Don’t confuse “Nazirite” with “Nazarene.” Jesus was called a “Nazarene” because He came from Nazareth, a city despised by the people of Judea (John 1:43–46). The word “Nazirite” comes from a Hebrew word that means “to set apart, to dedicate.” Jesus was not a Nazirite because He touched dead bodies and drank the fruit of the vine, both of which were forbidden to Nazirites.
Separation described (vv. 1–8). Nazirites were Jewish men or women who dedicated themselves wholly to the Lord to fulfill the Nazirite vow of total separation. (In the , the words “separate” and “separation” are used sixteen times in this chapter.) The Nazirite vow had both positive and negative aspects: positively, it means being devoted to God; negatively, it meant abstaining from things God did not allow. Each Nazirite had a different goal in mind, but all of them wanted to glorify the Lord and obey His Word. They didn’t isolate themselves from society but rather were witnesses to others of the importance of total devotion to the Lord. Their vow was for a specified period (Acts 21:23–27) and a specified purpose.
Three responsibilities were involved in the Nazirite vow. First, they were not to drink wine, grape juice, vinegar, or fermented drinks, nor were they allowed to eat grapes, raisins, or even the skins and seeds of grapes! Second, they had to let their hair grow as a sign they were devoted especially to God. Since female Nazirites would already have long hair, perhaps they left it loose and somewhat unkempt as a mark of their dedication. Third, they were never to touch a corpse, even that of a close relative.
Separation defiled (vv. 9–12). Nobody but God can control the circumstances of life, and a Nazirite might accidentally be defiled. If that happened, he had to wait a week and on the seventh day shave his head. Since the period of dedication was suddenly over, and the hair was the sign of that dedication, the defiled hair had to go. However, the shorn hair wasn’t made a part of the sacrifice as with the Nazirites who had completed their vows (v. 18).
On the eighth day, the former Nazirite met the priest at the brazen altar and offered the required sacrifices: a bird for a sin offering, a second bird for a burnt offering, and a lamb for a trespass offering. This enabled the person to rededicate himself or herself to the Lord and make a new beginning. It was another opportunity to fulfill the vow made to the Lord. Believers today need to realize that no failure need be permanent. Presbyterian pastor Alexander Whyte (1837–1921) said, “The victorious Christian life is a series of new beginnings.”
Separation fulfilled (vv. 13–21). Nazirites who successfully completed their period of dedication came with their sacrifices to the priest and he offered them to the Lord. First the priest sacrificed a year-old ewe lamb for a sin offering, for the Nazirites’ period of dedication didn’t make them sinless. Then the priest offered a year-old male lamb as a burnt offering, which symbolized total dedication to the Lord. Along with the basket of unleavened bread, he then offered a ram for the peace offering (fellowship offering), plus the meal offering and the drink offering. The bread and the peace offering would later become part of a fellowship meal at the tabernacle which the worshipper could share with others. According to the Levitical law, the priest got his share of the offerings, for this was how he was supported.
One of the most important parts of the ceremony was the shaving of the Nazirite’s head and the placing of the hair on the altar fire under the peace offering. It was a special offering to the Lord because the long hair symbolized the vow the Nazirite had made to the Lord and had successfully fulfilled. Once these instructions had been obeyed, the Nazirite was allowed to drink wine.
Nobody is saved by making and keeping a vow. Salvation is the gift of God to those who believe, not a reward to those who behave. However, there are some people who are led of the Lord to make special vows to God, not to get something from Him but to give something to Him, and as long as these vows don’t contradict Scripture, they can be blessed of God (Ps. 22:25; 50:14; 61:5, 8; 76:11; 116:14). People will make vows to God just so He’ll get them out of trouble (66:14; Jonah 2:9), and some of these people will forget their promises when they’re safe and comfortable again. But it’s a dangerous thing to make promises to God and not keep them (Eccl. 5:1–7).