And the Nazarite shall shave the head of his separation at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall take the hair of the head of his separation, and put it in the fire which is under the sacrifice of the peace offerings.

NUMBERS 6:18KJV
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Numbers 6:18 (KJV)

What does Numbers 6:18 mean?

Numbers 6:18 describes how a Nazarite, after completing a special vow of dedication to God, must shave his head at the entrance of the tabernacle and burn the hair in the fire under the peace offering sacrifice. This act marks the end of the Nazarite’s period of separation and devotion.

In this verse, God is giving Moses instructions for the Israelites about the Nazarite vow—a voluntary commitment to God involving abstaining from certain things for a set time. The shaving of the head and burning of the hair at the tabernacle’s entrance shows a public and complete conclusion to this period, connecting the person’s dedication directly to the worship rituals of Israel.

The Hebrew behind Numbers 6:18

  • נָזִיר (nazir, “Nazarite”): This word refers to someone who has taken a vow to be set apart for God. The Nazarite’s identity is defined by this special act of separation.
  • נֵזֶר (nezer, “separation”): This word, used for “separation,” emphasizes the idea of something set apart or consecrated, highlighting the seriousness of the vow.
  • פֶּתַח (petach, “door”): The “door” or entrance of the tabernacle is a public, visible place, showing that the end of the vow is not a private matter but part of Israel’s communal worship.
  • שָׁלֵם (shelem, “peace offerings”): The peace offering is a sacrifice of fellowship or well-being, linking the Nazarite’s personal devotion to the broader relationship between God and His people.

Why Numbers 6:18 matters

  • Numbers 6:18 clarifies that the Nazarite vow is not just about private devotion but is completed with a public ritual, connecting personal commitment to the community’s worship.
  • The verse shows that every part of the Nazarite’s dedication, even the hair grown during the vow, is treated as holy and must be handled with respect.
  • This instruction ties the Nazarite’s actions to the larger sacrificial system, showing that individual acts of devotion are woven into Israel’s shared relationship with God.

Where else these words appear

“Nazarite” Hebrew H5139 · used in 16 verses

  • Genesis 49:26 The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.
  • Numbers 6:19 And the priest shall take the sodden shoulder of the ram, and one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them upon the hands of the Nazarite, after the hair of his separation is shaven:
  • Judges 13:7 But he said unto me, Behold, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat any unclean thing: for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb to the day of his death.

“shave” Hebrew H1548 · used in 18 verses

  • Genesis 41:14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh.
  • Numbers 6:9 And if any man die very suddenly by him, and he hath defiled the head of his consecration; then he shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing, on the seventh day shall he shave it.
  • 2 Samuel 10:4 Wherefore Hanun took David's servants, and shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away.

“separation” Hebrew H5145 · used in 22 verses

  • Exodus 29:6 And thou shalt put the mitre upon his head, and put the holy crown upon the mitre.
  • Numbers 6:8 All the days of his separation he is holy unto the LORD.
  • 2 Kings 11:12 And he brought forth the king's son, and put the crown upon him, and gave him the testimony; and they made him king, and anointed him; and they clapped their hands, and said, God save the king.

“hair” Hebrew H8181 · used in 27 verses

  • Genesis 25:25 And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.
  • Leviticus 13:30 Then the priest shall see the plague: and, behold, if it be in sight deeper than the skin; and there be in it a yellow thin hair; then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a dry scall, even a leprosy upon the head or beard.
  • 2 Samuel 14:26 And when he polled his head,(for it was at every year's end that he polled it: because the hair was heavy on him, therefore he polled it:) he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels after the king's weight.