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Numbers Chapter
Six
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 6
In
this chapter is given the law concerning Nazarites
Numbers 6:1; which
directs what they were to abstain from
from drinking wine
or any strong liquors
from shaving their heads
and defiling themselves with the dead
Numbers 6:3; and in
case of a defilement
directions are given what offerings a Nazarite should
bring to be offered for him
Numbers 6:9; and
when the time of his Nazariteship was up
an account is given of what rites and
ceremonies should then be performed
Numbers 6:13; and
the chapter is concluded with the form of blessing the children of Israel
to
be used by Aaron and his sons
Numbers 6:22.
Numbers 6:1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses
saying
YLT
1And Jehovah speaketh unto
Moses
saying
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.
Numbers 6:2 2 “Speak to the children of Israel
and say to them:
‘When either a man or woman consecrates an offering to take the vow of a
Nazirite
to separate himself to the Lord
YLT
2`Speak unto the sons of
Israel
and thou hast said unto them
When a man or woman doeth singularly
by
vowing a vow of a Nazarite
to be separate to Jehovah;
Speak unto the children of Israel
and say unto them
.... Whom the
following law only concerned
and not Gentiles; so runs the Jewish
canon
"the Gentiles have no Nazariteship
though they may bring their vows
and freewill offerings as an Israelite
yet if they vow the vow of a Nazarite
the law of the Nazarite is not obliging on them
or they bound by it; but it is
free for them to drink wine
and defile themselves for the dead; for it is
written
"speak unto the children of Israel"F17Misn.
Nazir
c. 9. sect. 1. Maimon & Bartenora in ib. :"
when either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a
vow of a Nazarite; or "do a wonderful thing"F18יפלא "mirificaverit"
Montanus; "si mirandum
aliquid fecerit"
Munster; and some in Fagius and Vatablus; so Aben Ezra.
; something unusual and uncommon
and what is out of the way of the men of the
world
who give themselves up to pleasure
and have little regard to the
worship and service of God; wherefore for a person
a man or woman
to vow
abstinence from wine and dress
and from the company of others
and to oblige
themselves to strict and close devotion to God
was something singular and
surprising. This is to be understood of such persons who were at their own
disposal; for such that were in their minority
and under the power of parents
or were married women
if they vowed
their vows did not stand
and their parents
or husbands could disannul them
unless they had consented to them by their
silence
when they heard them made
Numbers 30:3. There
were various sorts of Nazarites; some were appointed by God
as Samson; some
were devoted by their parents
as Samuel; and some by themselves
concerning
whom is this law more especially; some were perpetual Nazarites
a Nazarite for
life
as the two persons just mentioned; though the Jews distinguish between a
Samsonian Nazarite
and a perpetual oneF19Misn. Nazir
c. 1. sect.
2. ; and some were only for a certain time
according as they vowed:
to separate themselves unto the Lord; the Targum of
Jonathan is
"to the name of the Lord"; to the honour of his name.
Such persons devoted themselves
and set apart their time to serve the Lord in
a stricter and purer manner than others
and therefore were had in great
account
Lamentations 4:7;
they were types of Christ
who
though he was not strictly a Nazarite
but a
Nazarene
yet answered to the Nazarites in his being set apart in divine
predestination by his Father to the office of Mediator; in the sanctification
of himself
and devoting himself
his time and service
to his Father's glory;
and in his being holy and harmless in his life and conversation
and separate
from sinners: and they were also emblems of the special people of God
who are
a separate people in election
redemption
and calling
and in the intercession
of Christ; and as they will be at the last judgment
and to all eternity
and
should be now separate from others in their lives and conversations.
Numbers 6:3 3 he shall separate himself from wine and similar
drink; he shall drink neither vinegar made from wine nor vinegar made from similar
drink; neither shall he drink any grape juice
nor eat fresh grapes or raisins.
