Numbers 6:18

18 "At the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, shave off the hair you consecrated and put it in the fire that is burning 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 The priest will approach God and offer up your Absolution-Offering and Whole-Burnt-Offering.
17 He will sacrifice the ram as a Peace-Offering to God with the basket of unraised bread, and, last of all, the Grain-Offering and Drink-Offering.
18 "At the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, shave off the hair you consecrated and put it in the fire that is burning under the Peace-Offering.
19 "After you have shaved the hair of your consecration, the priest will take a shoulder from the ram, boiled, and a piece of unraised bread and a cracker from the basket and place them in your hands.
20 The priest will then wave them before God, a Wave-Offering. They are holy and belong to the priest, along with the breast that was waved and the thigh that was offered. "Now you are free to drink wine.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.