You will have joy and gladness; and many will rejoice at his birth.
The connection between control by drink and control by the Holy Spirit occurs elsewhere in Scripture (Ephesians 5:18). It is difficult, if not impossible, to determine if John was to be a Nazirite (Numbers 6:1-12) or simply devoted to God. The priests were to refrain from strong drink before serving in the sanctuary (Leviticus 10:1-4; Leviticus 10:9-11). There are no other specific indications that John was a Nazirite, though he may have been. His ascetic lifestyle was similar to that of many prophets, particularly Elijah (Luke 1:17; 2 Kings 1:8; Matthew 3:4).