NumbersChapter 6

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The LORD said to Moses:

Speak to the Israelites and say to them: When a man or a woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to set themselves apart for the LORD,

they must abstain from wine and strong drink. They must not drink vinegar made from wine or from strong drink, nor drink any juice of grapes, nor eat grapes, fresh or dried.

As long as they are set apart, they must eat nothing that comes from the grapevine, not even the seeds or the skins.

As long as their vow of separation lasts, no razor may touch their head. Until the time is complete for which they set themselves apart to the LORD, they are holy; they must let the hair of their head grow long.

As long as they are set apart for the LORD, they must not go near a dead body.

Even for their father or mother, brother or sister, they must not make themselves unclean when these die, because the sign of their separation to God is upon their head.

Throughout the days of their separation they are holy to the LORD.

If someone dies suddenly beside them, defiling their consecrated head, they must shave their head on the day of their cleansing—on the seventh day they shall shave it.

On the eighth day they must bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

The priest shall offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, and make atonement for them, because they sinned by being in the presence of the dead. That same day they shall consecrate their head again.

They must dedicate themselves to the LORD for the full term of their separation and bring a year-old male lamb as a guilt offering. The previous days do not count, because their separation was defiled.

This is the law of the Nazirite: When the time of their separation is complete, the Nazirite shall be brought to the entrance of the tent of meeting.

There they shall present their offering to the LORD: one year-old male lamb without defect for a burnt offering, one year-old ewe lamb without defect for a sin offering, one ram without defect for a fellowship offering,

together with a basket of unleavened bread—loaves of fine flour mixed with oil and unleavened wafers spread with oil—along with their grain offerings and drink offerings.

The priest shall present them before the LORD and make the sin offering and the burnt offering.

He shall offer the ram as a fellowship offering to the LORD, together with the basket of unleavened bread, and shall also make the grain offering and the drink offering.

Then at the entrance to the tent of meeting the Nazirite shall shave their consecrated head, take the hair, and put it on the fire that is under the fellowship offering.

After the Nazirite has shaved off the hair of their consecration, the priest shall take the boiled shoulder of the ram, one loaf of unleavened bread from the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and place them in the hands of the Nazirite.

The priest shall then wave them as a wave offering before the LORD. They are holy and belong to the priest, together with the breast that was waved and the thigh that was presented. After that, the Nazirite may drink wine.

This is the law of the Nazirite who makes a vow: their offering to the LORD for their separation, besides whatever else they can afford. They must do exactly as they vowed, according to the law of their separation.

The LORD said to Moses:

Tell Aaron and his sons: This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:

The LORD bless you and keep you;

the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;

the LORD look upon you with favor and give you peace.

So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.

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Summary2

Chapter 6

Main Theme: The chapter describes the Nazirite vow and the Aaronic blessing—two ways of being consecrated to the Lord.

Content: The Nazirite vow is a voluntary commitment in which a person dedicates themselves to God for a specific period. Those who take this vow must abstain from wine and anything produced by the grapevine, let their hair grow uncut, and avoid contact with dead bodies—even close family members. If defiled, the Nazirite must undergo purification and begin the vow anew. When the vow period ends, the Nazirite is to bring specific offerings and shave their head. The chapter concludes with the Aaronic blessing that priests are to pronounce over the people of Israel.

Key Words/Images:

Nazirite – A person who has made a voluntary vow to dedicate themselves to the Lord for a period of time.
Hair – Symbolizes consecration; it must not be cut during the vow and is burned on the altar at its conclusion.
The Aaronic Blessing – The threefold blessing God gives priests to pronounce: blessing and keeping, grace and light, peace.
Holiness – The Nazirite is "holy to the Lord" throughout the entire vow period and must avoid all defilement.

Historical context

Historical and Cultural Context for Numbers 6

Events and Customs

The Nazirite (נָזִיר)

The Nazirite vow was a voluntary form of consecration by which an Israelite—male or female—could dedicate themselves to God for a specific period. The word nazir comes from the Hebrew verb nazar (נָזַר), meaning "to separate" or "to dedicate." The three main restrictions—abstaining from wine and all grape products (verses 3–4), not cutting one's hair (verse 5), and avoiding contact with the dead (verses 6–7)—marked a visible separation from everyday life.

Long hair served as an outward sign of the vow; the Nazirite was to be "holy to the Lord" (verses 5, 8). The restriction on wine went beyond ordinary abstinence rules by including all grape products, even seeds and skins (verse 4). This total prohibition emphasized complete separation from anything associated with intoxication or worldly pleasure.

The Aaronic Blessing

Verses 24–26 contain the Aaronic blessing, which priests were to pronounce over the people of Israel (verse 23). This three-part blessing has a poetic structure in which each line becomes progressively longer (3, 5, and 7 Hebrew words). The blessing focuses on God's face being turned toward the people—a powerful expression of divine favor, as opposed to a "hidden face," which symbolized anger or rejection.

Key Terms

נֵזֶר (nezer) – This word means both "consecration" and "crown/diadem." The Nazirite's uncut hair was like a visible crown marking their holy status. The same word is used for kings' crowns, suggesting that the Nazirite bore a kind of spiritual royal dignity.

שָׁלוֹם (shalom) – The climax of the blessing is the wish for shalom (verse 26), which means far more than the absence of conflict. The word encompasses wholeness, well-being, harmony, and completeness in all aspects of life—physical, spiritual, and relational.

פָּנִים (panim) – "Face" appears twice in the blessing (verses 25–26). That God's face "shines" upon someone and is "lifted up" toward them expresses intimate presence, goodness, and favor—the opposite of God "hiding His face."

Chapter-Specific Findings

In 1979, two small silver scrolls were discovered in a burial cave at Ketef Hinnom outside Jerusalem, dated to around 600 B.C. (before the exile). These scrolls contain the oldest known biblical text and include an abbreviated version of the Aaronic blessing from Numbers 6:24–26. The discovery confirms that this blessing was already in liturgical use before the fall of Jerusalem in 586 B.C., and it represents the earliest preserved physical biblical text we have. The texts were likely worn as amulets, demonstrating the significance of the blessing in daily devotional life.

People2

Aaron1 Moses2

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Key words6

Nazirite Vow — A vow that a person makes to God to dedicate themselves to Him for a specific period. It involves special rules and restrictions.
Abstinence — Avoiding certain things, such as alcohol, as part of a religious vow or principle.
Sin Offering — An offering sacrificed in ancient Israel to obtain cleansing from sin and impurity.
Burnt Offering — A type of sacrifice in ancient Israel where animals were burned on the altar as a holy act to God.
Peace Offering — An offering made to express gratitude to God and to celebrate peace and harmony within the community.
The Lord's Blessing — A prayer asking that God bless and protect His people. This blessing is also called the "Aaronic Blessing" and is a central part of Jewish and Christian liturgy.