Numbers 6:5 For the entire period of his vow of separation, no razor shall pass over his head. He must be holy until the time of his separation to the LORD is complete; he must let the hair of his head grow long.

◄ Numbers 6:5 ►

New International Version
“’During the entire period of their Nazirite vow, no razor may be used on their head. They must be holy until the period of their dedication to the LORD is over; they must let their hair grow long.

New Living Translation
“They must never cut their hair throughout the time of their vow, for they are holy and set apart to the LORD. Until the time of their vow has been fulfilled, they must let their hair grow long.

English Standard Version
“All the days of his vow of separation, no razor shall touch his head. Until the time is completed for which he separates himself to the LORD, he shall be holy. He shall let the locks of hair of his head grow long.

Berean Standard Bible
For the entire period of his vow of separation, no razor shall touch his head. He must be holy until the time of his separation to the LORD is complete; he must let the hair of his head grow long.

King James Bible
All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no rasor come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto the LORD, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow.

New King James Version
‘All the days of the vow of his separation no razor shall come upon his head; until the days are fulfilled for which he separated himself to the LORD, he shall be holy. Then he shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow.

New American Standard Bible
‘All the days of his vow of consecration no razor shall pass over his head. He shall be holy until the days are fulfilled which he lives as a Nazirite for the LORD; he shall let the locks of hair on his head grow long.

NASB 1995
‘All the days of his vow of separation no razor shall pass over his head. He shall be holy until the days are fulfilled for which he separated himself to the LORD; he shall let the locks of hair on his head grow long.

NASB 1977
‘All the days of his vow of separation no razor shall pass over his head. He shall be holy until the days are fulfilled for which he separated himself to the LORD; he shall let the locks of hair on his head grow long.

Legacy Standard Bible
‘All the days of his vow as a Nazirite no razor shall pass over his head. He shall be holy until the days are fulfilled for which he dedicated himself as a Nazirite to Yahweh; he shall let the locks of hair on his head grow long.

Amplified Bible
‘All the time of the vow of his separation no razor shall be used on his head. Until the time of his separation to the LORD is completed, he shall be holy, and shall let the hair of his head grow long.

Christian Standard Bible
“You must not cut his hair throughout the time of his vow of consecration. He may be holy until the time is completed during which he consecrates himself to the LORD; he is to let the hair of his head grow long.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
You must not cut his hair throughout the time of his vow of consecration. He must be holy until the time is completed during which he consecrates himself to the LORD; he is to let the hair of his head grow long.

American Standard Version
All the days of his vow of separation there shall no razor come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled, in which he separateth himself unto Jehovah, he shall be holy; he shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow long.

Contemporary English Version
The hair of a Nazirite is sacred to me, and as long as you are a Nazirite, you must never cut your hair.

English Revised Version
All the days of his vow of separation there shall no razor come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto the LORD, he shall be holy, he shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow long.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"As long as they are under the Nazirite vow, no razor may touch their heads. During the entire time that they are dedicated to the LORD as Nazirites, they will be holy. They must let their hair grow long.

Good News Translation
As long as you are under the nazirite vow, you must not cut your hair or shave. You are bound by the vow for the full time that you are dedicated to the LORD, and you shall let your hair grow.

International Standard Version
During the entire time of his dedication, he is not to allow a razor to pass over his head until the days of his holy consecration to the LORD have been fulfilled. He is to let the locks on his head grow long.

Majority Standard Bible
For the entire period of his vow of separation, no razor shall touch his head. He must be holy until the time of his separation to the LORD is complete; he must let the hair of his head grow long.

NET Bible
"'All the days of the vow of his separation no razor may be used on his head until the time is fulfilled for which he separated himself to the LORD. He will be holy, and he must let the locks of hair on his head grow long.

New Heart English Bible
"All the days of his vow of separation there shall no razor come on his head, until the days are fulfilled, in which he separates himself to the LORD. He shall be holy. He shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow long.

Webster's Bible Translation
All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor come upon his head: until the days shall be fulfilled, in which he separateth himself to the LORD, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow.

World English Bible
“‘All the days of his vow of separation no razor shall come on his head, until the days are fulfilled in which he separates himself to Yahweh. He shall be holy. He shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow long.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
All [the] days of the vow of his separation a razor does not pass over his head; he is holy until the fullness of the days [in] which he separates himself to YHWH; the upper part of the hair of his head has grown up.

Young's Literal Translation
'All days of the vow of his separation a razor doth not pass over his head; till the fulness of the days which he doth separate to Jehovah he is holy; grown up hath the upper part of the hair of his head.

Smith's Literal Translation
All the days of the vow of his consecration a razor shall not pass over upon his head: till the filling up of the days which he shall consecrate to Jehovah, he shall be holy, increasing the locks of the hair of his head.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
All the time of his separation no razor shall pass over his head, until the day be fulfilled of his consecration to the Lord. He shall be holy, and shall let the hair of his head grow.

Catholic Public Domain Version
During all the time of his separation, no razor shall pass over his head, even until the completion of the day when he is consecrated to the Lord. He shall be holy, letting the hair of his head grow long.