YLT
3from wine and strong drink
he doth keep separate; vinegar of wine
and vinegar of strong drink he doth not
drink
and any juice of grapes he doth not drink
and grapes moist or dry he
doth not eat;
He shall separate himself from wine
.... Old or
new
as Ben Gersom; from drinking it
any of it: not only from an immoderate
and excessive drinking of it
which every man should abstain from
but from
drinking of it at all
that he might be more free and fit for the service of
God; for prayer
meditation
reading the Scriptures
and attendance on the worship
of God in all its branches
and be less liable to temptations to sin; for
as
Aben Ezra observes
many transgressions are occasioned by wine
which
if drank
immoderately
intoxicates the mind
and unfits for religious duties
excites
lust
and leads on to many vices:
and strong drink; any other intoxicating and inebriating
liquor besides wine
or any other sort of wines besides such that is made of
the fruit of the vine
as wines of pomegranates
dates
&c. or such as are
made of barley
as our ale
or of apples and pears
called cider and perry
respectively:
and shall drink no vinegar of wine
or vinegar of strong drink; all the three
Targums paraphrase it
vinegar of new wine
and vinegar of old wine
these
operating in like manner as wine and strong drink themselves:
neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes; any liquor in
which grapes are macerated
as the Targum of Jonathan; or water into which they
are squeezed
or which is made of the lees of wine
or is a second sort of wine
made of the grapes after they have been pressed
which we call
"tiff":
nor eat moist grapes or dried; which have somewhat of
the nature and taste of wine
and produce some of the like effects
and may
lead to a desire after drinking it; wherefore this
as other things mentioned
are
as Aben Ezra says
a kind of an hedge
to keep at a distance from drinking
wine.
Numbers 6:4 4 All the days of his separation he shall eat nothing
that is produced by the grapevine
from seed to skin.
YLT
4all days of his separation
of anything which is made of the wine-vine
from kernels even unto husk
he
doth not eat.
All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made
of the vine tree
.... Of its leaves
branches
and fruit
especially the latter
put into any sort of food
or infused into any liquor
or mixed with any sauce
for food: the days or time of separation were according as the vow was made
for a shorter or longer time; though the JewsF20Misn. Nazir
c. 1.
sect. 3. & c. 6. sect. 3. say
where the vow is
absolutely expressed
it
is always to be understood of thirty days
during which time the Nazarite was
not to eat or drink of any composition that had anything the vine in it:
from the kernels even to the husk; the JewsF21Misn.
Nazir
c. 6. sect. 2. Aben Ezra in loc. are divided about the two words here
used
which of them signifies the outermost part of the grape
and which the
innermost; Ben Gersom agrees with us
but it matters not much who are in the
right
since both are forbidden: by this part of the law
the people of God
who are spiritual Nazarites
are taught to live temperately and soberly
and to
abstain from all appearance of sin: it is pretty remarkable what the JewsF23T.
Bab. Erubin
fol. 43. 1. say
that when the son of David comes
it will be free
for a Nazarite to drink wine on sabbath days and festivals
though not on week
days; from whence it appears
they seem to be conscious of a change of the
ceremonial law in his days.
Numbers 6:5 5 ‘All the days of the vow of his separation no razor shall
come upon his head; until the days are fulfilled for which he separated himself
to the Lord
he shall be holy. Then he shall let the locks of the hair
of his head grow.
YLT
5`All days of the vow of his
separation a razor doth not pass over his head; till the fulness of the days
which he doth separate to Jehovah he is holy; grown up hath the upper part of
the hair of his head.
All the days of the vow of his separation
.... Be the
time he has vowed to be a Nazarite a week
a
month
or more
even a thousand
days
but not less than thirty
as Ben Gersom observes:
there shall no razor come upon his head; he might not
shave his beard
nor cut off his locks
and shave his head
nor cut short his
locks with a pair of scissors
nor any with anything by which the hair may be
removed
as Ben Gersom; nor pluck off his hair with his hands
as Maimonides
saysF24Hilchot Nezirut
c. 5. sect. 11. ; but let it grow as long as
it would during the time of his separation
which is expressed in the latter
part of the verse:
until the days be fulfilled
in the which he separateth himself
unto the Lord; to his service
to which he wholly addicted himself as long as
his vow continued:
he shall be holy; separate from other men
and their
practices and customs
and spend his time in holy exercises
in a religious
way
and abstain from what might be a temptation to sin
or in the least hinder
him in his acts of devotion:
and shall let the locks of
his hair grow; two reasons Fagius gives of this part of the law
the one is
because of the mystery of it; letting the hair grow signified an increase of
virtue or grace
as Samson's strength was increased and became very great while
his hair was not cut; and so spiritual Nazarites
while they are in the way of
their duty
grow in grace
and in knowledge of God and Christ
and all divine
things
and grow stronger and stronger in the Lord
and in the power of his
might; and Ainsworth hints at the same thing
and also supposes it might be an
emblem of the subjection of the saints to Christ
as the letting the hair grow
was a sign of the woman's subjection to man: the other is
that it was
appointed to take the Israelites off of the errors and superstitious they had
imbibed in Egypt
by ordering them to perform those rites and ceremonies to the
honour of the true God
which they had used in the service of demons; and for
this he cites a passage out of Cyrill; but it does not appear
by any good
authority
that such a custom obtained among the Egyptians
or any other
Gentiles so early; and what were used among them in later times took their rise
from hence
and were imitations of this law; though there seems to be no great
likeness between this law of Nazariteship and the customs of the Heathens
who
used to consecrate their hair to their deities
Apollo
Hercules
Bacchus
Minerva
and Diana: what seems best to agree is what Lucian saysF25De
Dea Syria.
