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.
Parallel translations
- WEB He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when they die; because his separation to God is on his head.
- 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.
- BSB Even if his father or mother or brother or sister should die, he is not to defile himself, because the crown of consecration to his God is upon his head.
- NASB He shall not make himself unclean for his father or for his mother, for his brother or for his sister, when they die, because his consecration to God is on his head.
- NLT 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.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Even for a beloved family member's death, the Nazirite must not defile himself, because his consecration to God takes precedence.
Overview
The vow's demands outweighed even the closest natural ties, so that not even mourning a parent could break the separation. The phrase 'his separation to God is on his head' refers to the uncut hair as the visible token of consecration. This radical priority anticipates Jesus' call that love for God surpass all other loyalties (Luke 14:26).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- Num 9:6There were certain men, who were unclean because of the dead body of a man, so that they could not keep the Passover on that day, and they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day.
- Lev 21:1–2Yahweh said to Moses, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them, ‘A priest shall not defile himself for the dead among his people;
- Lev 21:10–12“‘He who is the high priest among his brothers, upon whose head the anointing oil is poured, and that is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not let the hair of his head hang loose, or tear his clothes.
- Ezek 44:25They shall go in to no dead person to defile themselves; but for father, or for mother, or for son, or for daughter, for brother, or for sister who has had no husband, they may defile themselves.
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Christ at the center
In the wilderness Christ is the water from the rock, the bronze serpent lifted up that the dying might look and live (John 3:14), and the star and scepter that Balaam saw rising out of Jacob.
How Numbers 6:7 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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