Numbers 6:9 (YLT)

Passage

`And when the dead dieth beside him in an instant, suddenly, and he hath defiled the head of his separation, then he hath shaved his head in the day of his cleansing; on the seventh day he doth shave it,

Nearby Context

Numbers 6:7 for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister--he is not unclean for them at their death, for the separation of his God <FI>is<Fi> on his head;

Numbers 6:8 all days of his separation he <FI>is<Fi> holy to Jehovah.

Numbers 6:9 `And when the dead dieth beside him in an instant, suddenly, and he hath defiled the head of his separation, then he hath shaved his head in the day of his cleansing; on the seventh day he doth shave it,

Numbers 6:10 and on the eighth day he bringeth in two turtle-doves or two young pigeons unto the priest, unto the opening of the tent of meeting,

Numbers 6:11 and the priest hath prepared one for a sin-offering, and one for a burnt-offering, and hath made atonement for him, because of that which he hath sinned by the body, and he hath hallowed his head on that day;

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "dead", "dieth", "beside", "instant", "suddenly", "hath", "defiled", and "head". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "dead" and "dieth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "all days of his separation he FI..." into verse 10's "and on the eighth day he bringeth...", so "dead" and "dieth" belong inside that flow. In Numbers context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "dead" and "dieth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.