who observes
that young men consecrate their beards
and let
their hair grow
consecrated from their birth
which they afterwards cut and lay
up in vessels in the temple
some of gold
others of silver.
Numbers 6:6 6 All the days that he separates himself to the Lord he shall not go near a dead body.
YLT
6`All days of his keeping
separate to Jehovah
near a dead person he doth not go;
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.
Numbers 6:7 7 He shall not make himself unclean even for his father
or his mother
for his brother or his sister
when they die
because his
separation to God is on his head.
YLT
7for his father
or for his
mother
for his brother
or for his sister -- he is not unclean for them at
their death
for the separation of his God [is] on his head;
He shall not make himself unclean for his father or for his
mother
for his brother or for his sister
when they die
.... Aben Ezra
adds also
for his wife
and for his daughter
and for others; what even the
priests of the Lord
the common priests might do
a Nazarite might not
not
come near any of his relations when dead
as to touch them
to close their
eyes
or wash their bodies
and provide for their funeral
and attend that
or
to be where they were; in this respect they were upon a level with the high
priest
who was forbid the same
which shows how sacred these persons were; see
Leviticus 21:1;
this may instruct spiritual Nazarites to abstain from the company and
conversation of sinners
dead in trespasses and sins
and from all dead works
and sinful actions
which
as they are deserving of death
are defiling:
because the consecration of his God is upon his head; or that which
shows him to be consecrated to God
and separated to his service
is upon his
head
namely
his long hair: the Targum of Jonathan renders it
"the crown
of his God"; so Aben Ezra observes
that some say that the word
"Nazarite" is derived from "Nezer"
a crown
in proof of
which this passage is produced; and in this respect the Nazarites were not only
types of Christ our King and high priest
who is a priest on his throne
and
has on his head many crowns
but of the saints who are freed from the power and
dominion of sin
and are made kings and priests unto God.
Numbers 6:8 8 All the days of his separation he shall be holy to the Lord.
YLT
8all days of his separation
he [is] holy to Jehovah.
All the days of his separation he is holy unto the Lord. Set apart for
his service
separate from all others
especially the dead
and under
obligation to abstain from the above things; from drinking wine
from shaving
his hair
and from defiling himself for the dead
and to be employed in holy
and religious exercises during the time his vow is upon him.
Numbers 6:9 9 ‘And if anyone dies very suddenly beside him
and he
defiles his consecrated head
then he shall shave his head on the day of his
cleansing; on the seventh day he shall shave it.
