Numbers 6:18

18 Then the Nazarite, or he that is hallowed, shall be shaven from the hair of his hallowing, before the door of the tabernacle of [the] bond of peace; and the priest shall take his hairs, and he shall put them upon the fire, which is put under the sacrifice of peaceable things. (Then the Nazarite, that is, he who is consecrated, shall shave off the hair of his consecration, at the entrance to the Tabernacle of the Covenant; and the priest shall take his hair, and he shall put it on the fire which is under the peace offering.)

Numbers 6:18 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 6:18

And the Nazarite shall shave the head of his separation, [at]
the door of the tabernacle of the congregation
The Targum of Jonathan is,

``and the Nazarite shall shave the head of his separation without,''

without the tabernacle, the door of it, where the people assembled together; so that this was to be done publicly, that it might be known of all, and no offence taken at the Nazarite's drinking wine, and concerning himself for the dead, and attending funerals, for by this action it was known that his Nazariteship was at an end; and whereas the hair of the Nazarite was consecrated to the Lord by his vow, and this vow being punctually fulfilled, it was sacred, and to be presented to the Lord, and to be of no use and service to himself or others, and therefore to be all clean shaven off; for, as Maimonides F26 says, if two hairs only were left, nothing was done, and the command of shaving not kept:

and shall take the hair of the head of his separation;
being cut off and shaved;

and put [it] in the fire which [is] under the sacrifice of the peace
offerings;
under the pot or cauldron, as the Targum of Jonathan, in which the ram for the peace offerings was boiled: this was done in the court of the women in later times, at the southeast of which was a chamber called the chamber of the Nazarites, where they bailed their peace offerings, and shaved their hair and cast it under the pot F1; and this might not be put, as before observed, to any other use; if any of it was made use of in a sack that was made of hair cloth, we are told F2 that sack was to be burnt.


FOOTNOTES:

F26 Hilchot Nezirut, c. 8. sect. 6.
F1 Misn. Middoth, c. 2. sect. 5. T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 16. 1.
F2 Misn. Orlah, c. 3. sect. 3.

Numbers 6:18 In-Context

16 which the priest shall offer before the Lord, and he shall make, or offer these, as well for sin as into burnt sacrifice. (which the priest shall offer before the Lord, and he shall offer these for his sin offering, and for his burnt sacrifice.)
17 Soothly he shall offer the ram (as) a peaceable sacrifice to the Lord, and he shall offer therewith a basket of therf loaves, and flowing sacrifices, that be due by custom. (And he shall offer the ram as a peace offering to the Lord, and he shall offer a basket of unleavened bread with it, and the grain and wine offerings, that be due by custom.)
18 Then the Nazarite, or he that is hallowed, shall be shaven from the hair of his hallowing, before the door of the tabernacle of [the] bond of peace; and the priest shall take his hairs, and he shall put them upon the fire, which is put under the sacrifice of peaceable things. (Then the Nazarite, that is, he who is consecrated, shall shave off the hair of his consecration, at the entrance to the Tabernacle of the Covenant; and the priest shall take his hair, and he shall put it on the fire which is under the peace offering.)
19 And he shall take the shoulder sodden of the ram, and one therf cake from the basket, and one [thin] therf cake first sodden in water and afterward fried in oil, and he shall betake them into the hands of the Nazarite, after that his head is shaven. (And he shall take the boiled shoulder of the ram, and one unleavened cake from the basket, and one thin unleavened wafer first boiled in water and then fried in oil, and he shall put them into the hands of the Nazarite, after that he hath shaved his head.)
20 And the priest shall raise (up) in the sight of the Lord the things taken again of him. And those things hallowed shall be the priest's part, as the breast which is commanded to be separated, and the hip. After these things the Nazarite may (again) drink wine. (And then the priest shall take these things from him, and raise them up as a special gift before the Lord. And these consecrated things shall be the priest's portion, including the special gift of the breast, and the special contribution of the leg. And after these things be done, the Nazarite can drink wine again.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.