Numeri 6:18 Commento

In this chapter we have, I. The law concerning Nazarites, 1. What it was to which the vow of a Nazarite obliged him (Num 6:1-8). 2. A remedial law in case a Nazarite happened to be polluted by the touch of a dead body (Num 6:9-12). 3. The solemnity of his discharge when his time was up (Num 6:13-21). II. Instructions given to the priests how they should bless the people (Num 6:22, etc.).

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 6 In this chapter is given the law concerning Nazarites, Num 6:1; which directs what they were to abstain from, from drinking wine, or any strong liquors, from shaving their heads, and defiling themselves with the dead, Num 6:3; and in case of a defilement, directions are given what offerings a Nazarite should bring to be offered for him, Num 6:9; and when the time of his Nazariteship was up, an account is given of what rites and ceremonies should then be performed, Num 6:13; and the chapter is concluded with the form of blessing the children of Israel, to be used by Aaron and his sons, Num 6:22.

And the priest shall take the sodden shoulder of the ram,.... The left shoulder, for the right shoulder, which is the heave shoulder of every peace offering, belonged to the priest by another law; and by this law of the Nazarite, he had also the other shoulder, and so had both, which was peculiar to this case; the vow of the Nazarite being a very sacred thing and he being enabled to perform it, a greater expression of gratitude for it was expected and required of him: this shoulder was taken out of the pot in which it was boiled: and one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one unleavened wafer; one of the ten cakes, and one of the ten wafers, both are mentioned; and which appear by this to be together in the basket of unleavened bread, from whence they were now to be taken, the rest having been offered with the other sacrifices: and shall put them upon the hands of the Nazarite; the boiled shoulder, and the cake and wafer upon it: after the hair of his separation is shaven; and cast into the fire; for the waving of these seems to be the last and finishing part of this whole affair.

What does it mean that Nazirites cultivate their hair, except that they cultivate pleasing thoughts through their lives of continence? What does it mean that, when the time of his vow is fulfilled, the Nazirite is bidden to shave his head and to put his hair in the sacrificial fire? It means that we reach the height of perfection when we have so conquered external vices that we restrain even superfluous thoughts in our minds. And to burn these thoughts in sacrificial fire means to burn them in the flame of divine love, so that one’s whole heart burns with the love of God. We burn up our superfluous thoughts and consume the hair of the Nazirite, as it were, in perfect devotion. Exposition of the Old and New Testament, Numbers

The great design of God in giving his laws is, that the people may fear and obey him, that they may continue in peace and prosperity, and be mightily increased, Deu 6:1-3. The great commandment of the law, Deu 6:4, Deu 6:5, which shall be laid up in their hearts, Deu 6:6; taught to their children, Deu 6:7; and affixed as a sign to their hands, heads, doors, and gates, Deu 6:8, Deu 6:9. How they are to act when they shall come into the promised land, Deu 6:10-19. How they shall instruct their children, and relate the history to them of God's wonderful acts, Deu 6:20-25.

Shall take the hair - and put it in the fire - The hair was permitted to grow for this purpose; and as the Nazarite was a kind of sacrifice, offered to God through the whole term of his nazarate or separation, and no human flesh or blood could be offered on the altar of the Lord, he offered his hair at the conclusion of his separation, as a sacrifice - that hair which was the token of his complete subjection to the Lord, and which was now considered as the Lord's property. The Hindoos, after a vow, do not cut their hair during the term of their vow; but at the expiration of it they shave it off at the place where the vow was made. That the hair of the head was superstitiously used among different nations, we have already had occasion to remark; (See the notes on Lev 19:27); and that the Gentiles might have learned this from the Jews is possible, though some learned men think that this consecration of the hair to a deity was in use among the heathens before the time of Moses, and in nations who had no intercourse or connection with the Jews.

THE LAW OF THE NAZARITE IN HIS SEPARATION. (Num. 6:1-22) When either man or woman . . . shall vow a vow of a Nazarite--that is, "a separated one," from a Hebrew word, "to separate." It was used to designate a class of persons who, under the impulse of extraordinary piety and with a view to higher degrees of religious improvement, voluntarily renounced the occupations and pleasures of the world to dedicate themselves unreservedly to the divine service. The vow might be taken by either sex, provided they had the disposal of themselves (Num 30:4), and for a limited period--usually a month or a lifetime (Jdg 13:5; Jdg 16:17). We do not know, perhaps, the whole extent of abstinence they practised. But they separated themselves from three things in particular--namely, from wine, and all the varieties of vinous produce; from the application of a razor to their head, allowing their hair to grow; and from pollution by a dead body. The reasons of the self-restrictions are obvious. The use of wine tended to inflame the passions, intoxicate the brain, and create a taste for luxurious indulgence. The cutting off the hair being a recognized sign of uncleanness (Lev 14:8-9), its unpolled luxuriance was a symbol of the purity he professed. Besides, its extraordinary length kept him in constant remembrance of his vow, as well as stimulated others to imitate his pious example. Moreover, contact with a dead body, disqualifying for the divine service, the Nazarite carefully avoided such a cause of unfitness, and, like the high priest, did not assist at the funeral rites of his nearest relatives, preferring his duty to God to the indulgence of his strongest natural affections.