YLT
9`And when the dead dieth
beside him in an instant
suddenly
and he hath defiled the head of his
separation
then he hath shaved his head in the day of his cleansing; on the
seventh day he doth shave it
And if any man die very suddenly by him
.... In the
place where he is
whether house or field
a public or private place
in the
tent where he is
as Jarchi; there are two words we render
"very
suddenly"
which many take to be synonymous; and that being of the same
signification
two being used increase the sense
but others think they have a
different meaning: the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan render
them
"suddenly through ignorance
'understanding it of a chance matter
as
when one man is killed by another
not wilfully and through malice
but without
intention and design: Jarchi interprets the first of them by violence
and the
latter through error or mistake
and so may include both cases; as when a man
dies at once
through the force of a disease seizing him
or he is killed by
the violent hands of a man
who stabs him in the presence of a Nazarite; or
else when this is done ignorantly and through mistake; be it which way it will
if a Nazarite was present:
and he both defiled the head of his consecration: or the
consecration of his head
his Nazariteship
that is
his hair
he being
polluted by the dead
through being where it was:
then he shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing; which was the
seventh day from his defilement
as follows:
on the seventh day he shall shave it; for so many
days was a person unclean that had touched a body
of had been where one was
and on the seventh day he was to be cleansed
Numbers 19:11; and
this was one way of cleansing the Nazarite
cutting off his locks of hair
which were to grow long
and made him to be a Nazarite; and shave his head for his
pollution by the dead
put an end to his Nazariteship; and he was obliged to
begin again
and his hair being polluted
must be shaved
and new hair grow to
make him a Nazarite again: thus by one single breach of the law of God a man
becomes guilty of all
and liable to its curse
and his legal righteousness
becomes insufficient to justify him before God
and therefore his own
righteousness must be renounced by him in the business of justification; and
which
Ainsworth suggests
is the mystery of the Nazarite's head being shaved
when polluted.
Numbers 6:10 10 Then on the eighth day he shall bring two turtledoves
or two young pigeons to the priest
to the door of the tabernacle of meeting;
YLT
10and on the eighth day he
bringeth in two turtle-doves or two young pigeons unto the priest
unto the
opening of the tent of meeting
And on the eighth day he shall bring two turtles or two young
pigeons to the priest
.... Not a turtledove and a young pigeon
as Ben Gersom observes
but two of one of the sorts
which was the offering of the poorer sort of
childbearing women at their purification
and of profluvious persons
men or
women
Leviticus 12:8; and
this case of the Nazarite's being an uncleanness
could not be purged away but
by sacrifice; which was typical of the sacrifice of Christ
by which that
unclean thing sin is put away for ever; even the sins of holy things can be
moved in no other way; these were to be brought to the priest to be offered by
him:
to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation; for being
defiled
the Nazarite might not go into the tabernacle
and therefore was to
bring his offering to the door of it
where the priest received it of him.
Numbers 6:11 11 and the priest shall offer one as a sin offering and the
other as a burnt offering
and make atonement for him
because he sinned in
regard to the corpse; and he shall sanctify his head that same day.
YLT
11and the priest hath
prepared one for a sin-offering
and one for a burnt-offering
and hath made
atonement for him
because of that which he hath sinned by the body
and he
hath hallowed his head on that day;
And the priest shall offer the one for a sin offering
and the other
for a burnt offering
.... That is
one of the turtles or young pigeons for the one
kind of sacrifice
and one for the other sort; both being necessary; the one to
expiate sin
and the other as a gift to God by way of thankfulness for
acceptance of the former:
and make an atonement for him
for that he sinned by the dead; by being
where the dead body was
which
though not sinful
in a moral sense
was
in a
ceremonial one
and therefore required a sacrifice to atone for it; and which
atonement was made by the sin offering typical of Christ
who was made an
offering for sin:
and shall hallow his head the same day; consecrate
himself to God afresh
particularly the hair of his head
let that grow again
and begin his Nazariteship anew; so Jarchi interprets it
to return and begin
the account of his Nazariteship.
Numbers 6:12 12 He shall consecrate to the Lord the days of his separation
and bring a male lamb in its first year
as a trespass offering; but the former days shall be lost
because his separation
was defiled.
YLT
12and he hath separated to
Jehovah the days of his separation
and he hath brought in a lamb
a son of a
year
for a guilt-offering
and the former days are fallen
for his separation
hath been defiled.
And he shall consecrate unto the Lord the days of his separation
.... He was to
begin his account again
from the time of his shaving his head
and devote as
many days to the service of the Lord as what he had vowed before:
and shall bring a lamb of the first year for a trespass offering; we see how
much trouble and expense were brought by a single act of pollution
and that
involuntary too; how much more need is there of an atoning sacrifice for the
sins of men
even for all of them
and for which only the sacrifice of Christ
is sufficient?
but the days that were before shall be lost; which were
before the pollution
how near soever the time of Nazariteship being at an end
was
whether his vow was for thirty days
or a hundred
or a whole year; be it
what it will
and the pollution happened on the last of those days
all were
lost; he was obliged to begin again
and go through the whole time he at first
vowed; and this was the case if he drank the least quantity of wine
or shaved
ever so little of the hair of his head
or was any ways polluted by the dead;
and this severity
as it may seem
was used to make him cautious that he broke
not his vow by any means:
because his separation was defiled; in the case instanced
in
by the dead
but it was the same if he broke the law of Nazariteship in any
of the other articles of it.
