Numbers 6

Nu 6:1-22.

THE

LAW OF THE

NAZARITE IN

HIS

SEPARATION.

2-8. When either man or woman . . . shall vow a vow of a Nazarite--that

is, "a separated one," from a Hebrew word, "to separate." It was used

to designate a class of persons who, under the impulse of extraordinary

piety and with a view to higher degrees of religious improvement,

voluntarily renounced the occupations and pleasures of the world to

dedicate themselves unreservedly to the divine service. The vow might

be taken by either sex, provided they had the disposal of themselves

(Nu 30:4),

and for a limited period--usually a month or a lifetime

(Jud 13:5; 16:17).

We do not know, perhaps, the whole extent of abstinence they practised.

But they separated themselves from three things in particular--namely,

from wine, and all the varieties of vinous produce; from the

application of a razor to their head, allowing their hair to grow; and

from pollution by a dead body. The reasons of the self-restrictions are

obvious. The use of wine tended to inflame the passions, intoxicate the

brain, and create a taste for luxurious indulgence. The cutting off the

hair being a recognized sign of uncleanness

(Le 14:8, 9),

its unpolled luxuriance was a symbol of the purity he professed.

Besides, its extraordinary length kept him in constant remembrance of

his vow, as well as stimulated others to imitate his pious example.

Moreover, contact with a dead body, disqualifying for the divine

service, the Nazarite carefully avoided such a cause of unfitness, and,

like the high priest, did not assist at the funeral rites of his

nearest relatives, preferring his duty to God to the indulgence of his

strongest natural affections.

9-12. If any man die very suddenly by him, and he hath defiled the

head of his consecration--Cases of sudden death might occur to make him

contract pollution; and in such circumstances he was required, after

shaving his head, to make the prescribed offerings necessary for the

removal of ceremonial defilement

(Le 15:13;

Nu 19:11).

But by the terms of this law an accidental defilement vitiated the

whole of his previous observances, and he was required to begin the

period of his Nazaritism afresh. But even this full completion did not

supersede the necessity of a sin offering at the close. Sin mingles

with our best and holiest performances, and the blood of sprinkling is

necessary to procure acceptance to us and our services.

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.

Nu 6:23-27.

THE

FORM OF

BLESSING THE

PEOPLE.

23-27. Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye

shall bless the congregation of Israel, &c.--This passage records

the solemn benediction which God appointed for dismissing the people at

the close of the daily service. The repetition of the name "Lord" or

"Jehovah" three times, expresses the great mystery of the

Godhead--three persons, and yet one God. The expressions in the

separate clauses correspond to the respective offices of the Father, to

"bless and keep us"; of the Son, to be "gracious to us"; and of the

Holy Ghost, to "give us peace." And because the benediction, though

pronounced by the lips of a fellow man, derived its virtue, not from

the priest but from God, the encouraging assurance was added, "I the

Lord will bless them."