Numbers 6:9
in Numbers 6If someone suddenly dies in his presence and defiles his consecrated head of hair, he must shave his head on the day of his cleansing—the seventh day.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And if any man die very suddenly beside him, and he defile the head of his separation; then he shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing, on the seventh day shall he shave it.
KJV
And if any man die very suddenly by him, and he hath defiled the head of his consecration; then he shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing, on the seventh day shall he shave it.
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This verse in Numbers 6
Commentary
5 notes on this verseNay, more was required for the purifying of the Nazarite than of any other person that had touched a dead body; he must bring a sin-offering and a burnt-offering, and an atonement must be made for him,
This site's exposition
If someone suddenly dies in his presence
on Numbers 6:9-11
An unforeseen death still defiles the vow, and cleansing follows the seven days and the eighth of Numbers 19:11. The priest makes atonement “because he has sinned by being in the presence of the dead body”. John Wesley reads this as ceremonial pollution and no fault of his own.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
): If a man die very suddenly by him, he has defiled the head of his consecration. Note, Death sometimes takes men away very suddenly, and without any previous warning. A man might be well and dead in so little a time that the most careful Nazarite could not avoid being polluted by the dead body; so short a step is it sometimes, and so soon taken, from time to eternity.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
He shall shave his head - Because his whole body, and especially his hair was defiled by such an accident, which he ought to impute either to his own heedlessness, or to God's providence so ordering the matter, possibly for the punishment of his other sins, or for the quickening him to more purity and detestation of all dead works, whereby he would be defiled.
And if any man die very suddenly by him,....
The words behind it
16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְכִֽי־ | vekhi- | and if | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| יָמ֨וּת | yamut | he will die | H4191 → | 839 times |
| מֵ֤ת | met | a dead [person] | H4191 → | 839 times |
| עָלָיו֙ | ʾalav | with him | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| בְּפֶ֣תַע | befeta' | in an instant | H6621 → | |
| פִּתְאֹ֔ם | pitom | suddenly | H6597 → | |
| וְטִמֵּ֖א | vetime' | and he will make unclean | H2930 → | 162 times |
| רֹ֣אשׁ | rosh | [the] head of | H7218 → | 599 times |
| נִזְר֑וֹ | nizro | Nazirite vow his | H5145 → | 25 times |
| וְגִלַּ֤ח | vegilach | and he will shave | H1548 → | 23 times |
| רֹאשׁוֹ֙ | rosho | head his | H7218 → | 599 times |
| בְּי֣וֹם | beyom | on [the] day of | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| טָהֳרָת֔וֹ | tohorato | purification his | H2893 → | |
| בַּיּ֥וֹם | baiyom | on the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַשְּׁבִיעִ֖י | hashevii | <the> seventh | H7637 → | 98 times |
| יְגַלְּחֶֽנּוּ׃ | yegallechenu | he will shave it | H1548 → | 23 times |
וְכִֽי־and if
vekhi-H3588 →4482 times
יָמ֨וּתhe will die
yamutH4191 →839 times
מֵ֤תa dead [person]
metH4191 →839 times
עָלָיו֙with him
ʾalavH5921 →5755 times
בְּפֶ֣תַעin an instant
befeta'H6621 →
פִּתְאֹ֔םsuddenly
pitomH6597 →
וְטִמֵּ֖אand he will make unclean
vetime'H2930 →162 times
רֹ֣אשׁ[the] head of
roshH7218 →599 times
נִזְר֑וֹNazirite vow his
nizroH5145 →25 times
וְגִלַּ֤חand he will shave
vegilachH1548 →23 times
רֹאשׁוֹ֙head his
roshoH7218 →599 times
בְּי֣וֹםon [the] day of
beyomH3117 →2304 times
טָהֳרָת֔וֹpurification his
tohoratoH2893 →
בַּיּ֥וֹםon the day
baiyomH3117 →2304 times
הַשְּׁבִיעִ֖י<the> seventh
hasheviiH7637 →98 times
יְגַלְּחֶֽנּוּ׃he will shave it
yegallechenuH1548 →23 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
Acts 18:18Paul 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.
- Numbers 6:18
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.
- 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…
- Acts 18:2
There he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to…
- Numbers 6:5–9
For 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…
- Acts 21:24
Through
Numbers 6:18Then 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.
it leads to
- 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,…
- Luke 17:10
So you also, when you have done everything commanded of you, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”
- Acts 18:18
Through
Leviticus 14:9On the seventh day he must shave off all his hair—his head, his beard, his eyebrows, and the rest of his hair. He must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water, and he…
it leads to
- Leviticus 14:8
The one being cleansed must wash his clothes, shave off all his hair, and bathe with water; then he will be ceremonially clean. Afterward, he may enter the camp, but he must remain outside…
- Leviticus 14:8
Where this verse is studied
About Numbers
This page draws on 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.