Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Numbers 6:9
And if any man die very suddenly by him, and he hath defiled the head of his consecration; then he shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing, on the seventh day shall he shave it.
9. the head of his separation ] i.e. his head with the long hair, the symbol of his consecration.
in the day of his cleansing ] Better of his cleanness, i.e. in the day when he became clean.
shall he shave it ] The hair, being polluted, must be got rid of in some way that would prevent it defiling other objects. The present law does not mention this; but in accordance with ancient practice it would probably be buried (W. R. Smith, Rel. Sem. 2 369 ff.); and this is laid down in the Mishnah.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
9 12. The third regulation might be unavoidably infringed if a sudden death occurred in the Nazirite’s presence. He was then unclean for seven days. At the end of that period he shaved close his polluted hair, and on the next day brought an offering. He was now considered free from pollution, and he began the whole period of his vow afresh.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
He shall shave his head, because his whole body, and especially his hair, was defiled by such an accident, which he ought to impute either to his own heedlessness, or at least to Gods providence, so ordering the matter possibly for the punishment of his other sins, or for the quickening of him to more caution and purity, and detestation of all dead works whereby he would be defiled.
On the seventh day, to be reckoned from the time of his pollution; for uncleanness contracted by the dead continued for seven days, and the seventh day was the day of cleansing for it, Lev 15:13; Num 19:11,12.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
9-12. If any man die very suddenlyby him, and he hath defiled the head of his consecrationCasesof sudden death might occur to make him contract pollution; and insuch circumstances he was required, after shaving his head, to makethe prescribed offerings necessary for the removal of ceremonialdefilement (Lev 15:13; Num 19:11).But by the terms of this law an accidental defilement vitiated thewhole of his previous observances, and he was required to begin theperiod of his Nazaritism afresh. But even this full completion didnot supersede the necessity of a sin offering at the close. Sinmingles with our best and holiest performances, and the blood ofsprinkling is necessary to procure acceptance to us and our services.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
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 is killed by another, not wilfully and through malice, but without intention and design: Jarchi interprets the first of them by violence, and the latter through error or mistake, and so may include both cases; as when a man dies at once, through the force of a disease seizing him, or he is killed by the violent hands of a man, who stabs him in the presence of a Nazarite; or else when this is done ignorantly and through mistake; be it which way it will, if a Nazarite was present:
and he both defiled the head of his consecration: or the consecration of his head, his Nazariteship, that is, his hair, he being polluted by the dead, through being where it was:
then he shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing; which was the seventh day from his defilement, as follows:
on the seventh day he shall shave it; for so many days was a person unclean that had touched a body, of had been where one was, and on the seventh day he was to be cleansed, Nu 19:11; and this was one way of cleansing the Nazarite, cutting off his locks of hair, which were to grow long, and made him to be a Nazarite; and shave his head for his pollution by the dead, put an end to his Nazariteship; and he was obliged to begin again, and his hair being polluted, must be shaved, and new hair grow to make him a Nazarite again: thus by one single breach of the law of God a man becomes guilty of all, and liable to its curse, and his legal righteousness becomes insufficient to justify him before God, and therefore his own righteousness must be renounced by him in the business of justification; and which, Ainsworth suggests, is the mystery of the Nazarite’s head being shaved when polluted.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
9. And if any man die very suddenly. Here is prescribed what must be done, if a defilement should have been contracted which no precaution could have prevented. If a Nazarite should have willingly and knowingly entered a house of mourning, or should have come near a dead body, his consecration would have been violated not without, sin; but, in the case of a sudden death, the error was excusable, though God commands that it should be expiated; for whatever time of the vow had passed He counts for nothing, nor will it be taken into account. This was no light punishment, that he, who had been guilty of no fault, should begin to pay his vow altogether afresh. Besides the loss of the time, a sacrifice is also added, whereby he who was polluted should prepare himself for a new consecration. But, because this consecration was voluntary, none could complain of the immoderate rigor to which he had subjected himself of his own accord. Meanwhile, it was shewn how precious to God is the purity of His worship. (337) Two Hebrew words from different roots, though they are of kindred signification, are used, by which mode of speaking Moses wished more fully to express the unexpected nature of the death. For, in my opinion, it is puerile of the Jews to understand the first of a bloody murder, the other of a sudden death.
(337) פתע פתאם Each means suddenly. A. V., very suddenly. It is a rule of Hebrew Grammar that the use of two synonymous words is to be considered as a mode of expressing a superlative. — W.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
9. Defiled the head of his consecration Or, his consecrated head. Involuntary defilement by actual contact with a corpse was a violation of the Nazarite’s sanctity during seven days. “Cleanse thou me from secret” (unconsciously committed) “faults.” See Leviticus iv, concluding notes. If we may believe Hebrew writers, the subject of this vow could not even so much as wear mourning for his nearest relatives.
