New Living Translation
Numbers 6:7
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.
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.
- New International Version (NIV)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.
- 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.
Context of Numbers 6:7
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. 6And they must not go near a dead body during the entire period of their vow to the Lord. 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. 8This requirement applies as long as they are set apart to the Lord. 9“If someone falls dead beside them, the hair they have dedicated will be defiled. They must wait for seven days and then shave their heads. Then they will be cleansed from their defilement.
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 the men had been ceremonially defiled by touching a dead body, so they could not celebrate the Passover that day. They came to Moses and Aaron that day
- Leviticus 21:1The Lord said to Moses, “Give the following instructions to the priests, the descendants of Aaron. “A priest must not make himself ceremonially unclean by touching the dead body of a relative.
- Ezekiel 44:25“A priest must not defile himself by being in the presence of a dead person unless it is his father, mother, child, brother, or unmarried sister. In such cases it is permitted.
- 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 6:7
- 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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