6:3 he must separate7 himself from wine and strong drink, he must drink neither vinegar8 made from wine nor vinegar made from strong drink, nor may he drink any juice9 of grapes, nor eat fresh grapes or raisins.10
tn The operative verb now will be the Hiphil of נָזַר (nazar); the consecration to the Lord meant separation from certain things in the world. The first will be wine and strong drink—barley beer (from Akkadian sikaru, a fermented beer). But the second word may be somewhat wider in its application than beer. The Nazirite, then, was to avoid all intoxicants as a sign of his commitment to the Lord. The restriction may have proved a hardship in the daily diet of the one taking the vow, but it spoke a protest to the corrupt religious and social world that used alcohol to excess.
8
tn The “vinegar” (חֹמֶץ, homets) is some kind of drink preparation that has been allowed to go sour.
9
tn This word occurs only here. It may come from the word “to water, to be moist,” and so refer to juice.