The Bible — World English Bible

Numbers 6

In brief

Numbers 6 contains two very different texts. Verses 1 to 21 describe the Nazirite vow: a man or a woman sets himself or herself apart for the Lord, with no wine or vine products, no razor on the head and no contact with the dead, until the vow is completed. Verses 22 to 27 give the priestly blessing, which the priests pronounce over Israel to put God's name on his people.

The chapter in 4 parts

  1. v. 1-8The Nazirite vow: being set apart for the Lord
  2. v. 9-12When the vow is defiled by a death
  3. v. 13-21The end of the vow and the offerings
  4. v. 22-27The priestly blessing

1Yahweh 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.”

Key verses

Verse 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,

The Nazirite vow is open to a man as well as a woman, and it is a voluntary vow of consecration to the Lord. It marks a chosen separation, not an obligation for everyone.

Verse 3-5
he 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. All the days of his separation he shall eat nothing that is made of the grapevine, from the seeds even to the skins. “ ‘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.

Three signs mark this vow: abstaining from wine and every product of the vine, and letting the hair grow. The passage describes these signs without making them a rule for all believers.

Verse 24-26
‘Yahweh bless you, and keep you. Yahweh make his face to shine on you, and be gracious to you. Yahweh lift up his face toward you, and give you peace.’

The blessing has three parts: may the Lord bless you and keep you, may he make his face shine on you, may he turn his face toward you and give you peace. It is still spoken in many churches.

Verse 27
“So they shall put my name on the children of Israel; and I will bless them.”

In speaking these words, the priests put God's name on his people. The verse makes clear that the blessing comes from God and not from the person who speaks it.

What the sermons say

Frequently asked questions about Numbers 6

What does the blessing of Numbers 6:24-26 mean?

It asks three things of God for his people: that he bless and keep them, that he make his face shine on them with grace, and that he turn his gaze toward us and give peace. It expresses God's goodwill toward those who belong to him. It is often spoken at the end of a service or over a child.

What is a Nazirite in the Bible?

A Nazirite is a person who, by a vow, sets himself or herself apart for the Lord for a time: no wine or vine products, no razor on the head, no contact with the dead. At the end of the vow, offerings are presented and the hair is shaved. Samson is the best-known example.

What is the message of Numbers 6?

The chapter teaches that we can consecrate ourselves to God in a visible and voluntary way, and that every consecration ends in the blessing God gives to his people. The initiative of the blessing stays with God: he puts his name on those he blesses.

Articles quoting Numbers 6

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World English Bible translation — public domain.