Nazarites

Charles Buck Theological Dictionary

Those under the ancient law who made a vow of observing as Samson and John the Baptist. The Nazarites engaged by a vow to abstain from wine and all intoxicating liquors; to let their hair grow without cutting or shaving; not to enter into any house that was polluted by having a dead corpse in it; nor to be present at any funeral. And if by chance any one should have died in their presence, they began again the whole ceremony of their consecration and Nazariteship

This ceremony generally lasted eight days, sometimes a month, and sometimes their whole lives. When the time of their Nazariteship was accomplished, the priest brought the person to the door of the temple, who there offered to the Lord a he- lamb for a burnt-offering, a she-lamb for an expiatory sacrifice, and a ram for a peace offering. They offered likewise loaves and cakes with wine necessary for the libations. After all this was sacrificed and offered to the Lord, the priest or some other person, shaved the head of the Nazarite at the door of the tabernacles, and burnt his hair, throwing it upon the fire of the altar. Then the priest put into the hand of the Nazarite the shoulder of the ram, roasted, with a loaf and a cake, which the Nazarite returning into the hands of the priest, he offered them to the Lord, lifting them up in the presence of the Nazarite. And from this Nazariteship being now accomplished. Numb. 6:  Amos 2:11-12 . Those that made a vow of Nazariteship out of Palestine, and could not come to the temple when their vow was expired, contented themselves with observing the abstinence required by the law, and after that, cutting their hair in the place where they were: as to the offerings and sacrifices prescribed by Moses, which were to be offered at the temple by themselves, or by others for them, they deferred this till they could have a convenient opportunity.

Hence it was that St. Paul, being at Corinth, and having made a vow of a Nazarite, had his hair cut off at Cenchrea, and put off fulfilling the rest of his vow til he should arrive at Jerusalem,  Acts 18:18 . When a person found that he was not in a condition to make a vow of Nazariteship, or had not leisure to perform the ceremonies belonging to it, he contented himself by contributing to the expense of the sacrifice and offerings of those that had made and fulfilled this vow; and by this means he became a partaker in the merit of such Nazariteship. When St. Paul came to Jerusalem, in the year of Christ 53, the apostle St. James the Less, with the other brethren, said to him ( Acts 21:23-24 , ) that to quiet the minds of the converted Jews, who had been informed that he every where preached up the entire abolition of the law of Moses, he ought to join himself to four of the faithful who had a vow of Nazariteship upon them, and contribute to the charge of the ceremony at the shaving of their heads; by which the new converts would perceive that he continued to keep the law, and that what they had heard of him was not true.

Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary

those under the ancient law who engaged by a vow to abstain from wine and all intoxicating liquors, to let their hair grow, not to enter any house polluted by having a dead corpse in it, nor to be present at any funeral. If, by accident, any one should have died in their presence, they recommenced the whole of their consecration and Nazariteship. This vow generally lasted eight days, sometimes a month, and sometimes their whole lives. When the time of their Nazariteship was expired, the priest brought the person to the door of the temple, who there offered to the Lord a he-lamb for a burnt-offering, a she-lamb for an expiatory sacrifice, and a ram for a peace-offering. They offered, likewise, loaves and cakes, with wine, for libations. After all was sacrificed and offered, the priest, or some other, shaved the head of the Nazarite at the door of the tabernacle, and burned his hair on the fire of the altar. Then the priest put into the hands of the Nazarite the shoulder of the ram roasted, with a loaf and a cake, which the Nazarite returning into the hands of the priest, he offered them to the Lord, lifting them up in the presence of the Nazarite. And from this time he might again drink wine, his Nazariteship being accomplished.

Perpetual Nazarites, as Samson and John the Baptist, were consecrated to their Nazariteship by their parents, and continued all their lives in this state, without drinking wine or cutting their hair. Those who made a vow of Nazariteship out of Palestine, and could not come to the temple when their vow was expired, contented themselves with observing the abstinence required by the law, and cutting off their hair in the place where they were: the offerings and sacrifices prescribed by Moses, to be offered at the temple, by themselves or by others for them, they deferred till a convenient opportunity. Hence it was that St. Paul, being at Corinth, and having made the vow of a Nazarite, had his hair cut off at Cenchrea, a port of Corinth, and deferred the rest of his vow till he came to Jerusalem,  Acts 18:18 . When a person found he was not in a condition to make a vow of Nazariteship, or had not leisure fully to perform it, he contented himself by contributing to the expense of sacrifices and offerings of those who had made and were fulfilling this vow; and by this means he became a partaker in such Nazariteship. When St. Paul came to Jerusalem, A.D. 58, St.