Numbers 6:13 13 ‘Now this is the law of the Nazirite: When the
days of his separation are fulfilled
he shall be brought to the door of the
tabernacle of meeting.
YLT
13`And this [is] the law of
the Nazarite; in the day of the fulness of the days of his separation doth
[one] bring him in unto the opening of the tent of meeting
And this is the law of the Nazarite
.... This has
respect either to what goes before; those are the things he is obliged to that
vows the vow of a Nazarite; what he is to abstain from during the time of his
vow
and what he is to do in case of any defilement; or to what follows after
what is binding upon him
what offerings he is to bring
and what rites and
ceremonies are to be observed by him when he has finished his vow:
when the days of his separation
or Nazariteship:
are fulfilled; whether more or fewer; when the time is
quite up
and he has gone through his vow without any breach of it:
he shall be brought unto the door of the tabernacle of the
congregation; it is not said by whom he should be brought
whether by himself
or by the priest; the Targum of Jonathan is
"he shall bring himself;'that
is
present himself; and so Jarchi and Aben Ezra; which latter adds
or the
priest shall bring him by command
whether he will or not
to offer his
offering.
Numbers 6:14 14 And he shall present his offering to the Lord: one male lamb in its first year without blemish as a burnt
offering
one ewe lamb in its first year without blemish as a sin offering
one
ram without blemish as a peace offering
YLT
14and he hath brought near
his offering to Jehovah
one he-lamb
a son of a year
a perfect one
for a
burnt-offering
and one she-lamb
a daughter of a year
a perfect one
for a
sin-offering
and one ram
a perfect one
for peace-offerings
And he shall offer his offering unto the Lord
.... The
Nazarite was to present his offering at the door of the tabernacle
to the
priest
in order to be offered for him to the Lord:
one he lamb of the first year without blemish for a burnt offering; according to
the law
manner
and custom of a burnt offering
as Aben Ezra observes
which
whether of the herd or of the flock
was to be a male and unblemished
and not
more than a year old
Leviticus 1:3
and one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish for a sin
offering; as was the manner and custom of a sin offering
to be a female
as is remarked by the same writer
see Leviticus 4:32
and one ram without blemish for peace offerings; all sorts of
offerings were offered on this occasion; a "sin offering"
though the
vow was performed
and not any mistake made
or anything omitted that was
known; yet
lest there should be any secret and unknown breach of the law of
Nazariteship committed
a sin offering was required: this teaches us that there
may be secret and unknown sins committed by the best of men
in their most
sacred and solemn services; and that there is no justification before God by
the best works of men
find that the purest and most perfect stand in need of
the atoning sacrifice of Christ: a "burnt offering" was to be
offered
which usually followed the sin offering
as it did here
though
mentioned first
see Numbers 6:16; and
which was done by way of thanksgiving to God for his acceptance of the sin
offering: and "peace offerings" were
as Aben Ezra observes
for joy
that he had performed his vow: the burnt offering was wholly the Lord's
the
sin offering the priest had his part of
and the peace offerings the Nazarite
and his friends ate of
and so everyone had their share in these oblations.
Numbers 6:15 15 a basket of unleavened bread
cakes of fine flour
mixed with oil
unleavened wafers anointed with oil
and their grain offering
with their drink offerings.
YLT
15and a basket of unleavened
things of flour
cakes mixed with oil
and thin cakes of unleavened things
anointed with oil
and their present
and their libations.
And a basket of unleavened bread
.... As at the
consecration of Aaron and his sons
Exodus 29:2; though
for peace offerings for thanksgiving leavened bread was offered
Leviticus 7:13
cakes of fine flour mingled with oil
and wafers of unleavened
bread anointed with oil; ten of each sort
as Jarchi says
ten cakes and ten wafers
see Exodus 29:9
and their meat offering and their drink offering; which always
used to attend every sacrifice.
Numbers 6:16 16 Then the priest shall bring them before the Lord and offer his sin offering and his burnt offering;
YLT
16`And the priest hath
brought [them] near before Jehovah
and hath made his sin-offering and his
burnt-offering;
And the priest shall bring them before the Lord
.... All the
above offerings to the altar of burnt offering
and there present them to the
Lord in the name of the Nazarite:
and shall offer his sin offering
and his burnt offering: here they
stand in the proper order in which they were offered.
Numbers 6:17 17 and he shall offer the ram as a sacrifice of a peace
offering to the Lord
with the basket of unleavened bread; the priest shall also offer
its grain offering and its drink offering.
YLT
17and the ram he maketh a
sacrifice of peace-offerings to Jehovah
besides the basket of unleavened
things; and the priest hath made its present and its libation.
And he shall offer the ram for a sacrifice of peace
offerings unto the Lord
.... After he had offered the other two:
with the basket of unleavened bread; which went along with
that:
the priest shall also offer his meat offering
and his drink
offering: of which he had his part
and were the usual appendages of other
sacrifices; see Numbers 28:1.
Numbers 6:18 18 Then the Nazirite shall shave his consecrated head at
the door of the tabernacle of meeting
and shall take the hair from his
consecrated head and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of
the peace offering.
YLT
18`And the Nazarite hath
shaved (at the opening of the tent of meeting) the head of his separation
and
hath taken the hair of the head of his separation
and hath put [it] on the
fire which [is] under the sacrifice of the peace-offerings.
And the Nazarite shall shave the head of his separation
at
the door of the tabernacle of the congregation
.... The Targum of
Jonathan is
"and the Nazarite shall shave the head of his separation
without
'without the tabernacle
the door of it
where the people assembled
together; so that this was to be done publicly
that it might be known of all
and no offence taken at the Nazarite's drinking wine
and concerning himself
for the dead
and attending funerals
for by this action it was known that his
Nazariteship was at an end; and whereas the hair of the Nazarite was consecrated
to the Lord by his vow
and this vow being punctually fulfilled
it was sacred
and to be presented to the Lord
and to be of no use and service to himself or
others
and therefore to be all clean shaven off; for
as MaimonidesF26Hilchot
Nezirut
c. 8. sect. 6. says
if two hairs only were left
nothing was done
and the command of shaving not kept:
and shall take the hair of the head of his separation; being cut off
and shaved:
and put it in the fire which is under the sacrifice
of the peace offerings; under the pot or cauldron
as the Targum of Jonathan
in which
the ram for the peace offerings was boiled: this was done in the court of the
women in later times
at the southeast of which was a chamber called the
chamber of the Nazarites
where they bailed their peace offerings
and shaved
their hair and cast it under the potF1Misn. Middoth
c. 2. sect. 5.
T. Bab. Yoma
fol. 16. 1. ; and this might not be put
as before observed
to
any other use; if any of it was made use of in a sack that was made of hair
cloth
we are toldF2Misn. Orlah
c. 3. sect. 3. that sack was to be
burnt.
Numbers 6:19 19 ‘And the priest shall take the boiled shoulder of the
ram
one unleavened cake from the basket
and one unleavened wafer
and put them
upon the hands of the Nazirite after he has shaved his consecrated hair
YLT
19`And the priest hath taken
the boiled shoulder from the ram
and one unleavened cake out of the basket
and one thin unleavened cake
and hath put on the palms of the Nazarite after
his shaving his separation;
And the priest shall take the sodden shoulder of the ram
.... The left
shoulder
for the right shoulder
which is the heave shoulder of every peace
offering
belonged to the priest by another law; and by this law of the
Nazarite
he had also the other shoulder
and so had both
which was peculiar
to this case; the vow of the Nazarite being a very sacred thing and he being
enabled to perform it
a greater expression of gratitude for it was expected
and required of him: this shoulder was taken out of the pot in which it was
boiled:
and one unleavened cake out of the basket
and one unleavened
wafer; one of the ten cakes
and one of the ten wafers
both are
mentioned; and which appear by this to be together in the basket of unleavened
bread
from whence they were now to be taken
the rest having been offered with
the other sacrifices:
and shall put them upon the hands of the Nazarite; the boiled
shoulder
and the cake and wafer upon it:
after the hair of his separation is shaven; and cast into
the fire; for the waving of these seems to be the last and finishing part of
this whole affair.
