Numbers 6:4
All the days of his separation, he is not to eat anything that comes from the grapevine, not even the seeds or skins.
As long as he is a Nazirite
The term "Nazirite" comes from the Hebrew word "nazir," meaning "consecrated" or "separated." This vow was a special commitment to God, signifying a period of dedication and holiness. Historically, Nazirites were set apart for specific purposes, often to fulfill a divine mission or to symbolize a deeper spiritual truth. The vow was voluntary and could be taken by any Israelite, male or female, who desired to dedicate themselves wholly to God for a period. This separation was a physical manifestation of an inward spiritual commitment, reflecting a life set apart for God's purposes.

he must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine
The grapevine was a symbol of abundance and blessing in ancient Israel, often associated with joy and celebration. By abstaining from anything that comes from the grapevine, the Nazirite was foregoing earthly pleasures and comforts to focus on spiritual matters. This abstention was a reminder of the Nazirite's unique calling and dedication to God. The grapevine's products, such as wine, were common in daily life and religious rituals, making this prohibition a significant act of self-denial and devotion.

not even the seeds or skins
This phrase emphasizes the thoroughness of the Nazirite's abstention. By including even the seeds and skins, the vow required complete avoidance of all parts of the grape, symbolizing total separation from worldly indulgences. This level of detail underscores the seriousness of the Nazirite vow and the comprehensive nature of their commitment. It reflects a heart wholly devoted to God, willing to forsake even the smallest pleasures to maintain purity and focus on their spiritual journey. This meticulous observance served as a constant reminder of their special relationship with God and their role as a living testimony to His holiness.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Nazirite
An individual who takes a special vow of separation to the Lord, which includes abstaining from products of the grapevine, avoiding contact with the dead, and not cutting their hair.

2. Moses
The leader of the Israelites who received the laws and commandments from God, including the Nazirite vow, which he communicated to the people.

3. Israelites
The chosen people of God, to whom the laws, including the Nazirite vow, were given as a means of maintaining holiness and dedication to God.

4. Wilderness
The setting where the Israelites received the law, including the instructions for the Nazirite vow, during their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land.

5. Tabernacle
The dwelling place of God among the Israelites, where the Nazirite would eventually present offerings at the completion of their vow.
Teaching Points
Holiness and Separation
The Nazirite vow symbolizes a life set apart for God. Christians are called to live holy lives, distinct from worldly influences, as a testament to their dedication to God.

Self-Discipline and Sacrifice
Abstaining from grape products represents self-control and the willingness to sacrifice personal pleasures for spiritual growth. Believers are encouraged to practice self-discipline in their walk with Christ.

Symbolism of the Vine
The grapevine often symbolizes abundance and blessing. By abstaining, the Nazirite demonstrates reliance on God rather than earthly provisions. Christians are reminded to depend on God for their needs.

Commitment to God
The Nazirite vow was voluntary, reflecting a personal commitment to God. Believers today are encouraged to make personal commitments to deepen their relationship with God.

Integrity in Vows
Keeping the vow was crucial for the Nazirite. Similarly, Christians are called to be people of integrity, honoring their commitments to God and others.
Bible Study Questions
1. What does the Nazirite vow teach us about the importance of being set apart for God in our daily lives?

2. How can the practice of self-discipline, as seen in the Nazirite vow, be applied to modern Christian living?

3. In what ways can we demonstrate reliance on God rather than on material or earthly provisions?

4. How does the account of Samson illustrate both the strengths and weaknesses of living under a Nazirite vow?

5. What personal commitments can you make to deepen your relationship with God, and how can you ensure you remain faithful to them?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Judges 13-16
The account of Samson, a Nazirite from birth, who was set apart for God's purposes. His life illustrates both the power and the challenges of living under a Nazirite vow.

1 Samuel 1:11
Hannah's vow concerning her son Samuel, who was dedicated to the Lord as a Nazirite, showing the vow's significance in dedicating one's life to God's service.

Amos 2:11-12
God’s reminder to Israel of the Nazirites He raised up, highlighting their role as examples of dedication and holiness.
The Temporary Vow of the Nazarite Symbolical of the Lifelong Vow of the ChristianE.S. Prout Numbers 6:1-8
A Faithful AbstainerNumbers 6:1-21
Dangerous Things to be AvoidedJ. Spencer.Numbers 6:1-21
Degrading Effects of DrinkJ. B. Gough.Numbers 6:1-21
Nazarite RulesDean Law.Numbers 6:1-21
Of the Vows of the Nazarites, and the Use Thereof to UsW. Attersoll.Numbers 6:1-21
Separated to the Service of GodW. Binnie Numbers 6:1-21
The Law of Vows (With Special Reference to the Nazarite)W. Roberts, M. A.Numbers 6:1-21
The NazariteLewis R. Dunn, D. D.Numbers 6:1-21
The Ordinance of NazariteshipC. H. Mackintosh.Numbers 6:1-21
The Vow of the NazariteW. Jones.Numbers 6:1-21
The Regulations for Observance of the Nazarite's VowD. Young Numbers 6:3-21
People
Aaron, Israelites, Moses, Naziriteship
Places
Sinai
Topics
Anything, Eat, Grape, Grapes, Grapestone, Grapevine, Grape-vine, Husk, Kernels, Naziriteship, Nothing, Pressed, Produced, Seeds, Seed-stones, Separate, Separation, Skin, Skins, Tree, Vine, Vine-tree, Wine-vine
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Numbers 6:1-4