James, with other brethren, said to him, that to quiet the minds of the converted Jews he should join himself to four persons who had a vow of Nazariteship, and contribute to their charges and ceremonies: by which the new converts would perceive that he did not totally disregard the law, as they had been led to suppose, Acts 21; Acts 23, 24. The institution of Nazaritism is involved in much mystery; and no satisfactory reason has ever been given of it. This is certain, that it had the approbation of God, and may be considered as affording a good example of self-denial in order to be given up to the study of the law, and the practice of exact righteousness.

Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary

Or Nazarim, from Nezer or Nazar, separated. All were called by this name who voluntarily made themselves Nazarites, by their dedicating themselves to God. We have the law at large concerning Nazarites, ( Numbers 6:1-27) to which I refer. I only beg to observe concerning Nazarites, that it is evident the design and good pleasure of God the Holy Ghost, in disposing the minds of his people to the vow of the Nazarite, and forming laws so particular as this chapter contains, had all along an eye to Christ, the one great and only true Nazarite. As if the Holy Ghost in this order would keep up in Israel the constant thought of this sanctification and separation towards God, until "he came who for their sakes sanctified himself," is made of God to them sanctification and redemption. ( John 17:19 and  1 Corinthians 1:30)

We find in the most degenerate state of the church, there were still persons of this order. The prophet Jeremiah speaks of them in his Book of Lamentations in a very affecting manner: "Her Nazarites (saith he) were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire, their visage is blacker than a coal, they are not not known in the streets." ( Lamentations 4:7-8) So the prophet Amos: "I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites. Is it not even thus, O ye children Of Israel? saith the Lord. But ye gave the Nazarites wine to drink; and commanded the prophets, saying, Prophesy not." ( Amos 2:11-12) Nothing can be more plain than that this order was altogether typical, when we consider the wretched condition of Israel in both those periods when Jeremiah and Amos exercised their ministry. The whole of both those men's preaching is reproof; and therefore, if at such a time the order of the Nazarites was preserved, and as the Lord himself saith, it was of his raising up, surely it proves to a demonstration, that God the Holy Ghost intended from it, like all the sacrifices under the law, to be continued only until he came in whom all types, shadows, sacrifices, and ordinances centered, and in whom all had their completion, and were done away.

People's Dictionary of the Bible

Nazarites ( Năz'A-R Îtes ), properly Nazirites,  Numbers 6:2, from a Hebrew word signifying "to separate." A Nazirite, under the ancient law, was one, either male or female, under a vow to abstain from wine and all intoxicating liquors and the fruit of the vine. The hair should be allowed to grow without being shorn, and all contamination with dead bodies should be avoided. The Nazirite was not even to approach the corpse of father or mother,  Numbers 6:7, and if by accident this should occur, he was required to shave his head, make offerings, and renew the vow. When the time of the vow expired, the person brought an offering to the temple; the priest then cut off his hair and burnt it; after which the Nazirite was free from his vow and might again drink wine. The term of the vow is left indefinite. "The days of the vow" is the expression in  Numbers 6:1-27. We know, however, that there were perpetual Nazirites. Samson and probably Samuel and John the Baptist were perpetual Nazirites. Hannah promised the Lord that no razor should touch the head of her child if the Lord would give her one,  1 Samuel 1:11, and the angel predicted to Zacharias that John would abstain entirely from wine and strong drink.  Luke 1:15.

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

a Christian sect in Russia and Hungary. Originally they were only known in the neighborhood of Szegedin, but more recently they have spread over the greater part of Hungary. Between the Danube and the Theiss they now number 80,000. The most of their adherents are in the Magyar districts. They profess to derive their confession from the New Testament alone. They hold God to be one in essence, but three in personFather, Son, and Spirit. Their sacraments are two — Baptism and the Lord's Supper; adults only being baptized, and that by immersion by any male member in good standing, and baptism being essential to salvation. They have no ministers, consider marriage a civil ceremony, recognise no Sabbath — for which they find no injunction in the New Testament, though they worship on that day for convenience' sake — are singularly charitable and moral in their daily lives, refuse to take oaths or to bear arms, and take no part in political affairs. In order to escape from the latter, the parents of the young men, or in case of liability the parishes, hire substitutes for them,

The Nuttall Encyclopedia

Among the Jews people consecrated by a vow to some special religious service, generally for a definite period, but sometimes for life; during its continuance they were bound to abstain not merely from strong drink, but from all fruit of the vine, to wear their hair uncut, and forbidden to approach a dead body, long hair being the symbol of their consecration; the vow was sometimes made by their parents for them before their birth; the said vow is the symbolic assertion of the right of any and every man to consecrate himself, in disregard of every other claim, to any service which God may require of him.