Numbers 6:20 20 and the priest shall wave them as a wave offering
before the Lord; they are holy for the priest
together with the breast of
the wave offering and the thigh of the heave offering. After that the Nazirite
may drink wine.’
YLT
20and the priest hath waved
them
a wave-offering before Jehovah; it [is] holy to the priest
besides the
breast of the wave-offering
and besides the leg of the heave-offering; and
afterwards doth the Nazarite drink wine.
And the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before
the Lord
.... Putting his hands under the Nazarite's
as in other cases
where this ceremony was used; and so moving them to and fro
backwards and
forwards
upwards and downwards
testifying hereby the goodness of God unto
him
his sovereign dominion over him
that all he had depended on him
and was
received from him; and that all he did
particularly in keeping his vow of
Nazariteship
was through his assistance
and for which he made this grateful
acknowledgment by delivering the above
together with what follows
to his
priest:
this is holy for the priest
with the wave breast and heave
shoulder; besides these which were given him by another law
the wave
shoulder of the Nazarite's ram was given him to eat; it was holy
and set apart
for his use
and his only
and it belonged not in common to the course of the
priests then on duty
but to him only that officiated in this peculiar service;
and so it is observed by the Jewish writersF3Maimon. in Misn.
Challah
c. 4. sect. 9.
that the Nazarite's ram and some other things were
not given to every priest
but to him that offered the sacrifice
as it is
said
"he shall wave this is holy to the priest"; upon which it is
observed
that it follows from hence
that the priest that waves is he that
eats the sacrifice:
and after that the Nazarite may drink wine; and cut his
hair
and shave his head
and be defiled for the dead as other persons
the vow
of his Nazariteship being fulfilled.
Numbers 6:21 21 “This is the law of the Nazirite who vows to the Lord the offering for his separation
and besides that
whatever else
his hand is able to provide; according to the vow which he takes
so he must do
according to the law of his separation.”
YLT
21`This [is] the law of the
Nazarite
who voweth his offering to Jehovah for his separation
apart from
that which his hand attaineth; according to his vow which he voweth so he doth
by the law of his separation.'
This is the law of the Nazarite
who hath vowed
.... The vow
of a Nazarite; what he is obliged to do when his Nazariteship is up:
and of his offering
unto the Lord for his separation; of the several offerings
required of him
to offer to the Lord
for and upon his going through his
Nazariteship
his burnt offering
sin offering
sacrifice of peace offerings
his meat offering and drink offering; together with the basket of unleavened
bread
cakes and wafers:
besides that that his hands shall get; the above
offerings were what he was obliged unto by the law of God
even though a poor
man; but
besides these
it was expected of a man of substance
that he would
voluntarily of himself offer more
according to his ability and the length of
the time of his Nazariteship:
according to the vow which he hath vowed
so he must do after the
law of his separation; there were some things he was obliged to do by his vow
and as
he had vowed
there was a necessity upon him to fulfil it; as to abstain from
the things he vowed so to do
and that as long a time as he fixed by his vow
and when finished to offer the sacrifices required of him.
Numbers 6:22 22 And the Lord spoke to
Moses
saying:
YLT
22And Jehovah speaketh unto
Moses
saying
And the Lord spake unto Moses
.... At the same time
perhaps that the above law was given concerning the Nazarites; though why this
should follow upon that
and what connection there is between the one and the
other
it is not easy to say; the Nazarites were holy persons
and so were the
priests; and therefore
according to Aben Ezra and others
the law of the one
is joined to the law of the other:
saying; as follows.
Numbers 6:23 23 “Speak to Aaron and his sons
saying
‘This is the way
you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them:
YLT
23`Speak unto Aaron
and unto
his sons
saying
Thus ye do bless the sons of Israel
saying to them
Speak unto Aaron
and unto his sons
.... Aaron and his sons
that succeeded him in all after generations
being the persons that were in a
public manner to bless the people of Israel
they are particularly addressed
see Deuteronomy 10:8
saying
on this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel; in such
manner and with such words as after expressed; standing upon an eminence
lifting up their hands on high
spreading out their fingers
and raising their
voices
and pronouncing the blessing in the Hebrew language
in the name of
Jehovah
with their face towards the people; all which
according to the Jewish
writersF4Maimon. Hilchot Neshiut Cappim. c. 14. sect. 11. Gersom in
loc.
were to be strictly observed:
saying unto them; as follows.
