Numbers 6:3 – The Nazarites are separated from:
- {yayin} “wine” (in the first instance here it is ordinary grape juice as in Isa. 16:10 and Jer. 48:33).
- {shekhar} “cider” (in the first instance here it is not “strong” drink – as I perceive it is not in Num. 28:7; Deut. 14:26).
- {chometz yayin} literally “fermented grape juice,” “fermented yayin” (as in Lev. 10:9, but not the first form of yayin). “As the ancients did not scientifically distinguish between the alcoholic and acetous fermentations, the generic word signifying ‘fermented’ was used to describe both.” (Numbers 6:1-4, Temperance Bible Commentary)
- {chometz shekhar} literally “fermented cider” (as in Lev. 10:9, but not the first form of cider).
- {mishra} an infusion, for example a drink made from leftover macerated grape pulp – soaked in water (a bit different than ordinary grape juice “wine” already mentioned at the start of verse 3).
- moist {enab} grapes. Apparently it was unnecessary for Num. 6 to mention tirosh (“grapes” in Mic. 6:15 ESV) because it mentions enab (grapes) anyway.
- dried {enab} grapes.
1. The Origin of wine “yayin” and its subsequent decay… 2. “chometz yayin” 3. “chometz”
“… wine and … fermentation of wine … one is not to drink, any liquid of grapes one is not to drink, and grapes, moist or dried, one is not to eat.”
(Numbers 6:3 The Schocken Bible, Everett Fox)
- “yayin” (Num. 6:3, 20) unfermented grape juice simply called “yayin” here and elsewhere in the Bible (not fermented and not intoxicating).
- “chometz yayin” “fermented wine” (this phrase only in Num. 6:3) also simply called “yayin” elsewhere in the Bible (fermented and intoxicating). Wine, cider, and bread become chometz (leavened, fermented) only because wild yeast or cultured yeast begins to cause decay. Otherwise wine etc. would remain in the original state. (Everything chometz is excluded from the Passover and the Unleavened Feast.) Easton’s Bible Dictionary says that ‘in Heb. hamets, properly “ferment.” In Num. 6:3, “vinegar of wine” is more correctly “fermented wine.”’
- “chometz” (Prov. 10:26; 25:20) “vinegar”, regardless of being made from wine or from cider or from another source. “As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to those who send him.” (Prov. 10:26) “As one who takes away a garment in cold weather, or vinegar on soda, so is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.” (Prov. 25:20) (Vinegar is fermented but not intoxicating). Old techniques used to prevent alcoholic wine from turning to vinegar were also able to prevent wine from turning into alcoholic wine itself.