 |
Craig White's Literature Courses Nazarite |
 15c engraving of Delillah cutting Samson's hair |
"Nazarite" is a holy order of Jews described in Numbers 6.1-21. The strongman Samson in the Book of Judges was a Nazarite, as was the prophet Samuel. John the Baptist may have been a Nazarite.
Numbers 6.1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: When either man or woman shall clearly utter a vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to consecrate himself unto the LORD, 3 he shall abstain from wine and strong drink: he shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat fresh grapes or dried. . . . 5 All the days of his vow of Naziriteship there shall no razor come upon his head; until the days be fulfilled, in which he consecrates himself unto the LORD, he shall be holy, he shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow long. 6 All the days that he consecrateth himself unto the LORD he shall not come near to a dead body. . . . 8 All the days of his Naziriteship he is holy unto the LORD.
from A Hebrew-English Bible (http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0.htm)
