1 The law of the Nazarite in the days of his separation, 13and after the completion of those days. 22The form of blessing the people.
1AND the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a 1Nazarite, to separate themselves unto the LORD:
1 The Hebrew word nazir, written with the letter zain, signifies one separated, namely, from the world, to give himself entirely to the meditation of Divine things, and the observation of God’s worship and service. The Nazarites were a figure which is not literally but spiritually fulfilled in Christ. Of these see likewise Judges 13:5; Lam. 4:7; Amos 2:11. They are to be distinguished from those who are written with the Greek letter zeta and are called Nazarenes, from the city Nazareth, also likewise the Lord Christ is called a Nazarene, Mat. 2:23, and the Christians also Nazarenes, Acts 24:5. There were two kinds of the nazarites: I. those whom God expressly chose and appointed to be such, as Samson, Judges 13:5, and (as some do hold) John the Baptist, Luke 1:15; II. those who became such by a vow of their own accord, as related here.
3He shall separate himself from wine and strong 2drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any 3liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried.
2 See Lev. 10 on verse 9.
3 Or, sap.
4All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the 4vine tree, from the kernels even to the 5husk.
4 Also Judges 13:14; that is, which bears grapes and brings forth wine. The contrary is a vine that bears and brings forth none, Hag. 2:19.
5 Or, peels.
5All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razora come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto the LORD, he shall be 6holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow.
a Judges 13:5; 1 Sam. 1:11.
6 That is, dedicated and consecrated to the LORD.
6All the days that he separateth himself unto the LORD he shall come at no dead 7body.
7 Hebr. soul. See verse 11. Lev. 19 on verse 28.
7He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when they die: because the 8consecration of his God is upon his head.
8 That is, the sign of his Nazarite-ship or separation, namely, the long hair, which, during his vow, he was not to cut or shorten. Compare verses 9, 19.
8All the days of his separation he is holy unto the LORD.
9And if any man die very suddenly by him, and he hath defiled 9the head of his consecration; then he shall 10shave his head in the day of his cleansing, on 11the seventh day shall he shave it.
9 See on verse 7.
10 Namely, close to the skin with a razor.
11 So long was he, who had touched a dead body, to be held unclean. See Lev. 15:13. Compare Num. 12:14.
10And on the eighth day he shall bring two turtles, or two 12young pigeons, to the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation:
12 Hebr. sons of the dove.
11And the priest shall offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, and make an atonement for him, for that he 13sinned 14by the 15dead, and shall 16hallow his head that same day.
13 Understand this sinning here of the ceremonial uncleanness which he had contracted by being touched of a dead body or having been near it, though against his will and knowledge.
14 Or, at, about.
15 Hebr. soul.
16 See Lev. 8 on verse 30.
12And he shall 17consecrate unto the LORD the days of his separation, and shall bring 18a lamb of the first year for a trespass offering: but the days that were before shall be 19lost, because his separation was defiled.
17 Namely, refraining himself anew from those things mentioned in verses 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, beginning his vow again as a Nazarite, as if there had been nothing done before, to persevere in it for so many days as he had vowed at the first.
18 Hebr. a son of his year.
19 That is, be lost and vain, and do not come into the account of the days that were vowed.
13¶And this is the law 20of the Nazarite, when the days of his separation are fulfilled: he shall be 21brought unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation:
20 That is, of the offering of the Nazarites.
21 Namely, to offer, mentioned in the following verses 14, 15.
14And he shall offer his offering unto the LORD, 22one he lamb of the first year without blemish for a burnt offering, and 23one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish for a sin offering, and one ram without blemish for peace offerings,
22 Hebr. a son of his year.
23 Hebr. a daughter of her year.
15And a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, and wafers of unleavened bread anointed with oil, and 24their meat offering, and their drink offerings.
24Meat offering and drink offerings are thus distinguished so that the former was of dry things, and the latter of moist. See of the meat offerings Lev. 2 on verse 1 and of the drink offerings, Lev. 23 on verse 37, and of both distinctly named, as here, Joel 1:9, 13.
16And the priest shall 25bring them before the LORD, and shall offer his sin offering, and his burnt offering:
25 Or, offer.
17And he shall offer the ram for a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD, with the basket of unleavened bread: the priest shall offer also his meat offering, and 26his drink offering.
26 Compare the annotation at Gen. 35 on verse 14.
18And the Nazarite shall shave 27the headb of his separation at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall take the hair of the head of his separation, and put it in the fire which is under the sacrifice of the peace offerings.
27 See on verse 9.
b Acts 21:24.
19And the priest shall take the sodden shoulder of the ram, and one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them upon the hands of the Nazarite, after the hair of 28his separation is shaven:
28 That is, the hair which was grown during the time of his separation.
20And the priest shall wavec them for a 29wave offering before the LORD: this is holy for the priest, with the wave breast and 30heave shoulder: and after that the Nazarite may drink wine.
c Exod. 29:27.
29 How the wave offering is to be distinguished from the heave offering. See Lev. 7 on verse 30.
30 Or, hind-quarter.
21This is the law of the Nazarite who hath vowed, and of his offering unto the LORD for his separation, 31beside that that his hand shall get: according to the vow which he vowed, so he must do 32after the law of his separation.
31 That is, except that, which over and above the aforesaid sacrifice, he shall be willing of his own accord to vow and offer according to his means and ability. More he was allowed to do, but no less, since the sacrifice, being prescribed in this law, was imposed upon the poor as well as the rich.
32 Other, above, beyond, or besides.
22¶And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
23Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall 33bless the children of Israel, saying unto them,
33 That is, as priests and ministers of God in the general assembly, wish the congregation all prosperity, happiness and salvation from God.
24The LORD 34bless thee, and keep thee:
34 See Gen. 12 on verse 2.
25The LORD 35make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
35 The face of God signifies His presence and providence either to bless or to punish. Of the face punishing or avenging see Lev. 17:10; Psalm 34:16; 51:9. The text here speaks of the face of favor and blessing, as also 2 Chron. 30:9; Psalm 13:1, etc. Now God is said to let His face to shine, when He in actual deed shows forth and exhibits His grace, blessing and benefits, Psalm 31:16; 80:3, 7, 19; 119:135; Dan. 9:17.
26The LORD 36lift up his countenance upon thee, and 37give thee 38peace.
36 That is, having the eyes of His gracious providence be continually over you, to protect your coming in and going forth for your good, which God does not when He is said to hide or to turn away His face, Deut. 32:20; Ezek. 7:22.
37 Hebr. set, that is, add, or bestow peace upon you.
38 See Gen. 37 on verse 14.
27And they shall put 39my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.
39 This was performed, partly with calling upon the Name of God and partly with stretching forth their hands over the congregation, as if they were ready forthwith actually to impart and bestow the blessing of the LORD, for which they prayed, upon the entire congregation in God’s stead.