Matthew Henry on Numbers 6:1-21
After the law for the discovery and shame of those that by sin had made themselves vile, fitly follows this for the direction and encouragement of those who by their eminent piety and devotion had made themselves honourable, and distinguished themselves from their neighbours. It is very probable that there were those before the making of this law who went under the character of Nazarites, and were celebrated by that title as persons professing greater strictness and zeal in religion than other people; for the vow of a Nazarite is spoken of here as a thing already well known, but the obligation of it is reduced to a greater certainty than hitherto it had been. Joseph is called a Nazarite amon…
Read the whole note in the consoleJohn Gill on Numbers 6:2
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them,.... Whom the following law only concerned, and not Gentiles; so runs the Jewish canon,"the Gentiles have no Nazariteship, though they may bring their vows and freewill offerings as an Israelite, yet if they vow the vow of a Nazarite, the law of the Nazarite is not obliging on them, or they bound by it; but it is free for them to drink wine, and defile themselves for the dead; for it is written, "speak unto the children of Israel" (q):"
when either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite; or "do a wonderful thing" (r); something unusual and uncommon, and what is out of the way of the men of the world, who give th…
Read the whole note in the consoleJohn Calvin on Numbers 6:1-21
Numbers 6:1-21
1. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
1. Et loquutus est Jehova ad Mosen, dicendo,
2. Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves unto the Lord;
2. Alloquere filios Israel, et dic eis, Vir aut mulier quum separaverit se vovendo votum Nazaraei, ad separandum se Jehovae:
3. He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried.
3. A vino et sicera separabit se, acetum vini, et acetum sicerae non bibet, neque ullum liquor…
