Numbers 6:3

Numbers 6:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried.
• New International Version (NIV)they must abstain from wine and other fermented drink and must not drink vinegar made from wine or other fermented drink. They must not drink grape juice or eat grapes or raisins.
• English Standard Version (ESV)he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink. He shall drink no vinegar made from wine or strong drink and shall not drink any juice of grapes or eat grapes, fresh or dried.
• New King James Version (NKJV)he shall separate himself from wine and similar drink; he shall drink neither vinegar made from wine nor vinegar made from similar drink; neither shall he drink any grape juice, nor eat fresh grapes or raisins.

Context of Numbers 6:3

1And Yhwh spake unto Moses, saying, 2Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves unto Yhwh: He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried. 4All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk. 5All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto Yhwh, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow.

Numbers 6:3 word by word

מִיַּ֤יִן וְשֵׁכָר֙ יַזִּ֔יר חֹ֥מֶץ יַ֛יִן וְחֹ֥מֶץ שֵׁכָ֖ר לֹ֣א יִשְׁתֶּ֑ה וְכָל־מִשְׁרַ֤ת עֲנָבִים֙ לֹ֣א יִשְׁתֶּ֔ה וַעֲנָבִ֛ים לַחִ֥ים וִיבֵשִׁ֖ים לֹ֥א יֹאכֵֽל׃Read the interlinear

• He shall separateנָזַרnâzar · be a NazariteH5144
• from wineיַ֫יִןyayin · wineH3196
• and strong drinkשֵׁכָרshêkâr · strong drinkH7941
• and shall drinkשָׁתָהshâthâh · to drinkH8354
• no vinegarחֹ֫מֶץchômets · vinegarH2558
• any liquorמִשְׁרָהmishrâh · juiceH4952
• of grapesעֵנָב‛ênâb · grapeH6025
• nor eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• moistלַחlach · freshH3892
• or driedיָבֵשׁyâbêsh · dryH3002

Cross-references for Numbers 6:3

• Leviticus 10:9Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations:
• Judges 13:14She may not eat of any thing that cometh of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing: all that I commanded her let her observe.
• Proverbs 31:4It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink:
• Jeremiah 35:6But they said, We will drink no wine: for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us, saying, Ye shall drink no wine, neither ye, nor your sons for ever:
• Amos 2:12But ye gave the Nazarites wine to drink; and commanded the prophets, saying, Prophesy not.
• Luke 1:15For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb.
• Luke 7:33For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil.
• Luke 21:34And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
• Ephesians 5:18And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
• 1 Thessalonians 5:22Abstain from all appearance of evil.
• 1 Timothy 5:23Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities.

Commentaries on Numbers 6:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3No vinegar of wine, etc. - חמץ chomets signifies fermented wine, and is probably used here to signify wine of a strong body, or any highly intoxicating liquor. Dr. Lightfoot supposes that the Leper being the most defiled and loathsome of creatures, was an emblem of the wretched, miserable state of man by the fall; and that the Nazarite was the emblem of man in his state of innocence. Wine and grapes are here particularly forbidden to the Nazarite because…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-21Verses 1-21 The law of the Nazarite is appropriately added to other enactments which concern the sanctity of the holy nation. That sanctity found its highest expression in the Nazarite vow, which was the voluntary adoption for a time of obligations to high and strict modes of self-dedication resembling, and indeed in some particulars exceeding, those under which the priests were placed. The present enactments do not institute a new kind of observance, but…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-4The law required priests to avoid drinking wine before serving in the Tent of Meeting (Leviticus 10:9). The Nazirite vow allowed non-Levites to extend this rule. They avoided wine everywhere, at all times, and anything from a grapevine.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-222-8. When either man or woman ... shall vow a vow of a Nazarite--that is, "a separated one," from a Hebrew word, "to separate." It was used to designate a class of persons who, under the impulse of extraordinary piety and with a view to higher degrees of religious improvement, voluntarily renounced the occupations and pleasures of the world to dedicate themselves unreservedly to the divine service. The vow might be taken by either sex, provided they had…Read the comment

Topics related to Numbers 6:3

• Abstinence, Total
• Food
• Fraternity
• Nazarite
• Prohibition
• Vinegar
• Wine

In the dictionaries

• strong drink
• John the Baptist
• Leaven
• Nazarite
• Port
• Samson
• Separation
• Shave
• Sinai
• Wine

Commentaries on Numbers 6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings