Numbers 6:18

18 “Then the Nazirites will shave their heads at the entrance of the Tabernacle. They will take the hair that had been dedicated and place it on the fire beneath the peace-offering sacrifice.

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.

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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 present these offerings before the LORD : first the sin offering and the burnt offering;

17 then the ram for a peace offering, along with the basket of bread made without yeast. The priest must also present the prescribed grain offering and liquid offering to the LORD .

18 “Then the Nazirites will shave their heads at the entrance of the Tabernacle. They will take the hair that had been dedicated and place it on the fire beneath the peace-offering sacrifice.

19 After the Nazirite’s head has been shaved, the priest will take for each of them the boiled shoulder of the ram, and he will take from the basket a cake and a wafer made without yeast. He will put them all into the Nazirite’s hands.

20 Then the priest will lift them up as a special offering before the LORD . These are holy portions for the priest, along with the breast of the special offering and the thigh of the sacred offering that are lifted up before the LORD . After this ceremony the Nazirites may again drink wine.