Bible Strands
Numbers 6:7
Even if his father or mother or brother or sister should die, he is not to defile himself, because the symbol of consecration to his God is upon his head.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The instruction addresses a Nazirite during the active period of his vow, establishing that standard mourning protocols do not apply. God gives this command through Moses to define the boundaries of ritual separation.
The words — יִטַּמָּא (yiṭamāʾ) literally means “he will make himself unclean,” forming the core prohibition. כִּי (kî) translates as “because,” directly linking the command to the physical sign of consecration on the head.
The thread — The prohibition against defilement through contact with the dead appears in Leviticus 21:11 for priests and in Numbers 9:6 regarding Passover eligibility. These passages share the same underlying concern for ritual purity during sacred observances.
Why it lands — The text requires the vow-taker to suspend normal familial mourning duties because the consecration symbol remains on his head. Readers must recognize that ritual separation demands priority over natural social obligations during the vow period.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when they die: because the consecration of his God is upon his head.
Cross-references
- Numbers 9:6 But there were some men who were unclean due to a dead body, so they could not observe the Passover on that day. And they came before Moses and Aaron that same day
- Leviticus 21:1 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Speak to Aaron’s sons, the priests, and tell them that a priest is not to defile himself for a dead person among his people,
- Leviticus 21:10 The priest who is highest among his brothers, who has had the anointing oil poured on his head and has been ordained to wear the priestly garments, must not let his hair hang loose or tear his garments.
- Ezekiel 44:25 A priest must not defile himself by going near a dead person. However, for a father, a mother, a son, a daughter, a brother, or an unmarried sister, he may do so,