John Calvin Commentary Numbers 6:3

"he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink; he shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any juice of grapes, nor eat fresh grapes or dried." — Numbers 6:3 (ASV)

He shall separate himself from wine. The first instruction is that they should not only abstain from wine, but also that they should not even taste grapes or anything connected with wine. The simple rule was that they should not drink wine or anything intoxicating. However, because people are crafty in inventing deceptions, it was necessary to specify the ways by which the Law might be violated.

Thus, by abstaining from wine, they would not have deprived themselves of luxuries—whether by indulging in fresh or dried grapes, by mixing water with grapes and expressing their juice, or by imitating the sweetness of wine with other delicate preparations. Therefore, it becomes clear how many secret recesses and lurking-places human hypocrisy possesses, while it shamelessly devises foolish deceptions to cheat God Himself.

But, at the same time, we must note that this craftiness was intolerable to God, who is pleased by nothing as much as sincerity. We will also see elsewhere that the priests, when they were performing their duties by turns in the Temple, were forbidden the use of wine. This similarity proves what I have already said: that the Nazarites were thus separated from the multitude so that they might approach the honor of the priesthood.

However, abstinence from wine was commanded not only so they might avoid drunkenness, but also so their whole way of living might be more temperate and frugal. For the drinking of wine is well known to be among the chief pleasures of the table, and those who are not self-restrained will rather content themselves with moderate and common food than endure being deprived of wine.

We may, then, learn from this that a sober use of wine is a most important part of temperate living. In all gluttony and intemperance, what is most to be condemned is when people have too great a love for excessive wine-drinking.

It is then astonishing that when the monks under the Papacy boast of their angelic perfection, they should unanimously refuse to abstain from wine. For many,³³² it is sinful to touch even a bit of beef or pork their entire lives, and they would glory in being martyrs if they obstinately preferred to die rather than eat meat in a case of necessity.

However, their temperance is so inconsistent that this austerity regarding food grants them greater license in drinking, as if they purposely avenged themselves in this manner.³³³ Therefore, nothing can be more insufferable than their boasting, since this abstinence in eating alone is a mere mockery of God.

³³² “Aux Chartreux;” with the Carthusian monks. — Fr.

³³³ Addition Fr. — Sur le gobelet.. — Sur le gobelet.