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NAZIRITE

(Heb. nāzîr)

Men or women who consecrated themselves to God for a specific time by a special vow (Num. 6:1-21). During the period of consecration, Nazirites had to abstain from alcoholic drink and leave their hair uncut. Their special status as “holy to the Lord” also required that they be especially careful to avoid contact with a corpse even if a member of their family died during the time their vow was in force (Num. 6:6-7). Both deliberate and accidental contact with a corpse nullified the time served in compliance with the vow. Special sacrifices had to be offered and the period of consecration begun anew (Num. 6:9-12). After the completion of the vow, special offerings had to be made including the cutting of the hair and burning it with an offering for well-being (Num. 6:13-20). The exacting regulations that circumscribed the period of Nazirite service underscore the seriousness of this state.

The law in Numbers implies that living as a Nazirite was a matter of personal choice. In other OT texts this is not as clear. Samson was consecrated as a Nazirite while still in his mother’s womb (Judg. 13:4-14), and Samuel’s mother made the consecration for him (1 Sam. 1:11). Amos 2:11 implies that living as a Nazirite was a divine charism rather than a personal choice. Apparently, at one time Nazirites were a charismatic group like early prophetic circles. Later individuals might choose to live like these Nazirites for a time, and Num. 6 served to regulate this practice. This practice continued into the 1st century a.d. Acts 18:18; 21:20-26 imply that Paul participated in the rituals connected with the conclusion of Nazirite observance. Matt. 2:23 may allude to the Nazirite status and may imply that Jesus, like Samson and Samuel, was a consecrated person.

The Bible does not explicitly state the reasons for becoming a Nazirite. Abstaining from alcoholic drink recalls the Rechabites of Jer. 35:1-11. Their abstinence is explicitly related to the rejection of a settled existence that made viticulture possible. Though the Heb. nāzîr usually means “consecrated person,” Lev. 25:5 uses it to mean “untrimmed vine.” Perhaps the Nazirite lifestyle is a protest against the cultivation of grapes for use in the production of wine. The reason for allowing the hair to grow without cutting is unclear. Other religious traditions entail specific renunciations and the following of certain disciplines for those who seek a specially close relationship with God. The Nazirite vow may be an ancient Israelite example of this pattern.

Leslie J. Hoppe

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

NAZIRITE

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)