🔢WEB · Numbers 6:4
What does Numbers 6:4 mean?
"All the days of his separation he shall eat nothing that is made of the grapevine, from the seeds even to the skins."
— Numbers 6:4 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
“Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them: ‘When either man or woman shall make a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to Yahweh,
he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink. He shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of fermented drink, neither shall he drink any juice of grapes, nor eat fresh grapes or dried.
All the days of his separation he shall eat nothing that is made of the grapevine, from the seeds even to the skins.
“‘All the days of his vow of separation no razor shall come on his head, until the days are fulfilled, in which he separates himself to Yahweh. He shall be holy. He shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow long.
“‘All the days that he separates himself to Yahweh he shall not go near a dead body.
He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when they die; because his separation to God is on his head.
Explanation
Numbers 6:4 comes from the section of the Torah that lays out the rules for the Nazirite vow, a special, voluntary consecration that any Israelite man or woman could take upon themselves for a set period of time. This particular verse states that during the entire time of this separation, the Nazirite must abstain from anything produced by the grapevine, from the seeds to the skins — meaning grapes, raisins, wine, vinegar made from wine, and even the smallest byproducts of the vine were forbidden. It is an extremely thorough prohibition, leaving no loophole for partial compliance.
The book of Numbers was written to record the laws, census, and wilderness journey of Israel after they left Egypt, traditionally attributed to Moses, who received these instructions directly from God. The Nazirite vow, described in Numbers 6:1-21, was open to any Israelite, man or woman, who wished to dedicate themselves to the Lord for a specific period through heightened purity and self-discipline. Three restrictions defined this vow: abstaining from grape products, not cutting one's hair, and avoiding contact with the dead. This vow was not for priests only but was a way for ordinary Israelites to express extraordinary devotion to God.
Theologically, the prohibition against grape products underscores the seriousness and totality of the consecration. Grapes and wine were staples of everyday life and often associated with joy, celebration, and comfort (see Psalm 104:15). By giving up even this common pleasure entirely — down to the seeds and skins — the Naz
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