And the priest shall offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, and make an atonement for him, for that he sinned by the dead, and shall hallow his head that same day.

NUMBERS 6:11KJV
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Numbers 6:11 (KJV)

What does Numbers 6:11 mean?

Numbers 6:11 describes how a priest is to offer two sacrifices—a sin offering and a burnt offering—to make atonement for a person who has become ritually unclean because of contact with a dead body. On that same day, the priest also sets the person's head apart again, marking a new start in their special vow.

In this verse, God is giving instructions to Moses about what to do when someone under a Nazirite vow accidentally becomes unclean by being near a dead person. The priest acts as the mediator, performing the required sacrifices to restore the person's standing. The verse highlights the seriousness of ritual purity and the process for being made clean so the Nazirite can continue their vow.

The Hebrew behind Numbers 6:11

  • כָּפַר (kaphar; H3722) — "make atonement": This word means to cover or make reconciliation, showing that the sacrifices are meant to restore the person's relationship with God after ritual impurity.
  • חָטָא (chata; H2398) — "sinned": Here, the word is used for ritual impurity, not moral wrongdoing, emphasizing that even accidental contact with death required a process of cleansing.
  • קָדַשׁ (qadash; H6942) — "hallow": This word means to set apart or make holy, indicating that the Nazirite's head (and by extension, their vow) is made sacred again after the ritual.

Why Numbers 6:11 matters

  • Numbers 6:11 clarifies that the Nazirite vow could be interrupted by accidental impurity, but there was a specific way to restore the vow, showing God's provision for human weakness.
  • The verse emphasizes that ritual impurity was taken seriously, but it was not a permanent barrier—there was a path back through prescribed offerings.
  • This instruction connects to the broader passage about Nazirites, helping readers understand the detailed care given to maintaining holiness and the importance of following God's instructions for worship and dedication.

Where else these words appear

“atonement” Hebrew H3722 · used in 94 verses

  • Genesis 6:14 Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.
  • Leviticus 14:21 And if he be poor, and cannot get so much; then he shall take one lamb for a trespass offering to be waved, to make an atonement for him, and one tenth deal of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering, and a log of oil;
  • Numbers 28:22 And one goat for a sin offering, to make an atonement for you.

“that” Hebrew H834 · used in 105 verses

  • Genesis 1:7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.
  • Genesis 31:49 And Mizpah; for he said, The LORD watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another.
  • Deuteronomy 12:2 Ye shall utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree: