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Numbers 6:18

in Numbers 6

Then at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, the Nazirite is to shave his consecrated head, take the hair, and put it on the fire under the peace offering.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And the Nazirite shall shave the head of his separation at the door of the tent of meeting, and shall take the hair of the head of his separation, and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of peace-offerings.

KJV

And the Nazarite shall shave the head 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.

This verse in Numbers 6

Commentary

8 notes on this verse
For what does it mean that the Nazarites let their hair grow long, saving that by a life of special continency proud thoughts gain ground? And what does it signify, that, the act of devotion over, the Nazarite is commanded to shave his head, and cast the hair into the sacrificial fire, but that we then reach the height of perfection, when we so overcome our external evil habits, as to discard from the mind even thoughts that are superfluous?

This site's exposition

The priest is to present all these before the LORD

on Numbers 6:16-18

The Nazirite shaves at the entrance and puts the hair “on the fire under the peace offering”. The token of the vow burns with the sacrifice. Adam Clarke reads the hair as the man’s own offering, since no human flesh could go on the altar.

This site's exposition

put it on the fire under the peace offering

John Wesley identifies the fire as the one boiling the peace offering's meat, the source of the boiled shoulder in verse 19. He adds that the shaving was done at the entrance so the camp would know the vow had ended. Nobody would then stumble at seeing him drink.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament (1765)

At the door - Publickly, that it might be known that his vow was ended, and therefore he was at liberty as to those things from which he had restrained himself for a season, otherwise some might have been scandalized at his use of his liberty. The fire - Upon which the flesh of the peace-offerings was boiled.
And the Nazarite shall shave the head of his separation, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,....

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

This intimated that his full performance of his vow was acceptable to God in Christ the great sacrifice, and not otherwise. Learn hence to vow and pay to the Lord our God, for he has no pleasure in fools.

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

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.

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

when the days of his separation are fulfilled, &c.--On the accomplishment of a limited vow of Nazaritism, Nazarites might cut their hair wherever they happened to be (Ac 18:18); but the hair was to be carefully kept and brought to the door of the sanctuary.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase

The words behind it

20 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • וְגִלַּ֣חand he will shave

    vegilachH1548 →23 times

  • הַנָּזִ֗ירthe Nazirite

    hanazirH5139 →16 times

  • פֶּ֛תַח[the] entrance of

    petachH6607 →164 times

  • אֹ֥הֶל[the] tent of

    ʾohelH168 →345 times

  • מוֹעֵ֖דmeeting

    moedH4150 →223 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • רֹ֣אשׁ[the] head of

    roshH7218 →599 times

  • נִזְר֑וֹNazirite vow his

    nizroH5145 →25 times

  • וְלָקַ֗חand he will take

    velakachH3947 →966 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • שְׂעַר֙[the] hair of

    searH8181 →

  • רֹ֣אשׁ[the] head of

    roshH7218 →599 times

  • נִזְר֔וֹNazirite vow his

    nizroH5145 →25 times

  • וְנָתַן֙and he will put [it]

    venatanH5414 →2011 times

  • עַל־on

    ʾal-H5921 →5755 times

  • הָאֵ֔שׁthe fire

    haeshH784 →378 times

  • אֲשֶׁר־which

    ʾasher-H834 →5497 times

  • תַּ֖חַת[is] under

    tachatH8478 →505 times

  • זֶ֥בַח[the] sacrifice of

    zevachH2077 →162 times

  • הַשְּׁלָמִֽים׃the peace offerings

    hashelamimH8002 →87 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Ephesians 1:6

    to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the Beloved One.

    it leads to

    • Romans 3:22–26

      And this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no distinction,

    • Colossians 1:13

      He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son,

    • Ephesians 1:12

      in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, would be for the praise of His glory.

    • Philippians 4:19

      And my God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

    • Matthew 3:17

      And a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!”

  • Through

    Acts 18:18

    Paul remained in Corinth for quite some time before saying goodbye to the brothers. He had his head shaved in Cenchrea to keep a vow he had made, and then he sailed for Syria,…

    it leads to

    • Acts 21:24

      Take these men, purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses so they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know that there is no truth to these rumors about you, but…

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • 1 Corinthians 9:20

      To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), to win…

      Reached by 3 separate paths from here.

  • Through

    Acts 21:26

    So the next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he entered the temple to give notice of the date when their purification would be complete and the offering…

    it leads to

    • Acts 24:18

      At the time they found me in the temple, I was ceremonially clean and was not inciting a crowd or an uproar. But there are some Jews from the province of Asia

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

Where this verse is studied

About Numbers

The Brazen Serpent, Anthony van Dyck, 1618 to 1620. Public domain.
The Brazen Serpent, Anthony van Dyck, 1618 to 1620. Public domain.

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Pacian of Barcelona, Morals on the Book of Job, Book 2, Section 84.