Numbers - 6:6



6 "'All the days that he separates himself to Yahweh he shall not go near a dead body.

Verse In-Depth

Explanation and meaning of Numbers 6:6.

Differing Translations

Compare verses for better understanding.
All the days that he separateth himself unto the LORD he shall come at no dead body.
All the days that he separateth himself unto Jehovah he shall not come near to a dead body.
All the time of his consecration he shall not go in to any dead,
All the days that he hath consecrated himself to Jehovah, he shall come near no dead body.
'All days of his keeping separate to Jehovah, near a dead person he doth not go;
All the days that he separates himself to the LORD he shall come at no dead body.
All the time he is separate he may not come near any dead body.
All the days that he consecrateth himself unto the LORD he shall not come near to a dead body.
During all the time of his consecration, he shall not enter because of a death,
Omnibus diebus quibus separabit se Jehovae ad animam mortui non ingredietur.

*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.


Historical Commentaries

Scholarly Analysis and Interpretation.

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 Nazarites, lest, they should contract uncleanness; for it was not sufficient for them (as will be seen again presently) to purify themselves according to the accustomed means, but it behoved them to be far removed from all things that would pollute them. But why the touch of a dead body was a pollution, we shall consider more at large in its proper place. Now it must be briefly concluded, that because by death is represented God's curse, the wages of sin, the Israelites were thus admonished to beware of dead works. As to the mourning, the reason of the prohibition was different, viz., that those who professed the special service of God, should set, an example to others of magnanimity and submission. If it were sinful to weep and lament when our friends are taken from us, Christ would not, have wept. at the tomb of Lazarus; but because perturbation is always associated with grief, and men in their mourning are too apt to give way to ambition and pomp, and voluntarily and purposely provoke themselves to excess, as though nature did not already carry them further than is right, the Nazarites could not give an example of moderation, if they had mixed themselves with mourners. Wherefore, as they were before restrained from daintiness, so now a remedy is applied to the opposite disease, viz., to sorrow. But, although all ought, to seek to indulge it moderately, yet something more is prescribed to the Nazarites, that, as if disentangled and stripped from earthly affections, they should go further than the rest of the people; as we shall see hereafter with respect to the priests.

All the days that he separateth [himself] unto the LORD he shall come at no (b) dead body.
(b) As at burials, or mournings.

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 were unclean seven days, and during that time might not go into the tabernacle, the Nazarites were strictly cautioned against such pollution, that they might not be detained from the service of God they had devoted themselves unto; see Numbers 19:11.

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