
The LORD spoke to Moshe, saying,

King James Version
And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

Lexham English Bible
Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

New Century Version
The Lord said to Moses,

New English Translation
Then the Lord spoke to Moses:

Amplified Bible
Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

New American Standard Bible
Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

Geneva Bible (1587)
And the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying,

Legacy Standard Bible
Again Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

Contemporary English Version
The Lord told Moses

Complete Jewish Bible
Adonai said to Moshe,

Darby Translation
And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

Easy-to-Read Version
The Lord said to Moses,

English Standard Version
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

George Lamsa Translation
THE LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

Good News Translation
The Lord commanded Moses

Christian Standard Bible®
The Lord instructed Moses:

Literal Translation
And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And the LORDE talked with Moses, and sayde:

American Standard Version
And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,

Bible in Basic English
And the Lord said to Moses,

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the Lorde spake vnto Moyses, saying:

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying:

King James Version (1611)
And the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying,

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

English Revised Version
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Berean Standard Bible
Again the LORD said to Moses,

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the Lord spak to Moises and seide, Speke thou to the sones of Israel,

Young's Literal Translation
And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,

Update Bible Version
And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

Webster's Bible Translation
And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

World English Bible
Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

New King James Version
Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

New Living Translation
Then the Lord said to Moses,

New Life Bible
Then the Lord said to Moses,

New Revised Standard
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

Revised Standard Version
And the LORD said to Moses,

THE MESSAGE
God spoke to Moses: "Speak to the People of Israel; tell them, If any of you, man or woman, wants to make a special Nazirite vow, consecrating yourself totally to God, you must not drink any wine or beer, no intoxicating drink of any kind, not even the juice of grapes—in fact, you must not even eat grapes or raisins. For the duration of the consecration, nothing from the grapevine—not even the seeds, not even the skin—may be eaten.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

Contextual Overview

¹ And Yahweh spake unto Moses, saying: ² Speak unto the sons of Israel, and thou shalt say unto them, - When any man or woman, would make the special vow of One Separate, by separating himself unto Yahweh, ³ from wine and strong drink, shall he separate himself, neither vinegar of wine nor vinegar of strong drink, shall he drink, - and no liquor of grapes, shall he drink, no grapes fresh or dried, shall he eat. ⁴ All the days of his separation, of nothing that is made from the grapevine from the seeds even to the skin, shall he eat. ⁵ All the days of his vow of separation, no razor, shall pass over his head, - until the days are fulfilled for which he shall separate himself to Yahweh hallowed, shall he be, letting the locks of the hair of his head grow long. ⁶ All the days for which he hath separated himself unto Yahweh to no dead person, shall he go in. ⁷ Neither for his father nor for his mother nor for his brother nor for his sister, shall he make himself unclean-not even for them, should they die, - because, his separation unto God, is upon his head, ⁸ All his days of separation hallowed, is he unto Yahweh. ⁹ But if one that is dying should die by him in a moment suddenly, then shall he count unclean his head of separation, - and shall shave his head, on the day he cleanseth himself, on the seventh day, shall he shave it. ¹⁰ And on the eighth day, shall he bring in. two turtle-doves, or two young pigeons, - unto the triest, unto the entrance of the tent of meeting;

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Reciprocal: Genesis 28:20 - vowed

Cross-References

Genesis 1:28
And God blessed them, and God said to them Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, - and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the bird of the heavens, and over every living thing that moveth on the land.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the Lord spake unto Moses,.... At the same time, or immediately after the law concerning the woman suspected of adultery was given; with which the following law concerning Nazarites may be thought to have a close connection, as some Jewish writers observe, women being concerned in it as well as men; and as wine leads to adultery, as Jarchi observes, abstinence from it, which the Nazarite's vow obliged to, and forbearance of trimming and dressing the hair, and a being more strictly and closely devoted to the service of God, were very likely means of preserving from unchastity, and any suspicion of it:

saying; as follows.

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.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

CHAPTER VI

The vow of the Nazarite, 1, 2.

In what it consisted, 3-8.

When accidentally defiled, how he is to be purified, 9-12.

The sacrifices he is to bring, and the rites he is to perform,

when the vow of his separation is fulfilled, 13-21.

The manner in which the priests are to bless the people, 22-26.

The name of the LORD is to be put on the children of Israel,

whom He promises to bless, 27.

NOTES ON CHAP. VI