The Nazirite Vow
The voluntary Nazirite vow allowed men or women...
The voluntary Nazirite vow allowed men or women to set themselves apart for the Lord. There was considerable variation in how the Nazirite lifestyle was practiced in various periods of Hebrew history. Vows were taken very seriously in ancient times as a well-established means of expressing devotion or gratitude to God. This vow could be temporary or permanent; it involved refraining from alcoholic drinks, hair cutting, and contact with corpses. Nazirite restrictions gave members of non-Levitical tribes a way to enter into a more demanding and highly respected relationship with God. The Nazirite vow is probably best known because of Samson (Judg 13–16). See also 1 Sam 1:11; Jer 35; Acts 18:8; 21:23–26; cp. Luke 1:15.
1And the LORD said to Moses, 2“Speak to the Israelites and tell them that if a man or woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite,† to separate himself to the LORD,
The law required priests to avoid drinking wine...
The law required priests to avoid drinking wine before they served in the Tabernacle (Lev 10:9); the Nazirite vow allowed non-Levites to broaden that law to include all places, all times, and anything that comes from a grapevine.
3he is to abstain from wine and strong drink. He must not drink vinegar made from wine or strong drink, and he must not drink any grape juice or eat fresh grapes or raisins. 4All the days of his separation, he is not to eat anything that comes from the grapevine, not even the seeds or skins.
5For the entire period of his vow of separation, no razor shall touch his head. He must be holy until the time of his separation to the LORD is complete; he must let the hair of his head grow long.
Dead bodies defiled whoever touched them (9:6–10). Priests...
Dead bodies defiled whoever touched them (9:6–10). Priests were only allowed to touch the dead bodies of close relatives (Lev 21:1–4), but even that was forbidden to Nazirites.
6Throughout the days of his separation to the LORD, he must not go near a dead body. 7Even if his father or mother or brother or sister should die, he is not to defile himself, because the symbol of consecration to his God is upon his head. 8Throughout the time of his separation, he is holy to the LORD.
Provisions were made for restoring purity in cases...
Provisions were made for restoring purity in cases of unavoidable contact with a corpse. Special procedures and offerings brought the period of the Nazirite vow to a conclusion. A stern warning is added about actually fulfilling the vow (6:21).
9If someone suddenly dies in his presence and defiles his consecrated head of hair, he must shave his head on the day of his cleansing—the seventh day. 10On the eighth day he must bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. 11And the priest is to offer one as a sin offering† and the other as a burnt offering to make atonement for him, because he has sinned by being in the presence of the dead body. On that day he must consecrate his head again. 12He must rededicate his time of separation to the LORD and bring a year-old male lamb as a guilt offering. But the preceding days shall not be counted, because his separation was defiled.
13Now this is the law of the Nazirite when his time of separation is complete: He must be brought to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, 14and he is to present an offering to the LORD of an unblemished year-old male lamb as a burnt offering, an unblemished year-old female lamb as a sin offering, and an unblemished ram as a peace offering— 15together with their grain offerings and drink offerings—and a basket of unleavened cakes made from fine flour mixed with oil and unleavened wafers coated with oil.
16The priest is to present all these before the LORD and make the sin offering and the burnt offering. 17He shall also offer the ram as a peace offering to the LORD, along with the basket of unleavened bread. And the priest is to offer the accompanying grain offering and drink offering.
18Then at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, the Nazirite is to shave his consecrated head, take the hair, and put it on the fire under the peace offering. 19And the priest is to take the boiled shoulder from the ram, one unleavened cake from the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and put them into the hands of the Nazirite who has just shaved the hair of his consecration. 20The priest shall then wave them as a wave offering before the LORD. This is a holy portion for the priest, in addition to the breast of the wave offering and the thigh that was presented. After that, the Nazirite may drink wine.
21This is the law of the Nazirite who vows his offering to the LORD for his separation, in addition to whatever else he can afford; he must fulfill whatever vow he makes, according to the law of his separation.”
Aaron’s Blessing
The priestly benediction is related to the overall...
The priestly benediction is related to the overall theme of worship and purity in chs 5–6. This is a prayer on behalf of the people as the priests sought God’s blessings for Israel. Since the priest represented God, such prayer was part of the priestly duty (cp. Lev 9:23; Deut 10:8). This prayer is not unlike Jesus’ high priestly prayer in John 17.
22Then the LORD said to Moses, 23“Tell Aaron and his sons: This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:
Psalm 67:1 contains an abbreviated version of this...
Psalm 67:1 contains an abbreviated version of this benediction, much like one inscribed on a silver amulet excavated at Ketef Hinnom, southwest of Jerusalem’s Old City. On a second, larger silver amulet from the same tomb, the complete benediction was inscribed in words almost identical to those here. In the days of the Second Temple (from Ezra to the time of Jesus), priests pronounced a blessing at each day’s sacrifice or at the end of services. This blessing is still used in Jewish and Christian liturgy as a way of seeking divine blessing (as in 6:27).
27So they shall put My name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”