Numbers 6:5
in Numbers 6For the entire period of his vow of separation, no razor shall pass over his head. He must be holy until the time of his separation to the LORD is complete; he must let the hair of his head grow long.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
All the days of his vow of separation there shall no razor come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled, in which he separateth himself unto Jehovah, he shall be holy; he shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow long.
KJV
All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto the Lord, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow.
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This verse in Numbers 6
Commentary
6 notes on this verseThere shall no razor come upon his head - The vow of the Nazarite consisted in the following particulars: - 1. He consecrated himself in a very especial and extraordinary manner to God. 2. This was to continue for a certain season, probably never less than a whole year, that he might have a full growth of hair to burn in the fire which is under the sacrifice of the peace-offering, Num 6:18.
This site's exposition
there shall no razor come upon his head
Hair left uncut is the one mark of the vow that anybody can see. Hannah uses this clause word for word at 1 Samuel 1:11 when she gives Samuel to the Lord, and the angel gives it to Samson's mother at Judges 13:5. Samson keeps this rule and breaks the other two, taking honey out of the lion's carcase at Judges 14:8 and handling the jawbone at Judges 15:15, and the hair is the secret he finally tells at Judges 16:17.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Holy - That is, wholly consecrated to God and his service, whereby he shews that inward holiness was the great thing which God required and valued in these, and consequently in other rites and ceremonies.
All the days of the vow of his separation,....
They must neither poll their heads nor shave their beards; this was that mark of Samson's Nazariteship which we often read of in his story. Now, (1.) This signified a noble neglect of the body and the ease and ornament of it, which became those who, being separated to God, ought to be wholly taken up with their souls, to secure their peace and beauty.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
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 words behind it
21 Hebrew wordsEvery 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.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| יְמֵי֙ | yemei | [the] days of | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| נֶ֣דֶר | neder | [the] vow of | H5088 → | 60 times |
| נִזְר֔וֹ | nizro | Nazirite vow his | H5145 → | 25 times |
| תַּ֖עַר | taar | a razor | H8593 → | |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יַעֲבֹ֣ר | yaavor | it will pass | H5674 → | 556 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | over | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| רֹאשׁ֑וֹ | rosho | head his | H7218 → | 599 times |
| עַד־ | ʾad- | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| מְלֹ֨את | melot | are completed | H4390 → | 249 times |
| הַיָּמִ֜ם | haiyamim | the days | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יַזִּ֤יר | yazir | he will be a Nazirite | H5144 → | 10 times |
| לַיהוָה֙ | layahweh | to Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| קָדֹ֣שׁ | kadosh | holy | H6918 → | 116 times |
| יִהְיֶ֔ה | yihyeh | he will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| גַּדֵּ֥ל | gadel | he will make grow | H1431 → | |
| פֶּ֖רַע | pera' | [the] lock[s] of | H6545 → | |
| שְׂעַ֥ר | sear | [the] hair of | H8181 → | |
| רֹאשֽׁוֹ׃ | rosho | head his | H7218 → | 599 times |
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
יְמֵי֙[the] days of
yemeiH3117 →2304 times
נֶ֣דֶר[the] vow of
nederH5088 →60 times
נִזְר֔וֹNazirite vow his
nizroH5145 →25 times
תַּ֖עַרa razor
taarH8593 →
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יַעֲבֹ֣רit will pass
yaavorH5674 →556 times
עַל־over
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
רֹאשׁ֑וֹhead his
roshoH7218 →599 times
עַד־until
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
מְלֹ֨אתare completed
melotH4390 →249 times
הַיָּמִ֜םthe days
haiyamimH3117 →2304 times
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
יַזִּ֤ירhe will be a Nazirite
yazirH5144 →10 times
לַיהוָה֙to Yahweh
layahwehH3068 →6520 times
קָדֹ֣שׁholy
kadoshH6918 →116 times
יִהְיֶ֔הhe will be
yihyehH1961 →3559 times
גַּדֵּ֥לhe will make grow
gadelH1431 →
פֶּ֖רַע[the] lock[s] of
pera'H6545 →
שְׂעַ֥ר[the] hair of
searH8181 →
רֹאשֽׁוֹ׃head his
roshoH7218 →599 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach 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
1 Samuel 1:11And she made a vow, pleading, “O LORD of Hosts, if only You will look upon the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, not forgetting Your maidservant but giving her a son, then…
it leads to
- Judges 13:5
For behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son. And no razor shall come over his head, because the boy will be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he will…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Genesis 29:32
And Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and she named him Reuben, for she said, “The LORD has seen my affliction. Surely my husband will love me now.”
- Ecclesiastes 5:4
When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it, because He takes no pleasure in fools. Fulfill your vow.
- Judges 13:5
Through
Judges 13:5For behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son. And no razor shall come over his head, because the boy will be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he will…
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 1:11
And she made a vow, pleading, “O LORD of Hosts, if only You will look upon the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, not forgetting Your maidservant but giving her a son, then…
- Numbers 6:2–3
“Speak to the Israelites and tell them that if a man or woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to the LORD,
- 1 Chronicles 18:1
Some time later, David defeated the Philistines, subdued them, and took Gath and its villages from the hand of the Philistines.
- 1 Samuel 7:13
So the Philistines were subdued, and they stopped invading the territory of Israel. And the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.
- 1 Samuel 1:11
Through
Judges 16:17Samson told her all that was in his heart: “My hair has never been cut, because I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaved, my strength will…
it leads to
- Micah 7:5
Do not rely on a friend; do not trust in a companion. Seal the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your arms.
- Micah 7:5
Where this verse is studied
About Numbers
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 (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.