🔢WEB · Numbers 6:21
What does Numbers 6:21 mean?
"“‘This is the law of the Nazirite who vows, and of his offering to Yahweh for his separation, besides that which he is able to get. According to his vow which he vows, so he must do after the law of his separation.’”"
— Numbers 6:21 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
The Nazirite shall shave the head of his separation at the door of the Tent of Meeting, and shall take the hair of the head of his separation, and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of peace offerings.
The priest shall take the boiled shoulder of the ram, and one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them on the hands of the Nazirite, after he has shaved the head of his separation;
and the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before Yahweh. This is holy for the priest, together with the breast that is waved and the thigh that is offered. After that the Nazirite may drink wine.
“‘This is the law of the Nazirite who vows, and of his offering to Yahweh for his separation, besides that which he is able to get. According to his vow which he vows, so he must do after the law of his separation.’”
Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
“Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, ‘This is how you shall bless the children of Israel.’ You shall tell them,
‘Yahweh bless you, and keep you.
Explanation
Numbers 6:21 comes at the close of a detailed section in the book of Numbers that lays out the law of the Nazirite vow (Numbers 6:1-21). In plain language, this final verse serves as a summary statement: it says that everything just described is the complete "law" or regulation governing a person who takes a Nazirite vow, including the specific offerings they must bring to the Lord to mark the end of their separation. It also adds a practical note — that whatever additional offerings a person is able to afford beyond the minimum requirement, they should give according to what they vowed. In short, the verse closes the topic by saying: this is the rule, and you must follow through on whatever you promised, no more and no less than what your vow specified, but also not less than what the law required.
The context is Moses receiving instructions from God in the wilderness, meant to be relayed to the Israelites. The Nazirite vow was a voluntary act of devotion available to any man or woman who wished to consecrate themselves to God for a set period of time (or, in rare cases, for life, as with Samson or Samuel). During this time, the Nazirite abstained from wine and any grape product, avoided cutting their hair, and stayed away from contact with corpses, even those of close family members. Numbers 6 details the offerings — a burnt offering, a sin offering, and a peace offering — that the Nazirite was required to bring when the vow period ended, along with the ritual of shaving the head and burning the hair as part of the offering
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