Numbers 6:7
in Numbers 6Even if his father or mother or brother or sister should die, he is not to defile himself, because the crown of consecration to his God is upon his head.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when they die; because his separation unto God is upon his head.
KJV
He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when they die: because the consecration of his God is upon his head.
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This verse in Numbers 6
Commentary
6 notes on this verseThe consecration of his God is upon his head - Literally, The separation of his God is upon his head; meaning his hair, which was the proof and emblem of his separation.
This site's exposition
he shall come at no dead body
on Numbers 6:6-8
An ordinary priest could defile himself for a mother, father, son, daughter, brother or unmarried sister at Leviticus 21:1-3, and the high priest could not, at Leviticus 21:11. Verse 7 puts the Nazarite at the high priest's level and gives the reason in the high priest's own word, since the Hebrew nezer behind consecration here is the word for the golden crown on the mitre at Exodus 29:6 and Leviticus 8:9 and for the crown of the anointing oil at Leviticus 21:12. Clarke renders verse 7 literally as the separation of his God is upon his head, meaning the hair itself. The uncut hair of an ordinary Israelite stands in this law where the high priest wore gold.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
His father - Wherein he was equal to the high-priest, being, in some sort, as eminent a type of Christ, and therefore justly required to prefer the service of God, to which he had so fully given himself, before the expressions of his affections to his dearest and nearest relations. The consecration - That is, the token of his consecration, namely, his long hair.
He shall not make himself unclean for his father or for his mother, for his brother or for his sister, when they die,....
Those that separate themselves to God must learn, (1.) To distinguish themselves, and do more than others. (2.) To keep their consciences pure from dead works, and not to touch the unclean thing. The greater profession of religion we make, and the more eminent we appear, the greater care we must take to avoid all sin, for we have so much the more honour to lose by it.
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
13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לְאָבִ֣יו | leaviv | for father his | H1 → | 1212 times |
| וּלְאִמּ֗וֹ | uleimo | and for mother his | H517 → | |
| לְאָחִיו֙ | leachiv | for brother his | H251 → | 630 times |
| וּלְאַ֣חֹת֔וֹ | uleachoto | and for sister his | H269 → | 114 times |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִטַּמָּ֥א | yitama' | he will make himself unclean | H2930 → | 162 times |
| לָהֶ֖ם | lahem | for <the> them | ||
| בְּמֹתָ֑ם | bemotam | by death their | H4194 → | 156 times |
| כִּ֛י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| נֵ֥זֶר | nezer | [the] Nazirite vow of | H5145 → | 25 times |
| אֱלֹהָ֖יו | ʾelohav | God his | H430 → | 2601 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | [is] on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| רֹאשֽׁוֹ׃ | rosho | head his | H7218 → | 599 times |
לְאָבִ֣יוfor father his
leavivH1 →1212 times
וּלְאִמּ֗וֹand for mother his
uleimoH517 →
לְאָחִיו֙for brother his
leachivH251 →630 times
וּלְאַ֣חֹת֔וֹand for sister his
uleachotoH269 →114 times
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יִטַּמָּ֥אhe will make himself unclean
yitama'H2930 →162 times
לָהֶ֖םfor <the> them
lahem
בְּמֹתָ֑םby death their
bemotamH4194 →156 times
כִּ֛יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
נֵ֥זֶר[the] Nazirite vow of
nezerH5145 →25 times
אֱלֹהָ֖יוGod his
ʾelohavH430 →2601 times
עַל־[is] on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
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
Numbers 9:6But there were some men who were unclean due to a dead body, so they could not observe the Passover on that day. And they came before Moses and Aaron that same day
it leads to
- Numbers 27:2
the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders, and the whole congregation, and said,
- Exodus 18:15
“Because the people come to me to inquire of God,” Moses replied.
- Numbers 5:2
“Command the Israelites to send away from the camp anyone with a skin disease, anyone who has a bodily discharge, and anyone who is defiled by a dead body.
- Exodus 18:19
Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their causes to Him.
- Numbers 19:11
Whoever touches any dead body will be unclean for seven days.
- Numbers 27:2
Through
Ezekiel 44:25A priest must not defile himself by going near a dead person. However, for a father, a mother, a son, a daughter, a brother, or an unmarried sister, he may do so,
it leads to
- Leviticus 22:4
If a descendant of Aaron has a skin disease or a discharge, he may not eat the sacred offerings until he is clean. Whoever touches anything defiled by a corpse or by a man…
- Matthew 8:21–22
Another of His disciples requested, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
- Leviticus 21:1–6
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Speak to Aaron’s sons, the priests, and tell them that a priest is not to defile himself for a dead person among his people,
- Leviticus 22:4
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; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.