This 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." This is the lawThe phrase "This is the law" signifies a divine ordinance or commandment given by God. In Hebrew, the word for "law" is "Torah," which means instruction or teaching. This indicates that the instructions for the Nazirite vow are not mere suggestions but are divinely mandated guidelines that must be followed. The law serves as a boundary and a guide for those who choose to dedicate themselves to God in this special way. of the Nazirite
The term "Nazirite" comes from the Hebrew word "nazir," meaning "consecrated" or "separated." A Nazirite was someone who took a vow to be set apart for God, often for a specific period. This vow included abstaining from wine, not cutting one's hair, and avoiding contact with the dead. The Nazirite vow is a powerful symbol of dedication and holiness, reflecting a deep commitment to living a life that is distinct and devoted to God. who vows his offering
The act of vowing an offering underscores the seriousness and intentionality of the Nazirite's commitment. In the ancient Near Eastern context, making a vow was a solemn promise that involved a binding obligation. The offering was a tangible expression of the Nazirite's devotion and was meant to honor God. This highlights the importance of following through on one's promises to God, demonstrating integrity and faithfulness. to the LORD
The phrase "to the LORD" emphasizes that the vow and the offering are directed towards Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel. This personal relationship with God is central to the Nazirite vow. It is not merely a ritualistic act but a personal dedication to the LORD, who is the source of life and holiness. The use of "LORD" in all caps in the BSB indicates the divine name, Yahweh, underscoring the covenantal relationship between God and His people. according to his separation
"According to his separation" refers to the specific terms and conditions of the Nazirite vow. The Hebrew word for "separation" is "nazir," which is the same root as "Nazirite." This separation is both physical and spiritual, marking the individual as distinct and holy unto the LORD. It is a reminder that those who are called to serve God are to live lives that are set apart from the world, reflecting God's holiness. in addition to whatever else he can afford
This phrase indicates that the Nazirite's offering is not limited to the basic requirements but can be supplemented by additional offerings according to one's means. It reflects the principle of giving generously and sacrificially to God. The flexibility in the offering allows for personal expression of gratitude and devotion, showing that God values the heart and willingness of the giver more than the material value of the gift. He must fulfill whatever vow he makes
The requirement to fulfill one's vow underscores the importance of faithfulness and integrity in one's relationship with God. In the Hebrew culture, a vow was a sacred promise that was not to be taken lightly. This phrase serves as a reminder of the seriousness of making commitments to God and the necessity of following through on them, reflecting a life of obedience and trustworthiness. according to the law of his separation
This final phrase reiterates the importance of adhering to the specific guidelines of the Nazirite vow. The "law of his separation" provides a framework for living a life dedicated to God. It serves as a reminder that true devotion involves both the heart and the actions, aligning one's life with God's will and purposes. This reflects the broader biblical principle that holiness involves both inner transformation and outward obedience. Persons / Places / Events 1. NaziriteAn individual who takes a special vow of separation to the LORD, characterized by abstaining from wine, not cutting their hair, and avoiding contact with the dead. 2. MosesThe leader of the Israelites who received the laws from God, including the Nazirite vow, and communicated them to the people. 3. IsraelitesThe people of God to whom the laws, including the Nazirite vow, were given as part of their covenant relationship with God. 4. TabernacleThe place where the offerings and sacrifices were made, including those related to the Nazirite vow. 5. LORD (Yahweh)The covenant God of Israel to whom the Nazirite vow is dedicated. Teaching Points Commitment to GodThe Nazirite vow is a profound expression of dedication and separation to God. Believers today can reflect on their own commitments and how they set themselves apart for God's purposes. Holiness and SeparationThe vow underscores the call to holiness and separation from worldly influences. Christians are encouraged to live distinct lives that reflect their identity in Christ. Faithfulness in VowsThe emphasis on fulfilling vows teaches the importance of integrity and faithfulness in our promises to God and others. Sacrificial LivingThe Nazirite vow involved personal sacrifice, reminding believers of the call to live sacrificially for the sake of the Gospel. Generosity in WorshipThe phrase "in addition to whatever else he can afford" suggests that offerings to God should be generous and from the heart, not merely obligatory. Bible Study Questions 1. What does the Nazirite vow teach us about the nature of commitment and dedication to God in our own lives? 2. How can the principles of the Nazirite vow be applied to modern Christian living, particularly in terms of holiness and separation? 3. In what ways does the account of Samson illustrate both the power and the pitfalls of the Nazirite vow? 4. How does Jesus’ teaching on oaths in the Sermon on the Mount relate to the principles found in Numbers 6:21? 5. What are some practical ways we can demonstrate sacrificial living and generosity in our worship and service to God today? Connections to Other Scriptures Judges 13-16The account of Samson, a Nazirite from birth, illustrates the Nazirite vow's significance and the consequences of breaking it. 1 Samuel 1:11Hannah's vow concerning her son Samuel, who was dedicated as a Nazirite, shows the vow's importance in seeking God's favor. Acts 18:18Paul’s participation in a Nazirite vow highlights the continuity of this practice into the New Testament era. Matthew 5:33-37Jesus’ teaching on oaths emphasizes the importance of fulfilling vows made to God, aligning with the principles of the Nazirite vow. People Aaron, Israelites, Moses, NaziriteshipPlaces SinaiTopics Able, Accordance, Account, Addition, Afford, Apart, Attaineth, Beside, Besides, Consecration, Fulfill, Law, Nazarite, Nazirite, Naziriteship, Oath, Oblation, Offering, Separate, Separation, Suffice, Takes, Vow, Vowed, Voweth, Vows, WhateverDictionary of Bible Themes Numbers 6:1-21 4544 wine
5741 vows Library Separation to God.
