🔢WEB · Numbers 6:20
What does Numbers 6:20 mean?
"and the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before Yahweh. This is holy for the priest, together with the breast that is waved and the thigh that is offered. After that the Nazirite may drink wine."
— Numbers 6:20 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
He shall offer the ram for a sacrifice of peace offerings to Yahweh, with the basket of unleavened bread. The priest shall offer also its meal offering, and its drink offering.
The Nazirite shall shave the head of his separation at the door of the Tent of Meeting, and shall take the hair of the head of his separation, and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of peace offerings.
The priest shall take the boiled shoulder of the ram, and one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them on the hands of the Nazirite, after he has shaved the head of his separation;
and the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before Yahweh. This is holy for the priest, together with the breast that is waved and the thigh that is offered. After that the Nazirite may drink wine.
“‘This is the law of the Nazirite who vows, and of his offering to Yahweh for his separation, besides that which he is able to get. According to his vow which he vows, so he must do after the law of his separation.’”
Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
“Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, ‘This is how you shall bless the children of Israel.’ You shall tell them,
Explanation
Numbers 6:20 comes at the close of a detailed set of instructions describing what a Nazirite must do when the time of his special vow to the Lord has been completed. In plain language, the verse says that the priest takes certain portions of the sacrifices — grain and animal parts specifically set aside — and lifts them up before the Lord in a ceremonial "wave offering." These portions then legally belong to the priest as his rightful share, added to the breast and thigh he already receives from other peace offerings. Only after this entire ritual is finished is the Nazirite permitted to drink wine again, since abstaining from wine and grape products had been one of the core restrictions of his vow.
The book of Numbers records laws and events from Israel's wilderness journey after the exodus from Egypt, and Moses is the one who transmits these regulations from God to the people. Numbers 6 specifically addresses the Nazirite vow, a voluntary commitment any Israelite man or woman could make to be especially consecrated to God for a set period. During that time, the Nazirite avoided wine, refrained from cutting his hair, and stayed away from contact with the dead. When the v
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