“Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves unto the LORD: to separate: or, to make themselves Nazarites”
Sanctified, and separated from the common sort of people, and obliged to observe abstinence like the Nazarites, as the Hebrew intimates in one word, nazir. All this was done to acquire greater sanctity and perfection. Septuagint, “whoever has made a great vow to be very pure to the Lord,” and intends thus to signalize his zeal for God’s glory. The original term, means also to distinguish oneself by a wonderful thing. There were Nazarites for life, like Samson and St. John the Baptist; and others for a limited time, like St. Paul. Their abstinence from wine, &c., lasted generally for a month, and was to be performed at Jerusalem. Those of the female sex could not bind themselves by vow till they were ten years and a day old, nor boys before they were full 13. (Calmet) — The custom of cutting the hair, in honour of some god, was very common among the pagans; and St. Cyril (de ador. 16,) seems to think that the Hebrews had seen it practised in Egypt, and that Moses judged it expedient to let them do so for the sake of the true God, in order to divert their minds from giving way to superstition. (Calmet) — The Hebrews made vows to abstain from wine for 30 days, and then to offer sacrifices, and to cut their hair, when they were attacked by any dangerous illness. (Josephus, Jewish Wars ii. 15.) St. Paul perhaps made a vow of this nature, in the perils of the sea, Acts xviii. 11. (Spencer, Rit. iii. 6.) Juvenal alludes to this custom, when he observes, that sailors with their heads shaved, delight in safety to recount the dangers to which they have been exposed:
“He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried.”
Drunk. Hebrew shecar, may signify old or palm wine, Leviticus x. 9. — Drink. Hebrew, “of shecar,” which was a clear wine, with perhaps a mixture of sugar. — Vinegar was a common beverage among the ancients. (Pliny, [Natural History?] xiv. 16; Ruth ii. 14.) The soldiers gave our Saviour some of theirs to drink. The Turks, who are not allowed to drink wine of the grape, make use of various other sorts of made wine. — Grape, or the liquor procured from grapes, with a mixture of water, after they have served already to make wine. This liquor is called secondary wine by the Greeks, (Menochius) being designed for labourers in winter. (Varro 54, and Colum. xii. 40.) Grapes of every description are forbidden to the Nazarites, as they either tend to inebriate, or at least are too luxurious. (Haydock) — God deigns to give those a rule, who voluntarily consecrate themselves to his service. “What do the Nazarites designate, but the life of those who abstain, and are continent?” (St. Gregory, Mor. xxxii. 23.) (Worthington)
“All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk. separation: or, Nazariteship vine: Heb. vine of the wine”
Kernel, or stone. Neither the inside nor the outside must be eaten.
“All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto the LORD, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow.”
Grow. At the commencement, and at the end of the Nazariteship, the hair was cut; though perhaps a sort of crown was left at the top of the head, as the 7th verse may be rendered, “the crown of his God,” &c. (Calmet) — The Nazarite is under the same regulations as the high priest, with respect to any corpse, ver. 6. (Maimonides; More, p. 3.; Leviticus xxi. 11.) Both were consecrated to God in the most perfect manner. (Menochius) — When the hair of Samson was cut off, he immediately lost his supernatural strength, Judges xvi.
“All the days that he separateth himself unto the LORD he shall come at no dead body.”
Dead. To teach us that those who are consecrated to God, ought to abstain from the works of death. (Haydock)
“And if any man die very suddenly by him, and he hath defiled the head of his consecration; then he shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing, on the seventh day shall he shave it.”
Day. That none might escape; (Theodoret, q. 11,) though the Hebrew may imply that the hair was only shaved on the ninth day, when he was to be purified, chap. xix. 12. Then the Nazarite had to begin again, as if he had done nothing, (Calmet) if his vow were only for a time. Those who had taken a vow for life never shaved.
“And the priest shall offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, and make an atonement for him, for that he sinned by the dead, and shall hallow his head that same day.”
Sinned. Contracting a legal uncleanness. — That day, and commence his vow. (Menochius)
“And this is the law of the Nazarite, when the days of his separation are fulfilled: he shall be brought unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation:”
He. The priest.
“And the Nazarite shall shave the head of his separation at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall take the hair of the head of his separation, and put it in the fire which is under the sacrifice of the peace offerings.”
Fire, on the altar, where the ram has been sacrificed. (Abulensis.) Lyranus thinks it was burnt on the fire, with which the meat was boiled. (Menochius) (Chaldean) (Tirinus) — The Septuagint, Philo, &c., understand it in the former sense; and Theodoret says the consecrated hair was placed upon the victim on the fire. (Calmet)
“And the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the LORD: this is holy for the priest, with the wave breast and heave shoulder: and after that the Nazarite may drink wine.”
Priest, contrary to what was required in other sacrifices. (Jospehus, [Antiquities?] iv. 4. Both the priest and the Nazarite waved the sacrifice towards the four quarters of the world.
“This is the law of the Nazarite who hath vowed, and of his offering unto the LORD for his separation, beside that that his hand shall get: according to the vow which he vowed, so he must do after the law of his separation.”
Mind. If he have vowed any thing more, he must perform it. (Haydock)
“Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them,”
Sons. The three forms of benediction for the high priests, have all the same meaning, and they might choose which they pleased. Grotius observes, that they pronounced them aloud standing, with their hands lifted up. The books of Moses are the ritual of the priests.
“The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:”
Shew. Hebrew, “make his face shine,” joyful and serene, (Calmet) like a light to direct thy steps, Psalm lxvi. 2.
“The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.”
Turn. With loving mercy, may he comfort and protect thee. (Menochius)
“And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.”
Invoke. Hebrew, “they shall name my name (Yehovah, in pronouncing blessings) upon the sons of Israel,” which I will ratify. (Haydock) — “They shall place the blessing of my name,” &c., Chaldean. They shall praise my name. (Calmet) — God authorizes us to use a determinate form of blessing, and grants the effect, when his minister pronounces it, (Worthington) if no obstacle be put by the party. (Haydock)