And a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, and wafers of unleavened bread anointed with oil, and their meat offering, and their drink offerings.

NUMBERS 6:15KJV
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Numbers 6:15 (KJV)

What does Numbers 6:15 mean?

Numbers 6:15 describes the specific offerings a Nazirite must bring: a basket of unleavened bread, cakes made from fine flour mixed with oil, wafers of unleavened bread anointed with oil, along with a grain offering and drink offerings. These items are part of the ritual for completing a Nazirite vow.

In this verse, God is giving Moses instructions for the Israelites about the Nazirite vow—a special period of dedication to God. The offerings listed are part of the ceremony marking the end of this vow. Each item has symbolic meaning in Israelite worship, showing the seriousness and completeness of the Nazirite’s commitment.

The Hebrew behind Numbers 6:15

  • "basket" (סַל, sal): This word refers to a woven container used to carry the bread offerings, emphasizing the careful preparation and presentation required.
  • "bread" (מַצָּה, matzah): This is unleavened bread, which in Israelite tradition often symbolizes purity and separation from sin or corruption.
  • "cakes" (חַלָּה, challah): These are specific types of baked goods made from fine flour and oil, showing richness and care in the offering.
  • "mingled" (בָּלוּל, balul): This word means mixed or blended, here referring to oil being thoroughly combined with the flour, which was a special way to prepare offerings.
  • "anointed" (מָשַׁח, mashach): This means to smear or rub with oil, marking the wafers as set apart or consecrated for a holy purpose.

Why Numbers 6:15 matters

  • Numbers 6:15 clarifies that the Nazirite vow involved not just abstaining from certain things, but also required a specific set of offerings at its completion, highlighting the seriousness of the commitment.
  • The verse shows the detailed care and ritual involved in Israelite worship, emphasizing that dedication to God was marked by both personal discipline and public ceremony.
  • By listing both grain and drink offerings, Numbers 6:15 connects the Nazirite’s personal vow to the wider system of sacrifices in Israel, showing that individual devotion was always linked to the community’s worship practices.

Where else these words appear

“wafers” Hebrew H7550 · used in 8 verses

  • Exodus 29:2 And unleavened bread, and cakes unleavened tempered with oil, and wafers unleavened anointed with oil: of wheaten flour shalt thou make them.
  • Leviticus 2:4 And if thou bring an oblation of a meat offering baken in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil.
  • Leviticus 8:26 And out of the basket of unleavened bread, that was before the LORD, he took one unleavened cake, and a cake of oiled bread, and one wafer, and put them on the fat, and upon the right shoulder:

“cakes” Hebrew H2471 · used in 11 verses

  • Exodus 29:2 And unleavened bread, and cakes unleavened tempered with oil, and wafers unleavened anointed with oil: of wheaten flour shalt thou make them.
  • Leviticus 7:12 If he offer it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and cakes mingled with oil, of fine flour, fried.
  • Leviticus 24:5 And thou shalt take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes thereof: two tenth deals shall be in one cake.

“basket” Hebrew H5536 · used in 13 verses

  • Genesis 40:16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said unto Joseph, I also was in my dream, and, behold, I had three white baskets on my head:
  • Exodus 29:23 And one loaf of bread, and one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer out of the basket of the unleavened bread that is before the LORD:
  • Leviticus 8:31 And Moses said unto Aaron and to his sons, Boil the flesh at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and there eat it with the bread that is in the basket of consecrations, as I commanded, saying, Aaron and his sons shall eat it.

“bread” Hebrew H4682 · used in 42 verses

  • Genesis 19:3 And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.
  • Leviticus 2:4 And if thou bring an oblation of a meat offering baken in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil.
  • Deuteronomy 16:16 Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty: