Lexical Summary
nazir: Nazirite, one who is consecrated or set apart
Original Word:נָזִיר
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:naziyr
Pronunciation:naw-zeer'
Phonetic Spelling:(naw-zeer')
KJV: Nazarite (by a false alliteration with Nazareth), separate(-d), vine undressed
NASB:Nazirite, Nazirites, one distinguished, untrimmed vines, consecrated ones
Word Origin:[fromH5144 (נָזַר - To consecrate)]
1. separate, i.e. consecrated (as prince, a Nazirite)
2. hence (figuratively from the latter) an unpruned vine (like an unshorn Nazirite)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Nazarite, separated
Or nazir {naw-zeer'}; fromnazar; separate, i.e. Consecrated (as prince, a Nazirite); hence (figuratively from the latter) an unpruned vine (like an unshorn Nazirite) -- Nazarite (by a false alliteration with Nazareth), separate(-d), vine undressed.
see HEBREWnazar
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
nazarDefinitionone consecrated, devoted
NASB Translationconsecrated ones (1), Nazirite (9), Nazirites (2), one distinguished (2), untrimmed vines (2).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Genesis 49:26 ( Ecclus 46:13c (of Samuel); compare Syriac
RS
Semitic i. 463,2d ed. 483); — absolute
Numbers 6:2 5t.; construct
Genesis 49:26 4t.; suffix
Leviticus 25:5; plural
Amos 2:11,12; suffix
Leviticus 25:11,
Lamentations 4:7; —
consecrated: Lam 49:26 (poem in J),one consecrated among his brethren, =Deuteronomy 33:16; compareLamentations 4:7her princes.
specifically by vow involving abstinence from intoxicants, from touching corpse, and from cutting hair (compare
),devotee (GFM),Nazirite:God's devotee, of SamsonJudges 13:5,7;Judges 16:17 (exceptionally, from birth); usually voluntaryAmos 2:11,12, and for limited time, compareNumbers 6:2 (of man or woman; compare PeritzJBL xvii (1898), 128),Numbers 6:13;Numbers 6:21, alsoNumbers 6:18;Numbers 6:19;Numbers 6:20 (all P; compare also ). — On Naz. see GFMJudges 13:5 DrAmos 2:11, especially GrillJPTh. 1880, 645-680 NowArchaeology ii, § 97 BenzArchaeology 429 f. GrayJThs. Jan. 1900, 201 ff.
=untrimmed vine (like Nazirite with unshorn hair)Leviticus 25:5,11 (H P).
Topical Lexicon
Meaning and Scope of the Termנָזִיר (nazir) designates that which is “set apart.” In Scripture it applies to both persons and things: most frequently to individuals under a special vow of consecration, but twice to vineyards whose fruit is withheld from ordinary use (Leviticus 25:5, 11) and twice to Joseph as one separated from his brothers for God-given leadership (Genesis 49:26;Deuteronomy 33:16).
Old Testament Occurrences
1. Personal consecration (Numbers 6;Judges 13;Amos 2;Lamentations 4) – 12 references
2. Agricultural separation during the Sabbath and Jubilee years (Leviticus 25) – 2 references
3. Honorary separation applied to Joseph (Genesis 49:26;Deuteronomy 33:16) – 2 references
The Nazirite Vow in the Mosaic Law
Numbers 6:2 introduces the formal vow: “When a man or woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to the LORD.” Three outward signs marked the vow:
• Abstinence from every product of the vine (6:3-4).
• Refraining from cutting the hair (6:5).
• Avoidance of corpse defilement even for immediate family (6:6-7).
The period ended with elaborate offerings (6:13-21), culminating in the priest’s wave of the shorn hair before the altar. Verse 20 concludes, “After that the Nazirite may drink wine.”
Historical Examples
Samson – Before conception the Angel of the LORD told Manoah’s wife, “For the child will be a Nazirite to God from the womb” (Judges 13:5). InJudges 16:17 Samson himself affirms, “I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb.” His strength was tied to the covenant symbol of uncut hair, dramatizing the peril of violating consecration.
Samuel – Though the term נָזִיר is not used of him directly, Hannah’s vow in1 Samuel 1:11 mirrorsNumbers 6. Jewish tradition links Samuel to lifelong Naziriteship.
Unnamed Nazirites –Lamentations 4:7 recalls their former glory: “Her Nazirites were brighter than snow, whiter than milk.”Amos 2:11-12 indicts Israel for corrupting them: “You made the Nazirites drink wine.” God had raised these dedicated men alongside prophets as living testimonies of holiness.
Agricultural Usage
Leviticus 25 twice calls the unpruned vines of the Sabbath and Jubilee years “Nazirite” vines. The produce is withheld from ordinary harvesting just as the Nazirite withholds himself from ordinary pleasures. In this way the land, like the worshiper, reminds Israel that fruitfulness belongs to God.
Joseph as Nazirite of His Brothers
Jacob’s blessing speaks of “the one separate from his brothers” (Genesis 49:26). Moses repeats the thought inDeuteronomy 33:16. Joseph’s political elevation in Egypt foreshadows how separation unto God can lead to service for others’ preservation.
Theological Significance
Separation is never isolation; it is dedication for divine use. The Nazirite embodies three perennial principles:
1. Voluntary devotion: The vow is chosen, yet once made it binds (Ecclesiastes 5:4-5).
2. Visible distinction: Hair, diet, and ritual purity declare that holiness touches the body as well as the heart.
3. Missional purpose: Whether preserving Israel through famine (Joseph), judging Philistines (Samson), or standing as moral conscience (Amos 2), the consecrated life serves God’s redemptive plan.
New Testament Resonance
John the Baptist’s lifelong abstinence (Luke 1:15) and Paul’s temporary vow (Acts 18:18; 21:23-24) echo Nazirite features, while the Lord Jesus Christ—though termed “Nazarene” for geographical reasons—perfectly fulfills the ideal of consecration prayed inJohn 17:19: “For them I sanctify Myself, so that they too may be sanctified by the truth.”
Practical Ministry Application
• Personal dedication: Believers are urged to present their bodies as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1), an echo of the Nazirite principle.
• Corporate witness: Faith communities prosper when some are visibly set apart for prayer, fasting, or missionary labor, reminding all that holiness is beautiful (Psalm 29:2).
• Guarded liberty: Nazirites abstained from legitimate pleasures to pursue a higher goal. Christians exercise freedom yet gladly limit themselves for the sake of the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:19-23).
Summary
נָזִיר showcases the Scripture’s consistent message that God calls His people to distinctiveness for His glory. Whether manifested in vows, agricultural cycles, or messianic foreshadowing, separation unto the LORD is both a gift and a responsibility, producing lives through which “the fragrance of the knowledge of Him” spreads in every place (2 Corinthians 2:14).
Forms and Transliterations
הַנְּזִרִ֖ים הַנָּזִ֑יר הַנָּזִ֔יר הַנָּזִ֖יר הַנָּזִ֗יר הַנָּזִיר֮ הנזיר הנזרים לִנְזִרִ֑ים לנזרים נְזִ֤יר נְזִ֥יר נְזִ֧יר נְזִירֶ֖ךָ נְזִירֶ֙יהָ֙ נְזִרֶֽיהָ׃ נָזִ֔יר נזיר נזיריה נזירך נזריה׃ han·nā·zîr han·nə·zi·rîm hannaZir hannāzîr hanneziRim hannəzirîm lin·zi·rîm linziRim linzirîm nā·zîr naZir nāzîr nə·zi·re·hā nə·zî·re·hā nə·zî·re·ḵā nə·zîr neZir nəzîr neziRecha nəzirehā nəzîrehā neziReiha nəzîreḵā
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