Shall shave his head Not because his hair is the special seat of the defilement, but because it was the conspicuous exponent of his entire consecration to Jehovah.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
What To Do In The Case of an Accidental Breach of Vow ( Num 6:9-12 ).
Num 6:9
“ And if any man die very suddenly beside him, and he defiles the head of his separation, then he shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing. On the seventh day shall he shave it.”
It may, however, be that by accident he comes in contact with the dead because of the sudden and unexpected death of someone next to him. This would defile the head of his separation, the very hair that declared him holy. In that case his hair must be cut off. It had been defiled. It was no longer the sign of his separation, which had ceased. It was unavoidable. Anyone who touched the dead body of a man was unclean for seven days (Num 19:11).
On the third day he was to purify himself by having the ‘water of uncleanness’ sprinkled on him, and as a result on the seventh day he would be clean (19:12). This was ‘the day of his cleansing’. Thus having carried through this procedure like any other Israelite must, the defiled Nazirite would be clean on the seventh day. That was the point at which he must cut off his hair so as to begin again. Without that he would not, in his case, be clean. The hair was defiled. It would have to be replaced by new hair. It was then too that he would wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and wait until the evening when he would be clean (Num 19:19), and ready to renew his vow.
Num 6:10-11
“ And on the eighth day he shall bring two turtle-doves, or two young pigeons, to the priest, to the door of the tent of meeting, and the priest shall offer one for a purification for sin offering, and the other for a whole burnt offering (‘an offering that goes up’), and make atonement for him, because he sinned by reason of the dead, and he shall hallow his head that same day.”
But because he had broken his Nazirite vow atonement had to be made. So on the eighth day he was to bring two turtle-doves or two young pigeons to the priest, to ‘the door of the Tent of Meeting’ (that is within the courtyard where the altar was), and the priest would offer one for a purification for sin offering and one for a whole burnt offering. By this atonement would be made because he had ‘sinned’ by touching the dead and breaking his vow. Then he would hallow his head by renewing his vow and beginning again.
Num 6:12
“ And he shall separate to Yahweh the days of his separation, and shall bring a he-lamb a year old for a trespass-offering; but the former days shall be void, because his separation was defiled.”
He must then once again separate himself to Yahweh for the same period as previously, separating off those days as the days of his vow, and bring a one year old lamb as a guilt offering. This sacrifice always demonstrated that Yahweh’s rights had been breached. But the days that he had already served would not count, for what had happened had defiled that period of separation.
One important lesson from this is that what we have promised to God we must perform. If something interferes we must begin again. We must under no circumstances just assume that as something has happened which has prevented us we are free from our obligation. Vows to God are voluntary. But once made they are binding. It is also an assurance that we need not despair. We may find that we have failed in our consecration. We meant it so genuinely, and yet we have let God down. We have here the assurance that we can begin again.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Num 6:9. He shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing See chap. Num 8:7. Lev 14:8. Being rendered impure by touching the dead, he was to remain in that state for a week, and then shave off his polluted hair, that new and holy hair might grow instead of it. And, having presented such offerings as the law prescribes, (see chap. Num 19:11-12. Lev 15:14.) he was to begin his vow of purity anew, and the former days of his Nazariteship were to go for nothing; Num 6:12.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Secondarily and subordinately to the grand subject, of being typical to the ever blessed Nazarite, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, we may behold in this chapter, several circumstances which had a reference to the character of the Nazarites in general. Those verses particularly point out the law, as it relates to them. Misters especially, and even lower orders in the church, whose lives are engaged about sacred things, nay here observe, how graciously the LORD hath made provision for errors of infirmity, and offenses of oversight. See! what a merciful GOD in CHRIST, we have to do with. Sweet is that scripture to this effect, Psa_103:10; Psa_103:14 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Num 6:9 And if any man die very suddenly by him, and he hath defiled the head of his consecration; then he shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing, on the seventh day shall he shave it.
Ver. 9. And If any man die. ] A figure of the involuntary and unavoidable infirmity of the saints, which must be bewailed, as direct fruits of the flesh; and for which there is, through Christ, a pardon of course.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
and he: Num 19:14-19
shave: Num 6:18, Act 18:18, Act 21:23, Act 21:24, Phi 3:8, Phi 3:9
Reciprocal: Lev 9:1 – the eighth day Lev 14:2 – in the day Lev 14:9 – shave all Num 6:4 – separation Eze 44:27 – he shall offer
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Num 6:9. He shall shave his head Because his whole body, and especially his hair, was defiled by such an accident, which was to be imputed either to his own heedlessness, or to Gods providence so ordering the matter; possibly for the punishment of his other sins, or for the quickening him to more purity and detestation of all dead works, whereby he would be defiled.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
6:9 And if any man die very suddenly by him, and he hath defiled the {d} head of his consecration; then he shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing, on the seventh day shall he shave it.
(d) Whose long hair is a sign that he is dedicated to God.