New American Bible
While they are under the nazirite vow, no razor shall touch their hair. Until the period of their dedication to the LORD is over, they shall be holy, letting the hair of their heads grow freely.

New Revised Standard Version
All the days of their nazirite vow no razor shall come upon the head; until the time is completed for which they separate themselves to the LORD, they shall be holy; they shall let the locks of the head grow long.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor come upon his head; until the days are fulfilled for which he separated himself to the LORD, he shall be holy and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
All of the days of the vow of his Nazaritehood; and a razor not will pass on his head until the days when he is separated to LORD JEHOVAH may be fulfilled; he shall be holy and shall grow the hairs of his head.

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
All the days of his vow of Naziriteship there shall no razor come upon his head; until the days be fulfilled, in which he consecrateth himself unto the LORD, he shall be holy, he shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow long.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
all the days of his separation: - a razor shall not come upon his head, until the days be fulfilled which he vowed to the Lord: he shall be holy, cherishing the long hair of the head,

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

The Nazirite Vow
…4All the days of his separation, he is not to eat anything that comes from the grapevine, not even the seeds or skins. 5For the entire period of his vow of separation, no razor shall pass over his head. He must be holy until the time of his separation to the LORD is complete; he must let the hair of his head grow long. 6Throughout the days of his separation to the LORD, he must not go near a dead body.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Judges 13:5
For behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son. And no razor shall touch his head, because the boy will be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hand of the Philistines.”

1 Samuel 1:11
And she made a vow, saying, “O LORD of Hosts, if only You will look upon the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, not forgetting Your maidservant but giving her a son, then I will dedicate him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall ever touch his head.”

Acts 18:18
Paul remained in Corinth for quite some time before saying goodbye to the brothers. He had his head shaved in Cenchrea to keep a vow he had made, and then he sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila.

1 Corinthians 11:14
Doesn’t nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him,

Judges 16:17
Samson told her all that was in his heart: “My hair has never been cut, because I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaved, my strength will leave me, and I will become as weak as any other man.”

Amos 2:11-12
I raised up prophets from your sons and Nazirites from your young men. Is this not true, O children of Israel?” declares the LORD. / “But you made the Nazirites drink wine and commanded the prophets not to prophesy.

Luke 1:15
for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He shall never take wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb.

Acts 21:23-24
Therefore do what we advise you. There are four men with us who have taken a vow. / Take these men, purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses so they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know that there is no truth to these rumors about you, but that you also live in obedience to the law.

1 Samuel 1:28
I now dedicate the boy to the LORD. For as long as he lives, he is dedicated to the LORD.” So they worshiped the LORD there.

1 Samuel 14:24
Now the men of Israel were in distress that day, for Saul had placed the troops under an oath, saying, “Cursed is the man who eats any food before evening, before I have taken vengeance on my enemies.” So none of the troops tasted any food.

2 Kings 1:8
“He was a hairy man,” they answered, “with a leather belt around his waist.” “It was Elijah the Tishbite,” said the king.

Matthew 3:4
John wore a garment of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.

Leviticus 10:6
Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Do not let your hair become disheveled and do not tear your garments, or else you will die, and the LORD will be angry with the whole congregation. But your brothers, the whole house of Israel, may mourn on account of the fire that the LORD has ignited.

Ezekiel 44:20
They must not shave their heads or let their hair grow long, but must carefully trim their hair.

2 Samuel 14:26
And when he cut the hair of his head—he shaved it every year because his hair got so heavy—he would weigh it out to be two hundred shekels, according to the royal standard.

Treasury of Scripture

All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor come on his head: until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separates himself to the LORD, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow.

razor

Judges 13:5
For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no rasor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.

Judges 16:17,19
That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a rasor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man…

1 Samuel 1:11
And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no rasor come upon his head.

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Numbers 6

1. The law of the Nazarite in the days of his separation
13. And after their completion
22. The form of blessing the people

Berean Study Bible

For the entire period of his vow of separation
The phrase "vow of separation" refers to the Nazirite vow, a special commitment made by an individual to set themselves apart for God. The Hebrew word for "separation" is "nazir," which means "consecrated" or "dedicated." This vow was a voluntary act of devotion, symbolizing a deeper spiritual commitment and a desire to live a life distinct from the ordinary. Historically, this vow was a way for individuals to express their dedication to God, often during times of personal or national crisis, seeking divine intervention or favor.

no razor shall pass over his head
This phrase signifies one of the key outward signs of the Nazirite vow: the abstention from cutting one's hair. The Hebrew word for "razor" is "ta'ar," which indicates a sharp instrument used for shaving. The uncut hair served as a visible symbol of the individual's vow and separation unto God. In ancient cultures, hair often represented strength and vitality, and in the context of the Nazirite, it was a sign of their ongoing commitment and the power of their vow.

