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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Numbers 6:1-21

After the law for the discovery and shame of those that by sin had made themselves vile, fitly follows this for the direction and encouragement of those who by their eminent piety and devotion had made themselves honourable, and distinguished themselves from their neighbours. It is very probable that there were those before the making of this law who went under the character of Nazarites, and were celebrated by that title as persons professing greater strictness and zeal in religion than other... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 6:6

All the days that he separateth himself unto the Lord ,.... This phrase is repeated at every new article and branch of the law of the Nazarites, of which what follows is the third; showing that each part of it, during that time, was strictly to be observed: he shall come at no dead body : not near to any, not even to be in the same place where a dead body lay, nor to touch one, nor to attend the funeral of any, nor be concerned at all about burying the dead; now, as such so defiled... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 6:7

He shall not make himself unclean for his father or for his mother, for his brother or for his sister, when they die ,.... Aben Ezra adds also, for his wife, and for his daughter, and for others; what even the priests of the Lord, the common priests might do, a Nazarite might not, not come near any of his relations when dead, as to touch them, to close their eyes, or wash their bodies, and provide for their funeral, and attend that, or to be where they were; in this respect they were upon a... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 6:8

All the days of his separation he is holy unto the Lord. Set apart for his service, separate from all others, especially the dead, and under obligation to abstain from the above things; from drinking wine, from shaving his hair, and from defiling himself for the dead, and to be employed in holy and religious exercises during the time his vow is upon him. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 6:9

And if any man die very suddenly by him ,.... In the place where he is, whether house or field, a public or private place, in the tent where he is, as Jarchi; there are two words we render, "very suddenly", which many take to be synonymous; and that being of the same signification, two being used increase the sense, but others think they have a different meaning: the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan render them,"suddenly through ignorance,'understanding it of a chance matter, as when one man... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 6:10

And on the eighth day he shall bring two turtles or two young pigeons to the priest ,.... Not a turtledove and a young pigeon, as Ben Gersom observes, but two of one of the sorts, which was the offering of the poorer sort of childbearing women at their purification, and of profluvious persons, men or women, Leviticus 12:8 ; and this case of the Nazarite's being an uncleanness, could not be purged away but by sacrifice; which was typical of the sacrifice of Christ, by which that unclean... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 6:11

And the priest shall offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering ,.... That is, one of the turtles or young pigeons for the one kind of sacrifice, and one for the other sort; both being necessary; the one to expiate sin, and the other as a gift to God by way of thankfulness for acceptance of the former: and make an atonement for him, for that he sinned by the dead ; by being where the dead body was, which, though not sinful, in a moral sense, was, in a ceremonial... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Numbers 6:7

The 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 to this circumstance, says, 1... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Numbers 6:10

Two turtles, or two young pigeons - The same kind of offering made by him who had an issue, Leviticus 15:14 , etc. read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Numbers 6:6

Verse 6 6.He shall come at no dead body. This, too, they had in common with the high-priest, that they were not even to mourn for their relations. Although Moses enjoins two things, that the Nazarites should make themselves unclean neither by entering the house of mourning, nor by mourning themselves, it was indeed a duty of humanity to bury the dead; but if any of the people had touched a dead body, or had come near a death-bed or bier, they were polluted. But God demands more of the... read more

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