Numbers 6:7

7 and soothly he shall not be defouled upon the dead body of his father and of his mother, of brother and of sister, for the hallowing of his God is upon his head; (yea, he shall not even be defiled with the dead body of his own father or his mother, or his brother or his sister, for the consecration of his God is upon his head;)

Numbers 6:7 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 6:7

He shall not make himself unclean for his father or for his
mother, for his brother or for his sister, when they die
Aben Ezra adds also, for his wife, and for his daughter, and for others; what even the priests of the Lord, the common priests might do, a Nazarite might not, not come near any of his relations when dead, as to touch them, to close their eyes, or wash their bodies, and provide for their funeral, and attend that, or to be where they were; in this respect they were upon a level with the high priest, who was forbid the same, which shows how sacred these persons were; see ( Leviticus 21:1-3 Leviticus 21:11 ) ; this may instruct spiritual Nazarites to abstain from the company and conversation of sinners, dead in trespasses and sins, and from all dead works and sinful actions, which, as they are deserving of death, are defiling:

because the consecration of his God [is] upon his head;
or that which shows him to be consecrated to God, and separated to his service, is upon his head, namely, his long hair: the Targum of Jonathan renders it, "the crown of his God"; so Aben Ezra observes, that some say that the word "Nazarite" is derived from "Nezer", a crown, in proof of which this passage is produced; and in this respect the Nazarites were not only types of Christ our King and high priest, who is a priest on his throne, and has on his head many crowns, but of the saints who are freed from the power and dominion of sin, and are made kings and priests unto God.

Numbers 6:7 In-Context

5 All the time of his separating, or of his avow holding, a razor shall not pass upon his head, unto the day(s) be fulfilled in which he is hallowed to the Lord; he shall be holy, and the hair of his head shall wax. (All the time of his separation, or of the keeping of his vow, a razor shall not pass over his head, until the days be fulfilled in which he is consecrated, or is dedicated, to the Lord; he shall be holy, and his head hair shall grow.)
6 In all the time of his hallowing (In all the time of his consecration, or his dedication), he shall not enter upon a dead body,
7 and soothly he shall not be defouled upon the dead body of his father and of his mother, of brother and of sister, for the hallowing of his God is upon his head; (yea, he shall not even be defiled with the dead body of his own father or his mother, or his brother or his sister, for the consecration of his God is upon his head;)
8 each day of his separating, or avowing, shall be holy to the Lord.
9 But if any man is dead suddenly before him, the head of his hallowing shall be defouled, which he shall shave anon in the same day of his cleansing, and again in the seventh day; (But if anyone is suddenly dead before him, the hair of his consecration shall be defiled, and he shall shave it off on the day of his cleansing, that is, on the seventh day afterward;)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.