◄ Numbers 6:6 ►
Throughout the days of his separation to the LORD, he must not go near a dead body.
Study Bible
Throughout the days of his separation
The phrase "throughout the days of his separation" refers to the period of the Nazirite vow, a special commitment made by an individual to set themselves apart for the LORD. The Hebrew word for "separation" is "nazir," which means to be consecrated or dedicated. This vow was a voluntary act of devotion, symbolizing a deeper spiritual commitment and a desire to live a life of holiness. Historically, the Nazirite vow was a way for Israelites to express their dedication to God, often for a specific period or purpose. This separation was not just physical but spiritual, indicating a life set apart for divine service.

to the LORD
The phrase "to the LORD" emphasizes that the Nazirite vow was made directly to God, highlighting the personal and sacred nature of this commitment. The Hebrew name used here is "YHWH," the covenant name of God, which signifies His eternal and unchanging nature. This vow was not merely a personal or communal act but a direct offering to the LORD, underscoring the seriousness and sanctity of the vow. It reflects a deep relationship with God, where the individual seeks to honor and glorify Him through their dedicated lifestyle.

he must not go near a dead body
The instruction "he must not go near a dead body" underscores the importance of maintaining ritual purity during the Nazirite vow. In ancient Israel, contact with a dead body rendered a person ceremonially unclean, as outlined in the Levitical laws. The Hebrew word for "dead body" is "nephesh," which can also mean soul or life, indicating the profound respect for life and the acknowledgment of death's defiling nature. This prohibition served as a reminder of the sanctity of life and the need to remain pure and undefiled in one's service to God. It also symbolized the Nazirite's complete dedication to life and holiness, avoiding anything associated with death and impurity.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Nazirite
An individual who takes a special vow of separation to the LORD, characterized by abstaining from wine, not cutting their hair, and avoiding contact with dead bodies.

2. Moses
The leader of the Israelites who received the laws and commandments from God, including the instructions for the Nazirite vow.

3. Israelites
The chosen people of God, to whom the laws, including the Nazirite vow, were given as part of their covenant relationship with God.

4. Tabernacle
The dwelling place of God among the Israelites, where the Nazirite would eventually present offerings at the end of their vow.

5. Dead Body
Represents impurity and defilement, which Nazirites were to avoid to maintain their consecration to God.
Teaching Points
Holiness and Separation
The Nazirite vow emphasizes the importance of being set apart for God. As believers, we are called to live lives that reflect our dedication to Him.

Avoiding Defilement
Just as Nazirites avoided dead bodies, Christians are called to avoid spiritual defilement by staying away from sin and anything that compromises our purity.

Commitment to God
The Nazirite vow was a voluntary act of devotion. Our commitment to God should be wholehearted and intentional, reflecting our love and reverence for Him.

Symbolism of Death
In the Bible, death often symbolizes sin and separation from God. By avoiding contact with death, Nazirites symbolically rejected sin and its consequences.

Living Sacrifice
Romans 12:1 calls believers to present their bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which aligns with the spirit of the Nazirite vow.
Bible Study Questions
1. What does the Nazirite vow teach us about the concept of holiness and being set apart for God in our daily lives?

2. How can we apply the principle of avoiding defilement in our modern context, especially in terms of spiritual purity?

3. In what ways can we demonstrate a commitment to God that is as intentional and dedicated as the Nazirite vow?

4. How does the symbolism of death in the Nazirite vow relate to the New Testament teachings on sin and spiritual death?

5. Reflect on Romans 12:1. How can we live as "living sacrifices" in a way that mirrors the dedication of a Nazirite?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Leviticus 21
Discusses the laws for priests, who also had restrictions regarding contact with the dead, highlighting the theme of holiness and separation.

Judges 13-16
The account of Samson, a Nazirite from birth, whose life illustrates the challenges and significance of the Nazirite vow.

Acts 18:18
Paul takes a vow, possibly a Nazirite vow, showing the continuation of such practices in the early church.

1 Peter 1:15-16
Calls believers to be holy as God is holy, echoing the theme of separation and consecration found in the Nazirite vow.
Sermons
The Temporary Vow of the Nazarite Symbolical of the Lifelong Vow of the ChristianE.S. Prout Numbers 6:1-8
A Faithful AbstainerNumbers 6:1-21
Dangerous Things to be AvoidedJ. Spencer.Numbers 6:1-21
Degrading Effects of DrinkJ. B. Gough.Numbers 6:1-21
Nazarite RulesDean Law.Numbers 6:1-21
Of the Vows of the Nazarites, and the Use Thereof to UsW. Attersoll.Numbers 6:1-21
Separated to the Service of GodW. Binnie Numbers 6:1-21
The Law of Vows (With Special Reference to the Nazarite)W. Roberts, M. A.Numbers 6:1-21
The NazariteLewis R. Dunn, D. D.Numbers 6:1-21
The Ordinance of NazariteshipC. H. Mackintosh.Numbers 6:1-21
The Vow of the NazariteW. Jones.Numbers 6:1-21
The Regulations for Observance of the Nazarite's VowD. Young Numbers 6:3-21
People
Aaron, Israelites, Moses, Naziriteship
Places
Sinai
Topics
Body, Consecrated, Consecrateth, Dead, Keeping, Period, Separate, Separates, Separateth, Separation
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Numbers 6:6

     5288   dead, the

Numbers 6:1-8

     5794   asceticism

Numbers 6:1-20

     5155   hair

Numbers 6:1-21

     4544   wine
     5741   vows

Numbers 6:2-7

     5731   parents

Numbers 6:5-12

     7340   clean and unclean

Numbers 6:6-7

     5661   brothers
     5737   sisters

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 Service

Tenth 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

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