Numbers 11:6

11:6 But now we ¹  are dried up, ²  and there is nothing at all before us ³  except this manna!”

Numbers 6:3

6:3 he must separate ⁴  himself from wine and strong drink, he must drink neither vinegar ⁵  made from wine nor vinegar made from strong drink, nor may he drink any juice ⁶  of grapes, nor eat fresh grapes or raisins. ⁷ 

¹ tn Heb “our souls.”

² sn The Hebrews were complaining both about the bland taste of the manna and dehydration – they were parched in the wilderness.

³ tn Heb “before our eyes,” meaning that “we see nothing except this manna.”

⁴ 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.

⁵ tn The “vinegar” (חֹמֶץ, homets) is some kind of drink preparation that has been allowed to go sour.

⁶ tn This word occurs only here. It may come from the word “to water, to be moist,” and so refer to juice.

⁷ tn Heb “dried” (so KJV, ASV, NRSV).