Numbers 6:9

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.

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.

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 God’s 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.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

6:9-21 Provisions were made for restoring purity in cases of unavoidable contact with a corpse. Special procedures and offerings brought the period of the Nazirite vow to a conclusion. A stern warning is added about actually fulfilling the vow (6:21).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Which long hair is a sign that he is dedicated to God.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

If any man die very suddenly by him, and he hath defiled the head of his consecration--Cases of sudden death might occur to make him contract pollution; and in such circumstances he was required, after shaving his head, to make the prescribed offerings necessary for the removal of ceremonial defilement (Lev 15:13; Num 19:11). But by the terms of this law an accidental defilement vitiated the whole of his previous observances, and he was required to begin the period of his Nazaritism afresh. But even this full completion did not supersede the necessity of a sin offering at the close. Sin mingles with our best and holiest performances, and the blood of sprinkling is necessary to procure acceptance to us and our services.

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

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.

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.

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.

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, Lev 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 thing sin is put away for ever; even the sins of holy things can be moved in no other way; these were to be brought to the priest to be offered by him:

to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation; for being defiled, the Nazarite might not go into the tabernacle, and therefore was to bring his offering to the door of it, where the priest received it of him.

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

Day. That none might escape; (Theodoret, q. 11) though the Hebrew may imply that the hair was only shaved on the ninth day, when he was to be purified, chap. xix. 12. Then the Nazarite had to begin again, as if he had done nothing, (Calmet) if his vow were only for a time. Those who had taken a vow for life never shaved.

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).

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 God’s 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.

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

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.

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

If any man die very suddenly by him. wyl, in his presence, or neighbourhood, so that, having hastened to his assistance, lie found himself in contact with a corpse. This ease is mentioned particularly, because it was the only one in which simple humanity or mere accident would be likely to infringe upon the vow. In the day of his cleansing, on the seventh day. This appears to be an anticipation of the law given below; (Num_19:11) but that law may have only sanctioned the existing custom. Shall he shave it. Because "the consecration of his God upon his head" was desecrated by the pollution of death, it must, therefore, be made away with and begun over again.

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

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 to God's 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.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

defiles his consecrated head

Here "head" represents the Nazirite man's hair, which symbolizes his vow. AT: "defiles his long hair which shows everyone he is separated to God" or "he becomes defiled" (See: Metonymy)

on the day of his purification

The abstract noun "purification" can be stated as the verbal phrase. AT: "on the day when he makes himself acceptable to God" (See: Abstract Nouns)

the seventh day

"day 7" (See: Ordinal Numbers)

translationWords

defile

clean

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

בפתע — This refers to a Nazarite who defiles himself thus by accident.

פתאם — This refers to one who does so inadvertently (Sifrei Bamidbar 28:1; cf. Onkelos). — But there are some who say that פתע פתאום denotes one thing, viz., an occurrence of suddenness (by a sudden occurrence, suddenly).

וכי ימות מת עליו AND IF A MAN DIES עליו — i.e., in the tent where he (the נזיר) happens to be.

ביום טהרתו [THEN HE SHALL CLIP THE HAIR OF HIS HEAD] IN THE DAY OF HIS CLEANSING — i.e., on the day when he is being sprinkled with the מי חטאת, (the water containing the ashes of the Red Heifer; cf. Numbers 19:17). Or perhaps this is not so, but it means, on the eighth day when he is perfectly clean! It, however, continues: “on the seventh day [he shall clip it]”. But if it had written only “on the seventh day [he shall clip it]” I might have thought that he must clip his hair even if one had not sprinkled him for some reason or other! Scripture therefore also states “on the day of his cleansing [he shall clip the hair of his head]” (Sifrei Bamidbar 28:2).

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.