Numbers 6:24 24 “The Lord bless you
and keep you;
YLT
24`Jehovah bless thee and
keep thee;
The Lord bless thee
.... Jehovah
Father
Son
and Spirit; the word "Jehovah" being three times used
and a
different accent put to each word
denoting three distinct persons and one
Jehovah
according to Deuteronomy 6:4;
who are each of them concerned in the blessing of the Lord's people
the
spiritual Israel of God; Jehovah the Father blesses with all spiritual blessings
with electing
adopting
justifying
and pardoning grace
with regenerating and
calling
and persevering grace
and with eternal life: Jehovah the Son blesses
particularly with redeeming grace
and has a concern in all the other
blessings; the saints are blessed with them in him
they are all in his hands
they are procured by him
come through him
and are the gifts of his grace: and
Jehovah the Spirit blesses as a spirit of regeneration and sanctification
as
the spirit of faith
as a comforter
as the spirit of adoption
and as the
earnest and sealer of the saints unto the day of redemption:
and keep thee; from
the evil of the world
from the evil
one Satan
from the evil of sin
and the power
prevalence
and dominion of it
and from falling totally and finally by it
and keep in a state of grace unto
everlasting salvation.
Numbers 6:25 25 The Lord make His
face shine upon you
And be gracious to you;
YLT
25`Jehovah cause His face to
shine upon thee
and favour thee;
The Lord make his face to shine upon thee
.... Cause
himself
the sun of righteousness
to arise and shine upon them
and give both
spiritual light and heat unto them; grant his gracious presence
the
manifestations of himself
communion with him
clearer discoveries of his love
of interest in him
and an increase of spiritual light and knowledge of his
Gospel
and the truths of it
and of his mind and will:
and be gracious unto thee; by granting larger
measures of grace out of his fulness
by leading more abundantly into it
and
making fresh and frequent applications of it; grace is often wished for from
Christ as well as from the Father.
Numbers 6:26 26 The Lord lift up
His countenance upon you
And give you peace.”’
YLT
26`Jehovah lift up His
countenance upon thee
and appoint for thee -- peace.
And the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee
.... Show his
face and favour
look cheerfully on his people
declare himself well pleased
with them in Christ
and appear as smiling upon them through him
indulging
them with visits of love
restoring to them the joys of his salvation
and
upholding them with his free Spirit; and so causing them to walk pleasantly and
comfortably in the ways of God
expecting eternal life and happiness
as God's
free gift through Christ:
and give thee peace; all outward needful
prosperity
internal peace of mind
through the blood and righteousness of
Christ
the peacemaker
and peace giver
and eternal peace in the world to
come.
Numbers 6:27 27 “So they shall put My name on the children of Israel
and I will bless them.”
YLT
27`And they have put My name
upon the sons of Israel
and I -- I do bless them.'
And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel
.... Call them
by his name
the people of the Lord; call upon the name of the Lord to bless
them
and pronounce the blessing on them in the name of the Lord
in or by the
name Jehovah
as Jarchi
three times used in this form of blessing:
and I will bless them; really and truly bless
them bless them with blessings indeed; with all sorts of blessings temporal and
spiritual; with solid and substantial ones; and such are blessed
and will
remain so
their blessings are irrevocable and irreversible; and unless the
Lord blesses
in vain do the priests bless
or any of his ministers pronounce a
blessing; theirs lies in words and wishes
his in real facts; they can only
pray and wish for the blessing
it is he only that can give it
and can ratify
and confirm what they declare and pronounce
according to his revealed word.
Some refer the relative "them" to the priests
as if the sense was
I
will bless the priests that bless Israel
for God will bless them that bless
his people; but Aben Ezra thinks it belongs both to Israel
and to the priests
that God would confirm and establish the blessing of the priests pronounced on
Israel
and bless the priests also
who needed the divine blessing as well as
the people
and being found in the way of their duty
might expect it: the
Targum of Jonathan is
"I will bless them in my Word;'his essential Word
Christ
in whom his chosen ones are blessed with all spiritual blessings
and who is
the promised seed
in whom all nations of the earth shall be blessed.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》