Numbers 6:7-9

New English Translation

Footnotes

1. Numbers 6:7 tn The vav (ו) conjunction at the beginning of the clause specifies the cases of corpses that are to be avoided, no matter how painful it might be.
2. Numbers 6:7 tn The construction uses the infinitive construct with the preposition and the suffixed subjective genitive—“in the dying of them”—to form the adverbial clause of time.sn The Nazirite would defile himself, i.e., ruin his vow, by contacting their corpses. Jesus’ hard saying in Matt 8:22, “let the dead bury their own dead,” makes sense in the light of this passage—Jesus was calling for commitment to himself.
3. Numbers 6:7 tn The word “separation” here is metonymy of adjunct—what is on his head is long hair that goes with the vow.
4. Numbers 6:7 tn The genitive could perhaps be interpreted as possession, i.e., “the vow of his God,” but it seems more likely that an objective genitive would be more to the point.
5. Numbers 6:9 tn The construction uses the imperfect tense followed by the infinitive absolute, יָמוּת מֵת (yamut met). Because the verb is in a conditional clause, the emphasis that is to be given through the infinitive must stress the contingency. The point is “if someone dies—unexpectedly.” The next words underscore the suddenness of this.
6. Numbers 6:9 tn The verb is the Piel perfect with a vav (ו) consecutive; it continues the idea within the conditional clause.
7. Numbers 6:9 sn The expression is figurative for the vow that he took; the figure is the metonymy because the reference to the head is a reference to the long hair that symbolizes the oath.