God tells Moses to tell the Israelites that if they make a special vow to God as a Nazirite then they have to refrain from wine and other drinks that are fermented. They must not consume vinegar that has been made from wine or other types of fermented drinks.

They are also not to eat grapes or raisins or to drink grape juice. When they remain under the Nazirite vow, the people are not to consume anything that is from the grapevine, not the skins or seeds.

During the Nazirite Vow

During the time of their Nazirite vow, they are not to use a razor on their head. Everyone is to be holy until this dedication time to God is complete, so their hair must not be cut. They are also not to go near dead bodies, even if it is the body of their mother, father, sister or brother. They are not to be ceremonially unclean because the mark of their dedication to the Lord is on their head.

When a Sudden Death Occurs

In the event that a person suddenly dies in their presence, they are to shave their head upon the seventh day of their cleansing. Upon the eighth day, they are to bring two young pigeons or two doves to the priest. The priest will offer one of them as an offering of sin. The other will be a burnt offering. These will be atonements for the sin of being near a dead body. Then they will have to rededicate themselves to God and bring a one year old male lamb which is a guilt offering.

After the Nazirite Vow

After the Nazirite vow time period is over, they are to bring offerings to God which consists of a male lamb, one year-old ewe lamb, a ram, grain, drink, and bread. The priest will present them to God, as well as make a burnt offering and a sin offering. The Nazirites will shave off their hair that symbolized their dedication. The hair is to be put into the sacrificial fire.

Numbers Chapter 6 concludes with God giving Moses the priestly blessing. He tells Moses to give it to Aaron, as well as his sons.

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Numbers 6 (King James Version)

1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves unto the LORD:

3 He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried.

4 All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk.

5 All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto the LORD, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow.

6 All the days that he separateth himself unto the LORD he shall come at no dead body.

7 He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when they die: because the consecration of his God is upon his head.

8 All the days of his separation he is holy unto the LORD.

9 And if any man die very suddenly by him, and he hath defiled the head of his consecration; then he shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing, on the seventh day shall he shave it.

10 And on the eighth day he shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons, to the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation:

11 And the priest shall offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, and make an atonement for him, for that he sinned by the dead, and shall hallow his head that same day.

12 And he shall consecrate unto the LORD the days of his separation, and shall bring a lamb of the first year for a trespass offering: but the days that were before shall be lost, because his separation was defiled.

13 And this is the law of the Nazarite, when the days of his separation are fulfilled: he shall be brought unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation:

14 And he shall offer his offering unto the LORD, one he lamb of the first year without blemish for a burnt offering, and one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish for a sin offering, and one ram without blemish for peace offerings,

15 And a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, and wafers of unleavened bread anointed with oil, and their meat offering, and their drink offerings.

16 And the priest shall bring them before the LORD, and shall offer his sin offering, and his burnt offering:

17 And he shall offer the ram for a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD, with the basket of unleavened bread: the priest shall offer also his meat offering, and his drink offering.

18 And the Nazarite shall shave the head of his separation at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall take the hair of the head of his separation, and put it in the fire which is under the sacrifice of the peace offerings.

19 And the priest shall take the sodden shoulder of the ram, and one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them upon the hands of the Nazarite, after the hair of his separation is shaven:

20 And the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the LORD: this is holy for the priest, with the wave breast and heave shoulder: and after that the Nazarite may drink wine.

21 This is the law of the Nazarite who hath vowed, and of his offering unto the LORD for his separation, beside that that his hand shall get: according to the vow which he vowed, so he must do after the law of his separation.

22 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

23 Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them,

24 The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:

25 The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:

26 The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

27 And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.

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