Bible Strands
Numbers 6:20
The 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.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Moses relays divine instructions to Israel concerning the conclusion of a Nazirite vow. The priest acts after the Nazirite shaves his consecration hair and receives the boiled meat and unleavened bread.
The words — The Hebrew verb הֵנִיף (he.Nif) translates literally as “he will wave,” describing the priest’s ritual motion. The noun תְּנוּפָה (te.nu.Fah) means “a wave-offering,” defining the specific sacrificial category being presented.
The thread — The priest’s waving action appears in Exodus 29:27 during Aaronic consecration and in Numbers 5:25 for the jealousy grain offering. These texts establish the ritual sequence of presenting offerings to Yahweh before designating portions as holy.
Why it lands — The text requires the priest to complete the waving ritual before the Nazirite is permitted to drink wine. A reader must acknowledge that ritual completion and priestly entitlement must occur before the Nazirite resumes ordinary life.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
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.
Cross-references
- Ecclesiastes 9:7 Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart, for God has already approved your works:
- Exodus 29:27 Consecrate for Aaron and his sons the breast of the wave offering that is waved and the thigh of the heave offering that is lifted up from the ram of ordination.
- Numbers 5:25 The priest shall take from her hand the grain offering for jealousy, wave it before the LORD, and bring it to the altar.
- Leviticus 7:31 The priest is to burn the fat on the altar, but the breast belongs to Aaron and his sons.
- Leviticus 7:34 I have taken from the sons of Israel the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the contribution of their peace offerings, and I have given them to Aaron the priest and his sons as a permanent portion from the sons of Israel.’”
- Leviticus 9:21 but he waved the breasts and the right thigh as a wave offering before the LORD, as Moses had commanded.
- Leviticus 10:15 They are to bring the thigh of the contribution and the breast of the wave offering, together with the fat portions of the food offerings, to wave as a wave offering before the LORD. It will belong permanently to you and your children, as the LORD has commanded.”
- Leviticus 23:11 And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD so that it may be accepted on your behalf; the priest is to wave it on the day after the Sabbath.
- Numbers 18:18 And their meat belongs to you, just as the breast and right thigh of the wave offering belong to you.
- Psalms 16:10 For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, nor will You let Your Holy One see decay.