“When either a man or a woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to the Lord” (Numbers 6:2), there are three specific requirements. First, they are to abstain from all use of wine or liquor, including any kind of vinegar, as well as grapes, raisins, and grape skins or seeds (6:3-4). Second, for the length of their vow, they are never to cut their hair: “he shall be holy. He shall let the locks of hair of his head grow long” (6:5). And third, they shall not come near a corpse. “Not even for his father or for his mother, for brother or sister, if they die, shall he make himself unclean, because his separation to God is on his head. All the days of his separation he is holy to the Lord” (6:7-8).

The law for the nazirites includes a section for the case “if someone dies very suddenly nearby, defiling the consecrated head” (6:9-12). It also includes detailed instructions for what must be done when the time of the vow has come to an end: bringing specified animals for a burnt offering, a sin offering, and a peace offering, along with offerings of unleavened bread, grain, and wine (6:14-17), and shaving their hair and offering the hair as an offering as well (6:18).

Although the text does not use the term ‘nazirite,’ apparently at one point Paul had taken such a vow: “At Cenchreae he had cut his hair, for he was under a vow” (Acts 18:18). This would be an example of the ‘ordinary’ vow, in force for a period of time and then completing. In contrast, Samson was dedicated as a nazirite for all of his life (Judges 13:5), and so was Samuel (I Samuel 1:11).

It is hard for us to imagine taking a vow of complete service to the Lord, for a specific period of time. It would be astonishing to consider someone making a vow on behalf of a child yet unborn for lifetime dedication to the Lord’s service. Although that is shocking to us, within the ancient world it makes more sense: the shoemaker’s son knew that he would grow up to be a shoemaker, and the grown-ups arranged the marriages for the children, because you wouldn’t expect a 14-year-old to have the maturity to make a decision that important. But beyond that, a nazirite vow is hard for us to fathom, because we live our lives so much for ourselves, and can’t imagine yielding the sovereignty over our lives to the Lord of heaven and earth.

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“What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord, I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people” (Psalm 116:12-14).

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You are the Lord, Creator of all the world and of our own lives: yet we fear to let you be in charge, imagining we know better than you what is best for us. Teach us, O God, to be your own people; grow in us a longing to be wholly dedicated to you, in joyful obedience and devotion.

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