New International Version
Numbers 6:7
7Even if their own father or mother or brother or sister dies, they must not make themselves ceremonially unclean on account of them, because the symbol of their dedication to God is on their head.
Numbers 6:7 in other versions
- King James Version (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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Not even for his father or for his mother, for brother or sister, if they die, shall he make himself unclean, because his separation to God is on his head.
- New King James Version (NKJV)He shall not make himself unclean even for his father or his mother, for his brother or his sister, when they die, because his separation to God is on his head.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Even if the dead person is their own father, mother, brother, or sister, they must not defile themselves, for the hair on their head is the symbol of their separation to God.
Context of Numbers 6:7
5“ ‘During the entire period of their Nazirite vow, no razor may be used on their head. They must be holy until the period of their dedication to the Lord is over; they must let their hair grow long. 6“ ‘Throughout the period of their dedication to the Lord, the Nazirite must not go near a dead body. Even if their own father or mother or brother or sister dies, they must not make themselves ceremonially unclean on account of them, because the symbol of their dedication to God is on their head. 8Throughout the period of their dedication, they are consecrated to the Lord. 9“ ‘If someone dies suddenly in the Nazirite’s presence, thus defiling the hair that symbolizes their dedication, they must shave their head on the seventh day—the day of their cleansing.
Read all of Numbers 6Numbers 6:7 word by word
לְאָבִ֣יו וּלְאִמּ֗וֹ לְאָחִיו֙ וּלְאַ֣חֹת֔וֹ לֹא־יִטַּמָּ֥א לָהֶ֖ם בְּמֹתָ֑ם כִּ֛י נֵ֥זֶר אֱלֹהָ֖יו עַל־רֹאשֽׁוֹ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- He shall not make himself uncleanטָמֵאţâmê' · to defileH2930
- for his fatherאָב'âb · fatherH1
- or for his motherאֵם'êm · motherH517
- for his brotherאָח'âch · brother: male-siblingH251
- or for his sisterאָחוֹת'âchôth · sisterH269
- when they dieמָ֫וֶתmâveth · deathH4194
- because the consecrationנֵ֫זֶרnezer nêzer · consecration: Nazirite vowH5145
- of his Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- upon his headרֹאשׁrô'sh · headH7218
Cross-references for Numbers 6:7
- Numbers 9:6But some of them could not celebrate the Passover on that day because they were ceremonially unclean on account of a dead body. So they came to Moses and Aaron that same day
- Leviticus 21:1The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: ‘A priest must not make himself ceremonially unclean for any of his people who die,
- Ezekiel 44:25“ ‘A priest must not defile himself by going near a dead person; however, if the dead person was his father or mother, son or daughter, brother or unmarried sister, then he may defile himself.
- 1 Corinthians 11:10It is for this reason that a woman ought to have authority over her own head, because of the angels.
Commentaries on Numbers 6:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7The 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. Now as the hair of the Nazarite was a token of his subjection to God through all the peculiarities of his nazarate, a woman, who is married, is considered as a Nazarite for life, i. e., separated from all others, and joined to one husband who is her lord; hence St. Paul, probably alluding…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-21Verses 1-21 The law of the Nazarite is appropriately added to other enactments which concern the sanctity of the holy nation. That sanctity found its highest expression in the Nazarite vow, which was the voluntary adoption for a time of obligations to high and strict modes of self-dedication resembling, and indeed in some particulars exceeding, those under which the priests were placed. The present enactments do not institute a new kind of observance, but…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6-8Touching dead bodies made people ceremonially unclean (9:6–10). Priests could only touch the dead bodies of close relatives (Leviticus 21:1–4). But Nazirites could not touch any dead body at all.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-222-8. 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 vow might be taken by either sex, provided they had…Read the comment
Topics related to Numbers 6:7
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Numbers 6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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