Nazirite

Biblical Text

The Nazirite regulations are recorded in Numbers 6:1-21. They describe an institution by which a man or woman, having made a special vow, separated himself or herself to the LORD for a set period. The one who took the vow observed three requirements.

• Abstaining from the produce of the vine: The Nazirite ate nothing that came from the grapevine—not only wine and strong drink but also grape juice, fresh grapes and raisins, and even the seeds and skins (Numbers 6:3-4).
• Leaving the hair uncut: During the period of the vow, "there shall no razor come upon his head" (Numbers 6:5).
• Avoiding dead bodies: Even at the death of a father, mother, brother, or sister, the Nazirite was not to become defiled by the corpse (Numbers 6:6-7).

If someone died suddenly nearby and the Nazirite became unclean, he or she was to shave the head on the seventh day and present offerings on the eighth day. The days already observed were then void, and the full period had to be fulfilled again from the beginning (Numbers 6:9-12). When the period was completed, the Nazirite offered a burnt offering, a sin offering, and a peace offering at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and burned the shaved hair in the fire under the sacrifice of the peace offerings (Numbers 6:13-20).

Terminology and Background

The English word "Nazirite" renders the Hebrew nazir, which is related to a root meaning "to separate" or "to set apart." Numbers 6:7 describes the grown hair as the sign of consecration to God. The prohibition against approaching even a parent's corpse parallels the regulations for the high priest (Leviticus 21:10-11). For this reason the vow is sometimes explained as a way for a non-priest to maintain, for a time, a holiness approaching that of the priesthood. The Mishnah, a later Jewish text, is reported to have treated a vow with no specified duration as lasting thirty days.

Nazirites in the Bible

• Samson: He was designated a Nazirite for life even before his birth (Judges 13:5). He lost his strength after his hair was shaved (Judges 16:17-19).
• Samuel: His mother, Hannah, vowed that no razor would come upon her son's head (1 Samuel 1:11). Although the word "Nazirite" does not appear in the text, he is commonly regarded as one.
• Amos 2:11-12: The prophet rebukes the people for giving wine to the Nazirites whom God had raised up.
• John the Baptist: It was foretold that he would drink neither wine nor strong drink (Luke 1:15). Interpreters are divided over whether he should be regarded as a Nazirite.
• Paul: Because he had a vow, he had his hair cut at Cenchrea (Acts 18:18). In Jerusalem he joined four men who were under a vow in the rite of purification (a ceremony of ritual cleansing) and paid their expenses (Acts 21:23-26). These episodes are generally read as connected with the Nazirite vow.

The New Testament and Theological Significance

The New Testament issues no new command concerning the Nazirite institution. The text explains that Paul took part in these rites to show that he himself also kept the law (Acts 21:24). Many Protestant traditions regard these regulations as ceremonial law fulfilled in Christ and hold that present-day believers are under no obligation to observe them. They nonetheless see the spirit of separating oneself to God as carried forward in the sanctification and holiness of all believers and in the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers.

Interpretation and Points of Debate

• Nazirite and Nazarene: The two terms are distinct. "Nazarene" means a person from Nazareth. Regarding the words "He shall be called a Nazarene" in Matthew 2:23, some interpreters connect the term with nazir, while others connect it with the "Branch" (netzer) of Isaiah 11:1. Jesus was accused of drinking wine (Luke 7:34) and took a dead girl by the hand (Mark 5:41). For these reasons he is generally not regarded as a Nazirite. The notion that Jesus had long hair because he was a Nazirite has no basis in the text.
• Samson's conduct: Samson scooped honey out of a lion's carcass and ate it (Judges 14:8-9), and he held a feast. Some interpret these actions as violations of the regulations, while others hold that the instructions he received focused on his hair.
• Distinction from the Rechabites: The Rechabites of Jeremiah 35 also abstained from wine. Their abstinence, however, was in obedience to their ancestor's command and is therefore distinct from the Nazirite vow.

In the Korean Church

In preaching, the Nazirite is frequently used as an example of a life set apart from the world and devoted to God. Hannah's vow is cited as a model of parental prayer that entrusts children to God. The Nazirite regulations are sometimes invoked as a basis for abstinence from alcohol. In response, some point out that the regulations applied only to those who had taken the vow.