Numbers 6:13

13–21. The ceremony at the completion of the vow. This consisted of three parts: (a) The Nazirite brought a burnt-offering, sin-offering, and peace-offering, with the usual meal-offering and libations attached to the burnt-offering and the sin-offering (see Num_15:4-6), and the priest offered them (Num_6:13-17). (b) He shaved his head, standing near the door of the Tent by the altar in the court, and threw the hair into the fire on the altar that was consuming the fat of the peace-offering (Num_6:18). (c) After the fat was burnt, the priest waved the shoulder of the peace-offering and part of the meal-offering, and took them as his own perquisite, together with the breast and the ‘thigh of contribution’ which usually fell to him. A sacrificial feast, not here mentioned, must have followed, at which the meat was eaten, and perhaps the Nazirite joined in it, for the worshipper in all other cases had a share in the peace-offering (see art. ‘Sacrifice’ in Hastings’ DB. iv. 338).

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Num 6:13 And this [is] the law of the Nazarite, when the days of his separation are fulfilled: he shall be brought unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation:

Ver. 13. And this is the law of the Nazarite.] The third part of it, to teach him thankfulness, that most needful, but much neglected duty.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

when the days of his separation are fulfilled, &c.--On the accomplishment of a limited vow of Nazaritism, Nazarites might cut their hair wherever they happened to be (Act 18:18); but the hair was to be carefully kept and brought to the door of the sanctuary. Then after the presentation of sin offerings and burnt offerings, it was put under the vessel in which the peace offerings were boiled; and the priest, taking the shoulder (Lev 7:32), when boiled, and a cake and wafer of the meat offering, put them on the hands of the Nazarites to wave before the Lord, as a token of thanksgiving, and thus released them from their vow.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

And he shall offer his offering unto the Lord,.... The Nazarite was to present his offering at the door of the tabernacle, to the priest, in order to be offered for him to the Lord:

one he lamb of the first year without blemish for a burnt offering; according to the law, manner, and custom of a burnt offering, as Aben Ezra observes, which, whether of the herd or of the flock, was to be a male and unblemished, and not more than a year old, Lev 1:3,

and one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish for a sin offering; as was the manner and custom of a sin offering, to be a female, as is remarked by the same writer, see Lev 4:32,

and one ram without blemish for peace offerings; all sorts of offerings were offered on this occasion; a "sin offering", though the vow was performed, and not any mistake made, or anything omitted that was known; yet, lest there should be any secret and unknown breach of the law of Nazariteship committed, a sin offering was required: this teaches us that there may be secret and unknown sins committed by the best of men, in their most sacred and solemn services; and that there is no justification before God by the best works of men, find that the purest and most perfect stand in need of the atoning sacrifice of Christ: a "burnt offering" was to be offered, which usually followed the sin offering, as it did here, though mentioned first, see Num 6:16; and which was done by way of thanksgiving to God for his acceptance of the sin offering: and "peace offerings" were, as Aben Ezra observes, for joy that he had performed his vow: the burnt offering was wholly the Lord's, the sin offering the priest had his part of, and the peace offerings the Nazarite and his friends ate of, and so everyone had their share in these oblations.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

He. The priest.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

By the priest’s appointment and direction.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

13. This is the law of the Nazarite — The following verses (13-21) contain the rites required for the discharge of a Nazarite of days, prescribing the mode of expressing his gratitude for the attainment of the object of his vow and for its successful termination. The whole list of sacrifices described in Leviticus i-vii is exhausted, with the exception of the trespass offering, which is appropriated to a broken vow.

He shall be brought — Literally, he shall bring him, or it — that is, the offering. We are left in doubt whether the priest brings the Nazarite, or he brings himself or his sacrifice, or some unknown person presents him. The English happily expresses the ambiguity.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

When the days of his separation are fulfilled. The original law contemplated only a vow for a certain period, longer or shorter. All the Nazirites, however, of whom we read in Scripture were lifelong Nazirites: Samson, (Jud_1:13:5) Samuel, (1Sa_1:11) John the Baptist. (Luk_1:15) In all these cases, however, the vow was made for them before their birth. Hegesippus (in Euseb. 2:23) tells us that James, the Lord"s brother, was a Nazirite: "He did not drink wine nor strong drink, and no razor came on his head."

