Nazirites and their vow in the Bible

27 passages of the Berean Standard Bible, line by line, from Nave’s Topical Bible.

In the Law

A man or a woman could make the special vow of a NaziriteNum 6:2
The verses
Num 6:2“Speak to the Israelites and tell them that if a man or woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to the LORD,
No wine, strong drink, vinegar, grape juice, grapes, or raisinsNum 6:3
The verses
Num 6:3he is to abstain from wine and strong drink. He must not drink vinegar made from wine or strong drink, and he must not drink any grape juice or eat fresh grapes or raisins.
Nothing from the grapevine, not even the seeds or skinsNum 6:4
The verses
Num 6:4All the days of his separation, he is not to eat anything that comes from the grapevine, not even the seeds or skins.
No razor on the head: the hair must grow longNum 6:5
The verses
Num 6:5For the entire period of his vow of separation, no razor shall pass over his head. He must be holy until the time of his separation to the LORD is complete; he must let the hair of his head grow long.
No going near a dead body, not even of father or motherNum 6:6–7
The verses
Num 6:6–7Throughout the days of his separation to the LORD, he must not go near a dead body. Even if his father or mother or brother or sister should die, he is not to defile himself, because the crown of consecration to his God is upon his head.
If someone died suddenly nearby: shave the head on the seventh dayNum 6:9
The verses
Num 6:9If someone suddenly dies in his presence and defiles his consecrated head of hair, he must shave his head on the day of his cleansing—the seventh day.
On the eighth day: two turtledoves or two young pigeonsNum 6:10
The verses
Num 6:10On the eighth day he must bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
The earlier days were not counted; the vow began againNum 6:12
The verses
Num 6:12He must rededicate his time of separation to the LORD and bring a year-old male lamb as a guilt offering. But the preceding days shall not be counted, because his separation was defiled.
At the end: a male lamb, a female lamb, a ram, and unleavened breadNum 6:13–15
The verses
Num 6:13–15Now this is the law of the Nazirite when his time of separation is complete: He must be brought to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, and he is to present an offering to the LORD of an unblemished year-old male lamb as a burnt offering, an unblemished year-old female lamb as a sin offering, and an unblemished ram as a peace offering— together with their grain offerings and drink offerings—and a basket of unleavened cakes made from fine flour mixed with oil and unleavened wafers coated with oil.
The Nazirite shaved his head and put the hair on the fireNum 6:18
The verses
Num 6:18Then at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, the Nazirite is to shave his consecrated head, take the hair, and put it on the fire under the peace offering.
After that, the Nazirite may drink wineNum 6:20
The verses
Num 6:20The priest shall then wave them as a wave offering before the LORD. This is a holy portion for the priest, in addition to the breast of the wave offering and the thigh that was presented. After that, the Nazirite may drink wine.

Nazirites named

Samson's mother must not drink wine or eat anything uncleanJudg 13:4, Judg 13:7, Judg 13:14
The verses
Judg 13:4Now please be careful not to drink wine or strong drink, and not to eat anything unclean.
Judg 13:7But he said to me, ‘Behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son. Now, therefore, do not drink wine or strong drink, and do not eat anything unclean, because the boy will be a Nazirite to God from the womb until the day of his death.’”
Judg 13:14She must not eat anything that comes from the vine, nor drink any wine or strong drink, nor eat anything unclean. She must do everything I have commanded her.”
Samson was to be a Nazirite from the womb; no razor on his headJudg 13:5
The verses
Judg 13:5For behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son. And no razor shall come over his head, because the boy will be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hand of the Philistines.”
Samson: 'My hair has never been cut'Judg 16:17
The verses
Judg 16:17Samson told her all that was in his heart: “My hair has never been cut, because I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaved, my strength will leave me, and I will become as weak as any other man.”
Delilah had the hair of his head shaved offJudg 16:19
The verses
Judg 16:19And having lulled him to sleep on her lap, she called a man to shave off the seven braids of his head. In this way she began to subdue him, and his strength left him.
Hannah vowed that no razor would ever come over her son's head1 Sam 1:11
The verses
1 Sam 1:11And she made a vow, pleading, “O LORD of Hosts, if only You will look upon the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, not forgetting Your maidservant but giving her a son, then I will dedicate him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall ever come over his head.”
John the Baptist was never to take wine or strong drinkLuke 1:15, Luke 7:33
The verses
Luke 1:15for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He shall never take wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb.
Luke 7:33For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon!’
Amos: Nazirites were raised from your young men, but you made them drink wineAmos 2:11–12
The verses
Amos 2:11–12I raised up prophets from your sons and Nazirites from your young men. Is this not true, O children of Israel?” declares the LORD. “But you made the Nazirites drink wine and commanded the prophets not to prophesy.

Vows in Acts

Paul had his head shaved at Cenchrea for a vowActs 18:18
The verses
Acts 18:18Paul remained in Corinth for quite some time before saying goodbye to the brothers. He had his head shaved in Cenchrea to keep a vow he had made, and then he sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila.
Paul paid the expenses of four men under a vow to shave their headsActs 21:23–24, Acts 21:26
The verses
Acts 21:23–24Therefore do what we advise you. There are four men with us who have taken a vow. Take these men, purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses so they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know that there is no truth to these rumors about you, but that you also live in obedience to the law.
Acts 21:26So the next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he entered the temple to give notice of the date when their purification would be complete and the offering would be made for each of them.

The Rechabites

The Rechabites drank no wine, as their forefather Jonadab commandedJer 35:6, Jer 35:14
The verses
Jer 35:6“We do not drink wine,” they replied, “for our forefather Jonadab son of Rechab commanded us, ‘Neither you nor your descendants are ever to drink wine.
Jer 35:14The words of Jonadab son of Rechab have been carried out. He commanded his sons not to drink wine, and they have not drunk it to this very day because they have obeyed the command of their forefather. But I have spoken to you again and again, and you have not obeyed Me!
They built no houses, sowed no seed, and lived in tentsJer 35:7
The verses
Jer 35:7Nor are you ever to build a house or sow seed or plant a vineyard. Those things are not for you. Instead, you must live in tents all your lives, so that you may live a long time in the land where you wander.’

Sources

From Nave’s Topical Bible (Orville J. Nave, 1896; public domain): subjects chosen, lines shortened and put into modern words, lines of interpretation left out; each verse checked.

Berean Standard Bible · Public domain