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The law of the Nazarites.
What they were to abstain from, ver. 1 - 8.
How to be cleansed from casual uncleanness, ver. 9 - 12.
How to be discharged from their vow, ver. 13 - 21.
The form of blessing the people, ver. 22 - 27.
2: Man or woman - For both sexes might make this vow, if they were
free and at their own disposal: otherwise their parents or husbands could
disannul the vow. A vow of a Nazarite - Whereby they sequestered
themselves from worldly employments and enjoyments, that they might
entirely consecrate themselves to God's service, and this either for
their whole lifetime, or for a less and limited space of time.
3: Nor eat grapes - Which was forbidden him for greater caution to
keep him at the farther distance from wine.
4: All the days of his separation - Which were sometimes more,
sometimes fewer, as he thought fit to appoint.
5: No razor - Nor scissors, or other instrument to cut off any part
of his hair. This was appointed, partly as a sign of his mortification to
worldly delights and outward beauty; partly as a testimony of that purity
which hereby he professed, because the cutting off the hair was a sign of
uncleanness, as appears from (Nu 6:9), partly that by the length of his
hair he might be constantly minded of his vow; and partly that he might
reserve his hair entirely for God, to whom it was to be offered.
Holy - That is, wholly consecrated to God and his service, whereby he
shews that inward holiness was the great thing which God required and
valued in these, and consequently in other rites and ceremonies.
7: His father - Wherein he was equal to the high - priest, being, in
some sort, as eminent a type of Christ, and therefore justly required to
prefer the service of God, to which he had so fully given himself, before
the expressions of his affections to his dearest and nearest relations.
The consecration - That is, the token of his consecration, namely, his
long hair.
9: He shall shave his head - Because his whole body, and especially
his hair was defiled by such an accident, which he ought to impute either
to his own heedlessness, or to God's providence so ordering the matter,
possibly for the punishment of his other sins, or for the quickening him to
more purity and detestation of all dead works, whereby he would be defiled.
11: A sin - offering - Because such a pollution was, though not his
sin, yet the chastisement of his sin. He sinned - That is, contracted a
ceremonial uncleanness, which is called sinning, because it was a type
of sin, and a violation of a law, tho' through ignorance and inadvertency.
Hallow - Begin again to hallow or consecrate it.
12: The days of his separation - As many days as he had before vowed
to God. Lost - Heb. fall, to the ground, that is, be void or of none
effect.
14: A sin - offering - Whereby he confessed his miscarriages,
notwithstanding the strictness of his vow and all the diligence which he
could use, and consequently acknowledged his need of the grace of God in
Christ Jesus the true Nazarite. For peace - offerings - For thankfulness to
God, who had given him grace to make and in some measure to keep such a vow.
So he offered all the three sorts of offerings, that he might so far fulfil
all righteousness and profess his obligation to observe the will of God in
all things.
15: Their meal - offering - Such as generally accompanied the
sacrifices.
18: At the door - Publickly, that it might be known that his vow was
ended, and therefore he was at liberty as to those things from which he had
restrained himself for a season, otherwise some might have been scandalized
at his use of his liberty.
The fire - Upon which the flesh of the peace - offerings was boiled.
19: The shoulder - The left - shoulder, as it appears from(Nu 6:20), where this is joined with the heave - shoulder, which was the
right - shoulder, and which was the priests due in all sacrifices,(Le 7:32), and in this also. But here the other shoulder was added to
it, as a special token of thankfulness from the Nazarites for God's
singular favours vouchsafed unto them. The hands - That he may give them
to the priest, as his peculiar gift.
20: May drink wine - And return to his former manner of living.
21: That his hand shall get - Besides what he shall voluntarily give
according to his ability.
23: On this wise - Heb. Thus, or in these words: yet they were
not tied to these very words; because after this we have examples of
Moses and David and Solomon, blessing the people in other words.
24: Bless thee - Bestow upon you all manner of blessings, temporal
and spiritual. Keep thee - That is, continue his blessings to thee, and
preserve thee in and to the use of them; keep thee from sin and its bitter
effects.
25: Shine upon thee - Alluding to the shining of the sun upon the
earth, to enlighten, and warm, and renew the face of it. The Lord love
thee, and make thee know that he loves thee. We cannot but be happy, if
we have God's love; and we cannot but be easy, if we know that we have it.
26: Lift up his countenance - That is, look upon thee with a chearful
and pleasant countenance, as one that is well pleased with thee and thy
services. Peace - Peace with God, with thy own conscience, and with all
men; all prosperity is comprehended under this word.
27: Put my name - Shall call them by my name, shall recommend them to
me as my own people, and bless them and pray unto me for them as such;
which is a powerful argument to prevail with God for them.
