Numbers 6:1-27
The LORD Bless You
1And the LORD said to Moses,
2“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,
3he is to abstain from wine and strong drink. He must not drink vinegar made from wine or strong drink, and he must not drink any grape juice or eat fresh grapes or raisins.
4All the days of his separation, he is not to eat anything that comes from the grapevine, not even the seeds or skins.
5For the entire period of his vow of separation, no razor shall touch 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.
6Throughout the days of his separation to the LORD, he must not go near a dead body.
7Even if his father or mother or brother or sister should die, he is not to defile himself, because the symbol of consecration to his God is upon his head.
8Throughout the time of his separation, he is holy to the LORD.
9If 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.
10On the eighth day he must bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
11And the priest is to offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to make atonement for him, because he has sinned by being in the presence of the dead body. On that day he must consecrate his head again.
12He must rededicate his time of separation to the LORD and bring a year-old male lamb as a guilt offering. But the preceding days shall not be counted, because his separation was defiled.
13Now this is the law of the Nazirite when his time of separation is complete: He must be brought to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting,
14and he is to present an offering to the LORD of an unblemished year-old male lamb as a burnt offering, an unblemished year-old female lamb as a sin offering, and an unblemished ram as a peace offering—
15together with their grain offerings and drink offerings—and a basket of unleavened cakes made from fine flour mixed with oil and unleavened wafers coated with oil.
16The priest is to present all these before the LORD and make the sin offering and the burnt offering.
17He shall also offer the ram as a peace offering to the LORD, along with the basket of unleavened bread. And the priest is to offer the accompanying grain offering and drink offering.
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.
19And the priest is to take the boiled shoulder from the ram, one unleavened cake from the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and put them into the hands of the Nazirite who has just shaved the hair of his consecration.
20The priest shall then wave them as a wave offering before the LORD. This is a holy portion for the priest, in addition to the breast of the wave offering and the thigh that was presented. After that, the Nazirite may drink wine.
21This is the law of the Nazirite who vows his offering to the LORD for his separation, in addition to whatever else he can afford; he must fulfill whatever vow he makes, according to the law of his separation.”
22Then the LORD said to Moses,
23“Tell Aaron and his sons: This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:
24‘May the LORD bless you and keep you;
25may the LORD cause His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
26may the LORD lift up His countenance toward you and give you peace.’
27So they shall put My name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”
Berean Standard Bible
The LORD gives Moses instructions for a man or woman who takes a special vow to separate himself or herself to Him. The Nazirite may not drink wine or anything from the vine, may not cut the hair, and may not go near a dead body, even for a close family member. The vow creates a visible season of unusual devotion.
If the Nazirite becomes unclean through an unexpected death, the hair is shaved on the seventh day and sacrifices are brought on the eighth. The days before the uncleanness do not count, and the vow begins again. The law recognizes that dedication can be interrupted by an event a person did not choose.
When the period ends, the Nazirite brings offerings, shaves at the entrance of the tent, and puts the hair on the fire under the peace offering. The devotion is not meant to create a permanent spiritual elite. It has a beginning, a cost, and an ending under the LORD's instructions.
Aaron and his sons close the instructions by speaking the blessing over Israel: the LORD blesses and keeps, makes His face shine, turns His face toward His people, and gives peace. The blessing comes from God's name and is placed upon the people by the priests.
Questions
1 What did a Nazirite vow involve?
AnswerIt involved abstaining from the vine, leaving the hair uncut, and avoiding contact with the dead during a period of dedication.
2 What happened if the vow was interrupted by a death?
AnswerThe Nazirite brought the required offerings, shaved, and began the period of dedication again.
3 Was the Nazirite vow a permanent rank?
AnswerNo. It was a defined period of special devotion that ended with offerings and the completion of the vow.
4 What does the priestly blessing ask from the LORD?
AnswerIt asks Him to bless, keep, show His face, give grace, look with favor, and give peace.
What This Means for Us
The Nazirite vow belongs to Israel's covenant worship and should not be turned into a competition over spiritual seriousness. The blessing at the end shifts attention from human performance to the LORD's keeping, grace, and peace.
Receive seasons of devotion gratefully, but do not build identity on being more intense than everyone else. The deepest blessing is that God turns His face toward His people and keeps them.
Prayer
LORD, bless and keep us. Turn Your face toward our households, make us faithful in every season, and give us the peace that comes from Your grace rather than from our performance. Amen.