Lexical Summary zag: Husk, skin, or peel Original Word: זָג Strong's Exhaustive Concordance husk From an unused root probably meaning to inclose; the skin of a grape -- husk. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom an unused word Definition skin (of the grape) NASB Translation skin (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs זָג noun [masculine] name of some comparatively insignificant product of vine (גֶּפֶן הַיַּיִן), the eating of which was included in prohibition to Nazirite; skin of grape, so Thes (after Onk Mishna Maaser. 5:§ 4, Orla 1:§ 8, compare Sifre on the passage): מֵחַרְצַנִּים וְעַדזָֿג֖ לֹא יאֹכֵ֑ל Numbers 6:4 (Late Hebrew זג, זוג; so called as transparent ? compare Aramaic זְגוּגִיתָא  glass, Late Hebrew זַגָּג glazier (Arabic  glass, is a loan-word according to Frä64); compare theory of √ in LagGes. Ath. 41, Fll.c.: but in Hebrew glass is זְכוֺכִית). זֶד, זָדוֺן see below זיד. Topical Lexicon Meaning and ImageryThe word points to the thin, outer covering of a grape. In everyday life that skin was discarded, trodden in the press, or fermented with the juice. Scripture selects that otherwise insignificant part to stress totality: even the least fragment of the vine was off-limits for the Nazarite. By naming the skin rather than just “grapes,” the law underscores a holiness so thorough that nothing connected with wine—seed, juice, or husk—may cross the lips of the one set apart. Scriptural Occurrence Numbers 6:4: “Throughout the days of his separation he must not eat anything that is produced by the grapevine, from seed to skin.” Here “skin” translates the Hebrew term, showing the meticulous scope of the Nazarite restriction. Grapes and Holiness in the Nazarite Vow 1. Total consecration. The vow in Numbers 6 demanded abstinence from every part of the grape. The mention of the skin teaches that holiness is not selective; it reaches to seemingly trivial details (compare Leviticus 10:10; 1 Peter 1:15-16). Grapes, Wine, and Redemptive Typology • Old Covenant anticipation. The Nazarite’s denial of grape skins foreshadowed the future Servant who would be “holy, harmless, undefiled” (Hebrews 7:26). Archaeological and Historical Insights Ancient wine production relied on the grape skin for color, tannins, and fermentation. Papyri and ostraca from Egypt and Judea record taxes on pressed skins, showing their economic value. Against that backdrop the Nazarite’s refusal of even skins bore a financial cost, heightening the sacrifice. Rabbinic sources note that some later Nazarites would avoid vineyards entirely to prevent accidental defilement. Ministry Implications and Contemporary Application • Pursuit of thorough holiness. Just as the vow extended to the grape’s epidermis, believers are urged to surrender hidden habits and “every weight and sin that entangles” (Hebrews 12:1). The solitary occurrence of זָג serves as a small but vivid reminder that Scripture leaves nothing accidental. Even a single reference to a grape skin summons God’s people to holiness of heart, detail, and devotion that permeates every layer of life. Forms and Transliterations זָ֖ג זג zag zāḡLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Numbers 6:4 HEB: מֵחַרְצַנִּ֛ים וְעַד־ זָ֖ג לֹ֥א יֹאכֵֽל׃ NAS: from [the] seeds even to [the] skin. KJV: from the kernels even to the husk. INT: from seeds even to skin shall not eat |
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