Bible Commentaries
Numbers 6

Verse 1

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

And the Lord spake. — Est Venus in vinis: therefore after the law for the privy harlot, here is a law given for abstinence from wine and strong drink, which some have called lac veneris. The whore cometh forth with a cup, Revelation 17:4 as with a fit instrument.

Verse 2

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:

To vow a vow. — A voluntary vow, a religious promise made in prayer; hence ευχη , a vow, προσευχη , a prayer.

To separate themselves unto the Lord. — As mirrors of singular sobriety and sanctimony, Lamentations 4:7 especially required in such as are "separated unto the gospel of God," Romans 1:1 and as types of Christ, that great votary, true Nazarite, holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners, Hebrews 7:26 that holy thing, Matthew 1:20 that holy of holies, or most holy. Daniel 9:24

Verse 3

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.

He shall separate himself from wine. — Lest he should drink and forget the law, Proverbs 31:5 which he was to study diligently: but loaden bellies make leaden wits: intemperance takes away the heart, Hosea 4:11 overchargeth it. Luke 21:34

Moist grapes or dried. — Dried as raisins, currants, or grapes of Corinth, whence they come, and are called.

Verse 4

All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk.

From the kernels even to the tusk. — Nothing that might occasion, or tempt him to break his vow. All shadows and shows of evil must be shunned: Quicquid fuerit male coloratum, as Bernard hath it; whatsoever looks but ill-favoured. 1 Thessalonians 5:22 Judges 1:23 He that would not eat the meat, must not meddle with the broth. He that would not toll the bell, must not tuggle with the rope. He that would shun the blow, must keep aloof from the train.

Verse 5

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.

There shall no razor. — In opposition to heathens, votaries who nourished their hair to offer to their gods. The popish priests also cut and shave their hair, that they may still look neat and effeminate; which God allowed not in his Nazarites. Amos 2:11

Verse 6

All the days that he separateth [himself] unto the LORD he shall come at no dead body.

At no dead body. — Christ was never defiled by any person dead in sin, nor by any dead work; no more must we.

Verse 7

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.

He shall not make himself uncIean. — In all changes he must be unchangeable; so was Christ, so must we.

Verse 8

All the days of his separation he [is] holy unto the LORD.

He is holy unto the Lord. — With an inward holiness, else all his outward observations were to no purpose.

Verse 9

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.

And If any man die. — A figure of the involuntary and unavoidable infirmity of the saints, which must be bewailed, as direct fruits of the flesh; and for which there is, through Christ, a pardon of course.

Verse 10

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:

Two turtles. — See Leviticus 15:14 , & c. It is the same expiation with those that had unclean issues.

Verse 11

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.

For that he sinned by the dead. — Heb., By a soul. See on Numbers 5:2 .

Verse 12

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.

And he shall consecrate. — He shall begin the world anew: so must we, after some foul fall especially: "Repent and do thy first works," Revelation 2:5 as the Shulamite did. Song of Solomon 5:2 , …

Verse 13

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:

And this is the law of the Nazarite. — The third part of it, to teach him thankfulness, that most needful, but much neglected duty.

Verse 14

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,

And he shall offer his offering. — Though he had fulfilled his vow in the best manner, yet he must come with his sin offering, …, leading him to Christ, for pardon of failings in the manner; and with his thank offering, for what he had been enabled to do, before he could be released of his Nazariteship.

Verse 16

And the priest shall bring [them] before the LORD, and shall offer his sin offering, and his burnt offering:

And shall offer his sin offering. — Acknowledging thereby, that he had sinned in the most sanctified time and actions of his life; and needed therefore a Saviour.

Verse 18

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.

And put it in the fire. — To teach us, that the Lord so loveth his children, that he esteemeth the least hair of their head as a precious gift.

Verse 19

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:

The sodden shoulder, — i.e., The left shoulder; for the right was due unto him raw. Leviticus 7:32 This taught the Nazarite special thankfulness: dignity requires duty.

Verse 20

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.

The Nazarite may drink wine. — The Popish votaries will needs fetch colour and approbation for their superstitious vows, from this order of Nazarites. But the abolishing of this ordinance is declared in Acts 21:25 , and they are so far from the abstinence of Nazarites, that they eat of the best, and drink of the sweetest: the most generous wine in Louvain and Paris is known by the name of Vinum Theologicum, the divines, those Sorbonists, do so whiff it off.

Verse 21

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.

Besides that that his hand, — i.e., Beside his voluntary devotion, according to his ability. This he may do; but that he must do, be he poor or rich.

Verse 23

Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them,

Ye shall bless the children of Israel. — Praying for them with hands first stretched out to heaven, Leviticus 9:22 and then laid upon the people; so putting the blessing of God upon them. So Christ did upon his apostles, which was his last action upon earth, Luke 24:50 and so must all pastors do, that would do good on it, - pray down a blessing on their people.

Verse 24

The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:

The Lord bless thee. — Here some observe the mystery of the holy Trinity. See it explained in 2 Corinthians 13:14 .