The Church Fathers on this verse
THEOSIS
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Numbers 6:3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

They shall abstain from wine, and from every thing that may make a man drunk. They shall not drink vinegar of wine, or of any other drink, nor any thing that is pressed out of the grape: nor shall they eat grapes either fresh or dried.

Douay-Rheims

מִיַּ֤יִן וְשֵׁכָר֙ יַזִּ֔יר חֹ֥מֶץ יַ֛יִן וְחֹ֥מֶץ שֵׁכָ֖ר לֹ֣א יִשְׁתֶּ֑ה וְכָל־מִשְׁרַ֤ת עֲנָבִים֙ לֹ֣א יִשְׁתֶּ֔ה וַעֲנָבִ֛ים לַחִ֥ים וִיבֵשִׁ֖ים לֹ֥א יֹאכֵֽל׃

Hebrew (Masoretic text)

The Church Fathers on this verse

3 Church Fathers comment on this verse

Cyrill of Alexandria

5th centuryChurch Father

If anyone seeks to cleanse himself before God following the noble commitment to embody the highest form of life and to tread the pure and direct path of complete truth, he must distance himself from wine and intoxicating beverages, liberating his spirit from all that can cloud and confuse it. This includes, in my view, worldly distractions, earthly desires, fleshly concerns, and vanity. The prophetic voice laments concerning certain priests, stating, "The priest and the prophet stagger from wine; they are entangled by strong drink" (Isaiah 28:7).

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Additionally, the prophet declares about others, "For their vine is from the vine of Sodom, and from the fields of Gomorrah; their grapes are poisonous; their clusters are bitter; their wine is the venom of serpents and the cruel poison of asps" (Deuteronomy 32:32-33). Furthermore, it is said of some, "Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbor, pouring out your wrath and making him drunk" (Hab. 2:15). Thus, the law safeguards the minds of the sanctified from any potential intoxication. It clearly states that they must not even touch vinegar, referring to it, as I believe, as a symbol of unnatural and distorted pleasures. The use of raisins and grains is likewise prohibited, ensuring that our thoughts do not stray, even subtly, to remnants of our natural inclinations toward enjoyment. For these reasons, as I understand, the law excludes wine and all its derivatives.

Ephraem the Syrian

4th centuryChurch Father

The Nazorean, who was instructed to refrain from wine and sackcloth throughout his period of separation, symbolizes the Jewish people, to whom the lawgiver imparted a command to reject Egyptian customs, just as he abstained from wine, and to avoid sackcloth, which signifies not entering into fellowship with the Canaanites. Wine represents the teachings of the Egyptians, while drink from the Canaanites is emblematic of their doctrines; the intoxicating influence of both manifests the evil practices of the Egyptians. Fresh and dried grapes symbolize the deeds of both the Egyptians and the Canaanites, whereas bones and shells signify the remnants of their wickedness.

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On another level, let no one indulge in wine or any strong drink, meaning one should not allow their flesh to become overwhelmed by desires, nor their spirit to be agitated by troubling thoughts. Furthermore, the law that prohibits the consumption of grapes instructs that all manifestations of desire must be eliminated, and by forbidding the eating of bones and shells, it teaches the importance of attending to the smaller, seemingly insignificant matters.

Philaret of Moscow (Drosdow)

19th centuryChurch Father

Let them refrain from consuming wine. The Nazoreans were instructed to avoid wine, as it can lead to excess and make a person unfit to serve God consistently. However, Jesus Christ, being a Nazarene, as noted in Matthew 2:23, did partake of it. The Son of Man came both eating and drinking, for He was without sin, unlike the other Nazoreans, who were simply human.

Cross references

Passages read together with this verse.