Numbers 6:21

6:1-21 The word Nazarite signifies separation. Some were appointed of God, before their birth, to be Nazarites all their days, as Samson and John the Baptist. But, in general, it was a vow of separation from the world and devotedness to the services of religion, for a limited time, and under certain rules, which any person might make if they pleased. A Nazarite is spoken of as well known; but his obligation is brought to a greater certainty than before. That the fancies of superstitious men might not multiply the restraints endlessly, God gives them rules. They must not drink wine or strong drink, nor eat grapes. Those who separate themselves to God, must not gratify the desires of the body, but keep it under. Let all Christians be very moderate in the use of wine and strong drink; for if the love of these once gets the mastery of a man, he becomes an easy prey to Satan. The Nazarites were to eat nothing that came of the vine; this may teach the utmost care to avoid sin, and all that borders upon it, and leads to it, or may be a temptation to us. They must not cut their hair. They must neither poll their heads, nor shave their beards; this was the mark of Samson being a Nazarite. This signified neglect of the body, and of the ease and ornament of it. Those who separate themselves to God, must keep their consciences pure from dead works, and not touch unclean things. All the days of their separation they must be holy to the Lord.

This was the meaning of those outward observances, and without this they were of no account. No penalty or sacrifice was appointed for those who wilfully broke their vow of being Nazarites; they must answer another day for such profane trifling with the Lord their God; but those were to be relieved who did not sin wilfully. There is nothing in Scripture that bears the least resemblance to the religious orders of the church of Rome, except these Nazarites. But mark the difference, or rather how completely opposed! The religious of that church are forbidden to marry; but no such restriction is laid upon the Nazarites. They are commanded to abstain from meats; but the Nazarites might eat any food allowed other Israelites. They are not generally forbidden wine, not even on their fasting days; but the Nazarites might not have wine at any time. Their vow is lasting, even to the end of their lives; the Nazarites' vow was only for a limited time, at their own will; and in certain cases not unless allowed by husbands or parents. Such a thorough difference there is between rules of man's invention and those directed in Scripture, Let us not forget that the Lord Jesus is not only our Surety, but also our example. For his sake we must renounce worldly pleasures, abstain from fleshy lusts, be separate from sinners, make open profession of our faith, moderate natural affections, be spiritually-minded, and devoted to God's service, and desirous to be an example all around us.

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.

21 . and of his oblation ] namely his oblation . The word is loosely in apposition to ‘the law.’ The oblation formed the most important factor in the regulations. On the word tôrâh ‘law’ see Chapman, Introd. Append, vi. beside that which he is able to get ] i.e. beside what his means enable him to offer further. The law prescribes only the minimum offering. The Nazirite was free, and was probably encouraged, to vow something larger; and he must faithfully do ‘according to the vow which he voweth.’ The warning given at a later time in Ecclesiastes 5:4 f. shews that vows were not always paid. Numbers 6:22-27 The Priestly Blessing This fragment of priestly tradition has no connexion with what precedes or follows it. The simple and beautiful three-fold petition probably dates from a time anterior to P ; but Numbers 6:2 2 f., 27 are a setting or framework in which P places it. The priestly function of blessing is recognised in Leviticus 9:22 f., Deuteronomy 10:8 ; Deuteronomy 21:5 , 2 Chronicles 30:27 ; cf. Psalm 118:26 , Sir 36:17 ; Sir 45:15 ; Sir 50:21 . In the thrice repeated name ‘Jehovah’ the writer did not, of course, contemplate the doctrine of the three Persons in the Godhead. But the words may nevertheless be regarded as an unconscious foreshadowing of the fuller Christian revelation. The form of the prayer is due to the parallelism which distinguishes Hebrew poetry.

The words, which find an echo in Psalm 67:1 , may be literally rendered: Jehovah bless thee, and guard thee. Jehovah light up His face towards thee, and favour thee. Jehovah lift up His face towards thee, and appoint for thee welfare. 27 . put my name upon ] This denotes that they are Jehovah’s possession, and stand in the closest relationship with Him. Cf. Deuteronomy 28:10 , Jeremiah 14:9 .

Verse 21. - This is the law of the Nazarite who hath vowed, and of his offering. "And of" are not in the text. We should probably read, "This is the law of the Nazirite who hath vowed his offering unto the Lord in accordance with his consecration," i.e. , these are the offerings which, as a Nazirite, he is bound to make. Beside that his hand shall get. Literally, "grasp." If he can afford or can procure anything more as a free-will offering, he may well do so. In later days it became customary for richer people to defray for their poorer brethren the cost of their sacrifices (Josephus, Ant. , 19:6, 1; and cf. Acts 21:24 ). CHAPTER 6:22-27 THE PRIESTLY BENEDICTION (verses 22-27). Numbers 6:21

This is the law of the Nazarite who hath vowed, and of his offering unto the LORD for his separation, {k} beside that that his hand shall get: according to the vow which he vowed, so he must do after the law of his separation. (k) At the least he shall do this, if he is not able to offer more.

13-20. when the days of his separation are fulfilled, &c.—On the accomplishment of a limited vow of Nazaritism, Nazarites might cut their hair wherever they happened to be (Ac 18:18); but the hair was to be carefully kept and brought to the door of the sanctuary. Then after the presentation of sin offerings and burnt offerings, it was put under the vessel in which the peace offerings were boiled; and the priest, taking the shoulder (Le 7:32), when boiled, and a cake and wafer of the meat offering, put them on the hands of the Nazarites to wave before the Lord, as a token of thanksgiving, and thus released them from their vow.

"This is the law of the Nazarite, who vowed his sacrificial gifts to the Lord on the ground of his consecration," i.e., who offered his sacrifice in accordance with the state of a Nazarite into which he had entered. For the sacrifices mentioned in Numbers 6:14 . were not the object of a special vow, but contained in the vow of the Nazarite, and therefore already vowed (Knobel). "Beside what his hand grasps," i.e., what he is otherwise able to perform ( Leviticus 5:11 ), "according to the measure of his vow, which he vowed, so must he do according to the law of his consecration," i.e., he had to offer the sacrifices previously mentioned on the ground of his consecration vow. Beyond that he was free to vow anything else according to his ability, to present other sacrificial gifts to the Lord for His sanctuary and His servants, which did not necessarily belong to the vow of the Nazarite, but were frequently added. From this the custom afterwards grew up, that when poor persons took the Nazarite's vow upon them, those who were better off defrayed the expenses of the sacrifices ( Acts 21:24 ; Josephus, Ant. xix. 6, 1; Mishnah Nasir, ii. 5ff.).