The BibleGospel Companion

Nazirites

נָזִיר · na.zir · H5139נָזַר · na.zar · H5144B1 other spelling15 mentions in 3 books, most in Numbers (10)

Who they were

A Nazirite was a person who voluntarily took a special vow of dedication to God for a specific period or for life. The regulations for the Nazirite vow are outlined in Numbers 6. During the period of the vow, a Nazirite was required to abstain from wine and all grape products (Numbers 6:3,4), refrain from cutting their hair (Numbers 6:5), and avoid contact with dead bodies, even those of close relatives (Numbers 6:6,7). If a Nazirite accidentally came into contact with a corpse, they had to undergo a purification ritual and restart their vow (Numbers 6:9-12). At the conclusion of the vow, the Nazirite would offer sacrifices, shave their consecrated hair, and burn it on the altar (Numbers 6:13-21). Samson, one of the judges of Israel, was a lifelong Nazirite from birth (Judges 13:5,7; 16:17). The prophet Amos mentions Nazirites as examples of those raised up by God, alongside prophets (Amo.2.11,12).

Article: STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0

Every mention

15 references, counted from STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0 · verse text: World English Bible (public domain)
NumbersChapter 6: 10 mentions10 mentions
Numbers 6:2“Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them: ‘When either man or woman shall make a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to Yahweh,Numbers 6:3he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink. He shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of fermented drink, neither shall he drink any juice of grapes, nor eat fresh grapes or…Numbers 6:5“‘All the days of his vow of separation no razor shall come on his head, until the days are fulfilled in which he separates himself to Yahweh. He shall be holy. He shall let the locks of…Numbers 6:6“‘All the days that he separates himself to Yahweh he shall not go near a dead body.Numbers 6:12He shall separate to Yahweh the days of his separation, and shall bring a male lamb a year old for a trespass offering; but the former days shall be void, because his separation was defiled.Numbers 6:13“‘This is the law of the Nazirite: when the days of his separation are fulfilled, he shall be brought to the door of the Tent of Meeting,Numbers 6:18The Nazirite shall shave the head of his separation at the door of the Tent of Meeting, take the hair of the head of his separation, and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of…Numbers 6:19The priest shall take the boiled shoulder of the ram, one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them on the hands of the Nazirite after he has shaved…Numbers 6:20and the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before Yahweh. They are holy for the priest, together with the breast that is waved and the thigh that is offered. After that the…Numbers 6:21“‘This is the law of the Nazirite who vows and of his offering to Yahweh for his separation, in addition to that which he is able to afford. According to his vow which he vows, so he must…
JudgesChapter 13: 2 mentionsChapter 16: 1 mention3 mentions
Judges 13:5for, behold, you shall conceive and give birth to a son. No razor shall come on his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb. He shall begin to save Israel out of the…Judges 13:7but he said to me, ‘Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink. Don’t eat any unclean thing, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb…Judges 16:17He told her all his heart and said to her, “No razor has ever come on my head; for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaved, then my strength will go from me and…
AmosChapter 2: 2 mentions2 mentions
Amos 2:11I raised up some of your sons for prophets, and some of your young men for Nazirites. Isn’t this true, you children of Israel?” says Yahweh.Amos 2:12“But you gave the Nazirites wine to drink, and commanded the prophets, saying, ‘Don’t prophesy!’

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