Numbers 6:20
in Numbers 6The priest shall then wave them as a wave offering before the LORD. This is a holy portion for the priest, in addition to the breast of the wave offering and the thigh that was presented. After that, the Nazirite may drink wine.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and the priest shall wave them for a wave-offering before Jehovah; this is holy for the priest, together with the wave-breast and heave-thigh: and after that the Nazirite may drink wine.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Numbers 6
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
the priest is to take the boiled shoulder from the ram
on Numbers 6:19-21
The shoulder, a cake and a wafer are waved from the Nazirite’s hands, and John Wesley takes the shoulder as the priest’s extra portion. Verse 20 ends with the release, “After that, the Nazirite may drink wine”.
This site's exposition
After that, the Nazirite may drink wine
Matthew Henry likens the close of the rite to cancelling a bond once its terms are met. John Wesley reads the permission as a return to ordinary life. The wine forbidden at verse 3 is the first thing restored.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
); and this was a gratuity to the priest, who had it for his pains, after it had been first presented to God. (6.) Besides all this, he might bring his free-will offerings, such as his hand shall get,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the Lord,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
when the days of his separation are fulfilled, &c.--On the accomplishment of a limited vow of Nazaritism, Nazarites might cut their hair wherever they happened to be (Ac 18:18); but the hair was to be carefully kept and brought to the door of the sanctuary.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
19 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהֵנִיף֩ | vehenif | and he will wave | H5130 → | 37 times |
| אוֹתָ֨ם | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַכֹּהֵ֥ן׀ | hakohen | the priest | H3548 → | 750 times |
| תְּנוּפָה֮ | tenufah | a wave-offering | H8573 → | 30 times |
| לִפְנֵ֣י | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| יְהוָה֒ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| קֹ֤דֶשׁ | kodesh | [is] a holy portion | H6944 → | 469 times |
| הוּא֙ | hu' | it | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| לַכֹּהֵ֔ן | lakohen | for the priest | H3548 → | 750 times |
| עַ֚ל | ʾal | with | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| חֲזֵ֣ה | chazeh | [the] breast of | H2373 → | |
| הַתְּנוּפָ֔ה | hatenufah | the wave-offering | H8573 → | 30 times |
| וְעַ֖ל | veal | and with | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| שׁ֣וֹק | shok | [the] thigh of | H7785 → | |
| הַתְּרוּמָ֑ה | haterumah | the contribution | H8641 → | 76 times |
| וְאַחַ֛ר | veachar | and after | H310 → | 715 times |
| יִשְׁתֶּ֥ה | yishteh | he will drink | H8354 → | 217 times |
| הַנָּזִ֖יר | hanazir | the Nazirite | H5139 → | 16 times |
| יָֽיִן׃ | yayin | wine | H3196 → | 141 times |
וְהֵנִיף֩and he will wave
vehenifH5130 →37 times
אוֹתָ֨ם<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
הַכֹּהֵ֥ן׀the priest
hakohenH3548 →750 times
תְּנוּפָה֮a wave-offering
tenufahH8573 →30 times
לִפְנֵ֣י<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
יְהוָה֒Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
קֹ֤דֶשׁ[is] a holy portion
kodeshH6944 →469 times
הוּא֙it
hu'H1931 →1879 times
לַכֹּהֵ֔ןfor the priest
lakohenH3548 →750 times
עַ֚לwith
ʾalH5921 →5755 times
חֲזֵ֣ה[the] breast of
chazehH2373 →
הַתְּנוּפָ֔הthe wave-offering
hatenufahH8573 →30 times
וְעַ֖לand with
vealH5921 →5755 times
שׁ֣וֹק[the] thigh of
shokH7785 →
הַתְּרוּמָ֑הthe contribution
haterumahH8641 →76 times
וְאַחַ֛רand after
veacharH310 →715 times
יִשְׁתֶּ֥הhe will drink
yishtehH8354 →217 times
הַנָּזִ֖ירthe Nazirite
hanazirH5139 →16 times
יָֽיִן׃wine
yayinH3196 →141 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Ecclesiastes 9:7Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart, for God has already approved your works:
it leads to
- Ecclesiastes 3:12–13
I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and do good while they live,
- Deuteronomy 12:7
There, in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your households shall eat and rejoice in all you do, because the LORD your God has blessed you.
- Ecclesiastes 10:19
A feast is prepared for laughter, and wine makes life merry, but money is the answer for everything.
- Ecclesiastes 8:15
So I commended the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be merry. For this joy will accompany him in his…
- Ecclesiastes 2:24–26
Nothing is better for a man than to eat and drink and enjoy his work. I have also seen that this is from the hand of God.
- Ecclesiastes 3:12–13
Through
Numbers 5:25The priest shall take from her hand the grain offering for jealousy, wave it before the LORD, and bring it to the altar.
it leads to
- Leviticus 8:27
He put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons and waved them before the LORD as a wave offering.
- Numbers 5:18
After the priest has the woman stand before the LORD, he is to let down her hair and place in her hands the grain offering of memorial, which is the grain offering for jealousy.…
- Leviticus 8:27
Through
Numbers 18:18And their meat belongs to you, just as the breast and right thigh of the wave offering belong to you.
it leads to
- Exodus 29:26–28
Take the breast of the ram of Aaron’s ordination and wave it before the LORD as a wave offering, and it will be your portion.
- Exodus 29:26–28
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies8
On this verse
About Numbers
This page draws on Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.