     4404   food
     5707   male and female
     5773   abstinence, discipline

Numbers 6:1-8

     5794   asceticism

Numbers 6:1-20

     5155   hair

Numbers 6:1-21

     4544   wine
     5741   vows

Numbers 6:2-7

     5731   parents

Library
Separation to God.
NUMB. VI. 1-21. THE INSTITUTION OF THE ORDER OF NAZARITES. The first twenty-one verses of Numb. vi. give us an account of the institution and ordinances of the order of Nazarites. And let us note at the outset that this institution, like every other good and perfect gift, came from above; that GOD Himself gave this privilege--unasked--to His people; thereby showing His desire that "whosoever will" of His people may be brought into closest relationship to Himself. It was very gracious of GOD to permit
James Hudson Taylor—Separation and Service

Tenth Day. Holiness and Separation.
I am the Lord your God, which have separated you from other people. And ye shall be holy unto me, for I the Lord am holy, and have separated you from other people that ye should be Mine.'--Lev. xx. 24, 26. 'Until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto the Lord, he shall be holy.... All the days of his separation he is holy unto the Lord.'--Num. vi. 5, 8. 'Wherefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered without the
Andrew Murray—Holy in Christ

Of the Duties which we are to Perform after Receiving the Holy Communion, Called Action or Practice.
The duty which we are to perform after the receiving of the Lord's Supper is called action or practice, without which all the rest will minister to us no comfort. The action consists of two sorts of duties:---First, Such as we are to perform in the church, or else after we are gone home. Those that we are to perform in the church are either several from our own souls, or else jointly with the congregation. The several duties which thou must perform from thine own soul are three:--First, Thou must
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

These Things, My Brother Aurelius, Most Dear unto Me...
38. These things, my brother Aurelius, most dear unto me, and in the bowels of Christ to be venerated, so far as He hath bestowed on me the ability Who through thee commanded me to do it, touching work of Monks, I have not delayed to write; making this my chief care, lest good brethren obeying apostolic precepts, should by lazy and disobedient be called even prevaricators from the Gospel: that they which work not, may at the least account them which do work to be better than themselves without doubt.
St. Augustine—Of the Work of Monks.

The Worship of the Synagogue
One of the most difficult questions in Jewish history is that connected with the existence of a synagogue within the Temple. That such a "synagogue" existed, and that its meeting-place was in "the hall of hewn stones," at the south-eastern angle of the court of the priest, cannot be called in question, in face of the clear testimony of contemporary witnesses. Considering that "the hall of hew stones" was also the meeting-place for the great Sanhedrim, and that not only legal decisions, but lectures
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

Peace
Grace unto you and peace be multiplied. I Pet 1:1. Having spoken of the first fruit of sanctification, assurance, I proceed to the second, viz., Peace, Peace be multiplied:' What are the several species or kinds of Peace? Peace, in Scripture, is compared to a river which parts itself into two silver streams. Isa 66:12. I. There is an external peace, and that is, (1.) (Economical, or peace in a family. (2.) Political, or peace in the state. Peace is the nurse of plenty. He maketh peace in thy borders,
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Gen. xxxi. 11
Of no less importance and significance is the passage Gen. xxxi. 11 seq. According to ver. 11, the Angel of God, [Hebrew: mlaK halhiM] appears toJacob in a dream. In ver. 13, the same person calls himself the God of Bethel, with reference to the event recorded in chap. xxviii. 11-22. It cannot be supposed that in chap xxviii. the mediation of a common angel took place, who, however, had not been expressly mentioned; for Jehovah is there contrasted with the angels. In ver. 12, we read: "And behold
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Covenanting a Privilege of Believers.
Whatever attainment is made by any as distinguished from the wicked, or whatever gracious benefit is enjoyed, is a spiritual privilege. Adoption into the family of God is of this character. "He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power (margin, or, the right; or, privilege) to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name."[617] And every co-ordinate benefit is essentially so likewise. The evidence besides, that Covenanting
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

Prayer
But I give myself unto prayer.' Psa 109: 4. I shall not here expatiate upon prayer, as it will be considered more fully in the Lord's prayer. It is one thing to pray, and another thing to be given to prayer: he who prays frequently, is said to be given to prayer; as he who often distributes alms, is said to be given to charity. Prayer is a glorious ordinance, it is the soul's trading with heaven. God comes down to us by his Spirit, and we go up to him by prayer. What is prayer? It is an offering
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

Annunciation to Zacharias of the Birth of John the Baptist.
(at Jerusalem. Probably b.c. 6.) ^C Luke I. 5-25. ^c 5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judæa [a Jewish proselyte, an Idumæan or Edomite by birth, founder of the Herodian family, king of Judæa from b.c. 40 to a.d. 4, made such by the Roman Senate on the recommendation of Mark Antony and Octavius Cæsar], a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course [David divided the priests into twenty-four bodies or courses, each course serving in rotation one week in the temple
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Things to be Meditated on as Thou Goest to the Church.
1. That thou art going to the court of the Lord, and to speak with the great God by prayer; and to hear his majesty speak unto thee by his word; and to receive his blessing on thy soul, and thy honest labour, in the six days past. 2. Say with thyself by the way--"As the hart brayeth for the rivers of water, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, even for the living God: When shall I come and appear before the presence of God? For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

Numbers
Like the last part of Exodus, and the whole of Leviticus, the first part of Numbers, i.-x. 28--so called,[1] rather inappropriately, from the census in i., iii., (iv.), xxvi.--is unmistakably priestly in its interests and language. Beginning with a census of the men of war (i.) and the order of the camp (ii.), it devotes specific attention to the Levites, their numbers and duties (iii., iv.). Then follow laws for the exclusion of the unclean, v. 1-4, for determining the manner and amount of restitution
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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