New Living Translation
Numbers 6:5
5“They must never cut their hair throughout the time of their vow, for they are holy and set apart to the Lord. Until the time of their vow has been fulfilled, they must let their hair grow long.
Numbers 6:5 in other versions
- King James Version (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.
- New International Version (NIV)“ ‘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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"All the days of his vow of separation, no razor shall touch his head. Until the time is completed for which he separates himself to the Lord, he shall be holy. He shall let the locks of hair of his head grow long.
- New King James Version (NKJV)‘All the days of the vow of his separation no razor shall come upon his head; until the days are fulfilled for which he separated himself to the Lord, he shall be holy. Then he shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow.
Context of Numbers 6:5
3they must give up wine and other alcoholic drinks. They must not use vinegar made from wine or from other alcoholic drinks, they must not drink fresh grape juice, and they must not eat grapes or raisins. 4As long as they are bound by their Nazirite vow, they are not allowed to eat or drink anything that comes from a grapevine—not even the grape seeds or skins. “They must never cut their hair throughout the time of their vow, for they are holy and set apart to the Lord. Until the time of their vow has been fulfilled, they must let their hair grow long. 6And they must not go near a dead body during the entire period of their vow to the Lord. 7Even 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.
Read all of Numbers 6Numbers 6:5 word by word
כָּל־יְמֵי֙ נֶ֣דֶר נִזְר֔וֹ תַּ֖עַר לֹא־יַעֲבֹ֣ר עַל־רֹאשׁ֑וֹ עַד־מְלֹ֨את הַיָּמִ֜ם אֲשֶׁר־יַזִּ֤יר לַיהוָה֙ קָדֹ֣שׁ יִהְיֶ֔ה גַּדֵּ֥ל פֶּ֖רַע שְׂעַ֥ר רֹאשֽׁוֹ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- All the daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- of the vowנֶ֫דֶרneder nêder · vowH5088
- of his separationנֵ֫זֶרnezer nêzer · consecration: Nazirite vowH5145
- there shall no razorתַּ֫עַרta‛ar · razorH8593
- comeעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
- upon his headרֹאשׁrô'sh · headH7218
- be fulfilledמָלֵאmâlê' mâlâ' · to fillH4390
- in the which he separatethנָזַרnâzar · be a NazariteH5144
- unto the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- he shall be holyקָדוֹשׁqâdôsh qâdôsh · holyH6918
- shall let the locksפֶּ֫רַעpera‛ · lockH6545
- of the hairשֵׂעָרώê‛âr ώa‛ar · hairH8181
- growגָּדַלgâdal · to magnifyH1431
Cross-references for Numbers 6:5
- Judges 13:5You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and his hair must never be cut. For he will be dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. He will begin to rescue Israel from the Philistines.”
- Judges 16:17Finally, Samson shared his secret with her. “My hair has never been cut,” he confessed, “for I was dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as anyone else.”
- 1 Samuel 1:11And she made this vow: “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the Lord, his hair will never be cut.”
- Lamentations 4:7Our princes once glowed with health— brighter than snow, whiter than milk. Their faces were as ruddy as rubies, their appearance like fine jewels.
- 1 Corinthians 11:10For this reason, and because the angels are watching, a woman should wear a covering on her head to show she is under authority.
Commentaries on Numbers 6:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5There shall no razor come upon his head - The vow of the Nazarite consisted in the following particulars: - He consecrated himself in a very especial and extraordinary manner to God. 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, Numbers 6:18. During the time of his separation, or nazarate, he drank no wine…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. 5hair: This had a special symbolic meaning (see Leviticus 19:27). Religious people often left their hair uncut or shaved it completely (Numbers 8:5–7). The Israelites did not have to leave their hair completely uncut, but the Nazirites did.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 6:5
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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