Discovery BoxNumbers 6:7 
Context6:7 He must not defile himself even 1 for his father or his mother or his brother or his sister if they die, 2 because the separation 3 for 4 his God is on his head.
Numbers 15:38
Context15:38 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them to make 5 tassels 6 for themselves on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and put a blue thread 7 on the tassel of the corners.
Numbers 18:10
Context18:10 You are to eat it as a most holy offering; every male may eat it. It will be holy to you.
Numbers 24:20
Context24:20 Then Balaam 8 looked on Amalek and delivered this oracle: 9
“Amalek was the first 10 of the nations,
but his end will be that he will perish.”
Numbers 29:7
Context29:7 “‘On the tenth day of this seventh month you are to have a holy assembly. You must humble yourselves; 11 you must not do any work on it.
Numbers 31:20
Context31:20 You must purify each garment and everything that is made of skin, everything made of goat’s hair, and everything made of wood.” 12
1 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 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 tn The word “separation” here is metonymy of adjunct – what is on his head is long hair that goes with the vow.
4 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 tn The construction uses the imperative followed by perfect tenses with vav (ו) consecutives. The first perfect tense may be translated as the imperative, but the second, being a third common plural form, has to be subordinated as a purpose clause, or as the object of the preceding verb: “speak…and say…that they make.”
6 sn This is a reference to the צִיצִת (tsitsit), the fringes on the borders of the robes. They were meant to hang from the corners of the upper garment (Deut 22:12), which was worn on top of the clothing. The tassel was probably made by twisting the overhanging threads of the garment into a knot that would hang down. This was a reminder of the covenant. The tassels were retained down through history, and today more elaborate prayer shawls with tassels are worn during prayer. For more information, see F. J. Stephens, “The Ancient Significance of Sisith,” JBL 50 (1931): 59-70; and S. Bertman, “Tasselled Garments in the Ancient East Mediterranean,” BA 24 (1961): 119-28.
7 sn The blue color may represent the heavenly origin of the Law, or perhaps, since it is a royal color, the majesty of the
8 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Balaam) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
9 tn Heb “and he lifted up his oracle and said.” So also in vv. 21, 23.
10 sn This probably means that it held first place, or it thought that it was “the first of the nations.” It was not the first, either in order or greatness.
11 tn Heb “afflict yourselves”; NAB “mortify yourselves”; NIV, NRSV “deny yourselves.”
sn The verb seems to mean “humble yourself.” There is no explanation given for it. In the days of the prophets fasting seems to be associated with it (see Isa 58:3-5), and possibly the symbolic wearing of ashes.
12 sn These verses are a reminder that taking a life, even if justified through holy war, still separates one from the holiness of God. It is part of the violation of the fallen world, and only through the ritual of purification can one be once again made fit for the presence of the