NUMB. VI. 1-21. THE INSTITUTION OF THE ORDER OF NAZARITES. The first twenty-one verses of Numb. vi. give us an account of the institution and ordinances of the order of Nazarites. And let us note at the outset that this institution, like every other good and perfect gift, came from above; that GOD Himself gave this privilege--unasked--to His people; thereby showing His desire that "whosoever will" of His people may be brought into closest relationship to Himself. It was very gracious of GOD to permit …
James Hudson Taylor—Separation and ServiceTenth Day. Holiness and Separation.
I am the Lord your God, which have separated you from other people. And ye shall be holy unto me, for I the Lord am holy, and have separated you from other people that ye should be Mine.'--Lev. xx. 24, 26. 'Until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto the Lord, he shall be holy.... All the days of his separation he is holy unto the Lord.'--Num. vi. 5, 8. 'Wherefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered without the …
Andrew Murray—Holy in Christ Of the Duties which we are to Perform after Receiving the Holy Communion, Called Action or Practice.
The duty which we are to perform after the receiving of the Lord's Supper is called action or practice, without which all the rest will minister to us no comfort. The action consists of two sorts of duties:---First, Such as we are to perform in the church, or else after we are gone home. Those that we are to perform in the church are either several from our own souls, or else jointly with the congregation. The several duties which thou must perform from thine own soul are three:--First, Thou must …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety These Things, My Brother Aurelius, Most Dear unto Me...
38. These things, my brother Aurelius, most dear unto me, and in the bowels of Christ to be venerated, so far as He hath bestowed on me the ability Who through thee commanded me to do it, touching work of Monks, I have not delayed to write; making this my chief care, lest good brethren obeying apostolic precepts, should by lazy and disobedient be called even prevaricators from the Gospel: that they which work not, may at the least account them which do work to be better than themselves without doubt. …
St. Augustine—Of the Work of Monks. The Worship of the Synagogue
One of the most difficult questions in Jewish history is that connected with the existence of a synagogue within the Temple. That such a "synagogue" existed, and that its meeting-place was in "the hall of hewn stones," at the south-eastern angle of the court of the priest, cannot be called in question, in face of the clear testimony of contemporary witnesses. Considering that "the hall of hew stones" was also the meeting-place for the great Sanhedrim, and that not only legal decisions, but lectures …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life Peace
Grace unto you and peace be multiplied. I Pet 1:1. Having spoken of the first fruit of sanctification, assurance, I proceed to the second, viz., Peace, Peace be multiplied:' What are the several species or kinds of Peace? Peace, in Scripture, is compared to a river which parts itself into two silver streams. Isa 66:12. I. There is an external peace, and that is, (1.) (Economical, or peace in a family. (2.) Political, or peace in the state. Peace is the nurse of plenty. He maketh peace in thy borders, …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity Gen. xxxi. 11
Of no less importance and significance is the passage Gen. xxxi. 11 seq. According to ver. 11, the Angel of God, [Hebrew: mlaK halhiM] appears toJacob in a dream. In ver. 13, the same person calls himself the God of Bethel, with reference to the event recorded in chap. xxviii. 11-22. It cannot be supposed that in chap xxviii. the mediation of a common angel took place, who, however, had not been expressly mentioned; for Jehovah is there contrasted with the angels. In ver. 12, we read: "And behold …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament Covenanting a Privilege of Believers.
Whatever attainment is made by any as distinguished from the wicked, or whatever gracious benefit is enjoyed, is a spiritual privilege. Adoption into the family of God is of this character. "He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power (margin, or, the right; or, privilege) to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name."[617] And every co-ordinate benefit is essentially so likewise. The evidence besides, that Covenanting …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting Prayer
But I give myself unto prayer.' Psa 109: 4. I shall not here expatiate upon prayer, as it will be considered more fully in the Lord's prayer. It is one thing to pray, and another thing to be given to prayer: he who prays frequently, is said to be given to prayer; as he who often distributes alms, is said to be given to charity. Prayer is a glorious ordinance, it is the soul's trading with heaven. God comes down to us by his Spirit, and we go up to him by prayer. What is prayer? It is an offering …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments Annunciation to Zacharias of the Birth of John the Baptist.
(at Jerusalem. Probably b.c. 6.) ^C Luke I. 5-25. ^c 5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judæa [a Jewish proselyte, an Idumæan or Edomite by birth, founder of the Herodian family, king of Judæa from b.c. 40 to a.d. 4, made such by the Roman Senate on the recommendation of Mark Antony and Octavius Cæsar], a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course [David divided the priests into twenty-four bodies or courses, each course serving in rotation one week in the temple …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel Things to be Meditated on as Thou Goest to the Church.
1. That thou art going to the court of the Lord, and to speak with the great God by prayer; and to hear his majesty speak unto thee by his word; and to receive his blessing on thy soul, and thy honest labour, in the six days past. 2. Say with thyself by the way--"As the hart brayeth for the rivers of water, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, even for the living God: When shall I come and appear before the presence of God? For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety Numbers
Like the last part of Exodus, and the whole of Leviticus, the first part of Numbers, i.-x. 28--so called,[1] rather inappropriately, from the census in i., iii., (iv.), xxvi.--is unmistakably priestly in its interests and language. Beginning with a census of the men of war (i.) and the order of the camp (ii.), it devotes specific attention to the Levites, their numbers and duties (iii., iv.). Then follow laws for the exclusion of the unclean, v. 1-4, for determining the manner and amount of restitution …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Numbers 6:21 NIVNumbers 6:21 NLTNumbers 6:21 ESVNumbers 6:21 NASBNumbers 6:21 KJV
Numbers 6:21 Commentaries
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