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The Nazarite Sacrifices

v. 13. And this is the law of the Nazarite, when the days of his separation are fulfilled, when he has completed the period for which his vow was in force: He shall be brought unto the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation,

v. 14. and he shall offer his offering unto the Lord, one he-lamb of the first year without blemish for a burnt offering, and one ewe-lamb of the first year without blemish for a sin-offering, the former to establish complete fellowship between Jehovah and the worshiper, the latter to atone for any sins of weakness that may have happened during the period of separation, and one ram without blemish for peace-offerings,

v. 15. and a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, and wafers of unleavened bread anointed with oil, as they were prescribed for every peace-offering, Lev 7:12, and their meat-offering, and their drink-offerings, as they pertained to the burnt offerings and to the peace-offerings, in the form of flour, oil, and wine, Num 15:3-15.

v. 16. And the priest shall bring them before the Lord, and shall offer his sin-offering and his burnt offering;

v. 17. and he shall offer the ram for a sacrifice of peace-offerings unto the Lord, with the basket of unleavened bread; the priest shall offer also his meat-offering and his drink-offering.

v. 18. And the Nazarite shall shave the head of his separation, the head of hair which had so long remained unshorn as a token of his devotion to Jehovah, at the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and shall take the hair of the head of his separation, and put it in the fire which is under the sacrifice of the peace-offerings, thus dedicating the ornamental covering of his head entirely to Jehovah.

v. 19. And the priest shall take the sodden shoulder, the upper part of the fore quarter, of the ram, and one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them upon the hands of the Nazarite, after the hair of his separation is shaven;

v. 20. and the priest shall wave them for a wave-offering before the Lord. This is holy for the priest, with the wave-breast and heave-shoulder, Exo 29:27-28. And after that the Nazarite may drink wine, he is absolved from the external obligations attending his vow.

v. 21. This is the law of the Nazarite "who hath vowed, and of his offering unto the Lord for his separation, beside that that his hand shall get, whatever else he may afford in the line of gifts to Jehovah; according to the vow which he vowed, so he must do after the law of his separation. Nazarite vows are not enjoined in the New Testament, but it may often serve for a Christian’s self-discipline if he practices some form of self-denial, especially if there are many people in need of assistance.

Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

of his separation

Here "separation" means "dedication." Also, this abstract noun can be expressed as a verb. AT: "of his dedication" or "that he has dedicated himself" (See: Idiom or Abstract Nouns)

He must be brought

This can be stated in active form. AT: "Someone must bring him" or "He must go" (See: Active or Passive)

He must present his offering to Yahweh

He must bring his offering to the priest to be sacrificed to Yahweh. The full meaning of this statement can be made clear. AT: "He must present his offering to Yahweh by bringing it to the priest to be sacrificed" or "He must present his offering to Yahweh by bringing it to the priest who will sacrifice it" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

bread made without yeast

This can be stated in active form. AT: "bread he made without yeast" (See: Active or Passive)

fine flour mixed with oil

This can be stated in active form. AT: "fine flour that he mixed with oil" (See: Active or Passive)

wafers without yeast rubbed with oil

This can be stated in active form. AT: "wafers without yeast which he rubbed with oil" (See: Active or Passive)

wafers without yeast

small pieces of flat bread

together with their grain offering and drink offerings

The word "their" refers to the other offerings that the Nazirite man was told to bring. Often grain offerings and drink offerings were required to accompany other types of sacrifices. The full meaning of this statement can be made clear. AT: "together with the grain offering and drink offering that Yahweh required to accompany the other offerings" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

translationWords

law, laws

Nazirite

blemish

ewe

fellowship offering

bread

yeast

oil

grain offering

drink offering

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

יביא אתו means, he shall bring himself. This (the word אתו) is one of the three cases of את with a pronominal suffix which R. Ishmael explained thus (as being reflexive and not accusative pronouns). Similar to it is (Leviticus 22:16): והשאיו אותם עון אשמה “and they will bring אותם the iniquity of trespass”, i.e., “and they will bring upon themselves”. Similar to it is, (Deuteronomy 34:6) ויקבר אתו בני “He (Moses) buried himself in the glen”, (Sifrei Bamidbar 32; cf. Rashi on Leviticus 22:16 and Note thereon).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.