He must be holy
The call to be "holy" is central to the Nazirite vow. The Hebrew word "qadosh" means "set apart" or "sacred." This holiness was not just about external observance but an internal dedication to God. The Nazirite was to embody a life that reflected God's purity and righteousness, serving as a living testimony to the community of what it means to be wholly devoted to the Lord.

until the time of his consecration to the LORD is complete
This phrase indicates that the Nazirite vow was for a specific period, after which the individual would undergo a ritual to mark the completion of their vow. The Hebrew word for "consecration" is "milu'im," which implies a filling or ordination. This completion was a time of celebration and offering, acknowledging the fulfillment of the vow and the individual's faithful dedication to God.

he must let the hair of his head grow long
The long hair was a physical manifestation of the Nazirite's vow. In the ancient Near Eastern context, long hair was often associated with strength and divine favor, as seen in the account of Samson. The growing hair was a daily reminder of the vow and the individual's ongoing commitment to God. It symbolized the growth of their spiritual journey and the visible mark of their separation unto the Lord.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(5) There shall no razor come upon his head.--The hair was to be suffered to grow in all its luxuriance during the days of the Nazirite vow. The meaning may be illustrated by reference to Leviticus 25:4-5; Leviticus 25:11, where it is prescribed that in the seventh year the vine was not to be pruned, and that the grapes of "the undressed vine" (literally, the grapes of the Nazirite) should not be gathered.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 5. - There shall no razor come upon his head. The meaning of this law is best understood from the case of Samson, whose strength was in his hair, and departed from him when his hair was cut. No doubt that strength was a more or less supernatural gift, and it went and came with his hair according to some supernatural law; but it is clear that the connection was not merely arbitrary, but was founded on some generally received idea. To the Jew, differing in this from the shaven Egyptian and the short-haired Greek, the hair represented the virile powers of the adult, growing with its growth, and failing again with its decay. To use a simple analogy from nature, the uncropped locks of the Nazirite were like the mane of the male lion, a symbol of the fullness of his proper strength and life (cf. 2 Samuel 14:25, 26, and, for the disgrace of baldness, 2 Kings 2:23). In later ages Western and Greek feeling on the subject prevailed over Eastern and Jewish, and a "Hebrew of the Hebrews" was able to argue that "even nature itself" teaches us "that if a man have long hair it is a shame unto him" (1 Corinthians 11:14). No doubt "nature itself" taught the Greek of Corinth that lesson; but no doubt also "nature itself" taught the Jew of Palestine exactly the opposite lesson; and the Apostle himself did not quite discard the earlier sentiment, for he too made a Nazirite vow, and suffered his hair to grow while it lasted (Acts 21:24). The meaning, therefore, of the law was that the whole fullness of the man's vitality was to be dedicated without any diminution to the Lord, as typified by the free growth of his hair. It has been conjectured that it was allowed to the Nazirite to "poll" (κείρασθαι) his hair during his vow, although not to "shave" it (ξυρᾶσθαι); and in this way the statement is explained that St. Paul "polled his head" (κειράμενος τὴν κεφαλὴν, Acts 18:18, compared with Acts 21:24) in Cenchraea, because he had a vow. It is, however, quite evident that any permission to cut the hair is inconsistent with the whole intention of the commandment; for if a man might "poll his head" when he pleased, he would not be distinguished from other men. If it was allowed in the Apostle's time, it is only another instance of the way in Which the commandments of God were made of none effect by the traditions of men.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

For the entire
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

period
יְמֵי֙ (yə·mê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 3117: A day

of his vow
נֶ֣דֶר (ne·ḏer)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5088: A promise, a thing promised

of separation,
נִזְר֔וֹ (niz·rōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5145: Something set apart, dedication, unshorn locks, a chaplet

no
לֹא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

razor
תַּ֖עַר (ta·‘ar)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 8593: A knife, razor, a scabbard

shall pass
יַעֲבֹ֣ר (ya·‘ă·ḇōr)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5674: To pass over, through, or by, pass on

over
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

his head.
רֹאשׁ֑וֹ (rō·šōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7218: The head

He must be
יִהְיֶ֔ה (yih·yeh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

holy
קָדֹ֣שׁ (qā·ḏōš)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 6918: Sacred, God, an angel, a saint, a sanctuary

until
עַד־ (‘aḏ-)
Preposition
Strong's 5704: As far as, even to, up to, until, while

the time
הַיָּמִ֜ם (hay·yā·mim)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3117: A day

of
אֲשֶׁר־ (’ă·šer-)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

his separation
יַזִּ֤יר (yaz·zîr)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5144: To hold aloof, abstain, to set apart, devote

to the LORD
לַיהוָה֙ (Yah·weh)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

is complete;
מְלֹ֨את (mə·lōṯ)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 4390: To fill, be full of

he must let the hair
שְׂעַ֥ר (śə·‘ar)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 8181: Hair

of his head
רֹאשֽׁוֹ׃ (rō·šōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7218: The head

grow
גַּדֵּ֥ל (gad·dêl)
Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct
Strong's 1431: To grow up, become great

long.
פֶּ֖רַע (pe·ra‘)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6545: Long hair, locks

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OT Law: Numbers 6:5 All the days of his vow (Nu Num.)