Numbers 6:4

6:4 All the days of his separation he must not eat anything that is produced by the grapevine, from seed ¹  to skin. ² 

Numbers 19:5

19:5 Then the heifer must be burned ³  in his sight – its skin, its flesh, its blood, and its offal is to be burned. ⁴ 

Numbers 31:20

31:20 You must purify each garment and everything that is made of skin, everything made of goat’s hair, and everything made of wood.” ⁵ 

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¹ tn This word also is rare, occurring only here.

² sn Here is another hapax legomenon, a word only found here. The word seems linked to the verb “to be clear,” and so may mean the thin skin of the grape. The reason for the strictness with these two words in this verse is uncertain. We know the actual meanings of the words, and the combination must form a merism here, meaning no part of the grape could be eaten. Abstaining from these common elements of food was to be a mark of commitment to the Lord. Hos 3:1 even denounces the raisin cakes as part of a pagan world, and eating them would be a violation of the oath.

³ tn Again, the verb has no expressed subject, and so is given a passive translation.

⁴ tn The imperfect tense is third masculine singular, and so again the verb is to be made passive.

⁵ sn These verses are a reminder that taking a life, even if justified through holy war, still separates one from the holiness of God. It is part of the violation of the fallen world, and only through the ritual of purification can one be once again made fit for the presence of the Lord.