Vows and Blessings: Purity and holiness and God’s presence with the people continue to underscore the text. Chapter 6 begins with a description of the Nazirites, a group that exemplifies a special holiness by way of a vow and so is a symbol of Israel’s holiness. The chapter concludes with God’s blessing upon the people. All of these rites fall under the supervision of the priests.

6:1–8 The first part of the Nazirite vow (vv. 1–4) is to abstain from wine and other fermented drink. The description of the prohibited substances is comprehensive, including vinegar and juice from the vine as well as grapes or raisins, not even the seeds or skins, that is, the least appetizing products of the vine. The prohibition could be a protest against the lifestyle of intoxication, decadence, or degeneracy,…