​Nazirite Laws

​Nazirite Laws

The Lord said to Moses, 

“Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. 

“If any of the people, either men or women, take the special vow, of a Nazirite, setting themselves apart, to the Lord, in a special way, they must give up wine and other alcoholic drinks. 

They must not use vinegar, made from wine, or from other alcoholic drinks; they must not drink fresh grape juice; and they must not eat grapes or raisins. 

As long as they are bound, by their Nazirite vow, they are not allowed, to eat or drink, anything that comes from a grapevine—not even the grape seeds or skins. 

“They must never cut their hair, throughout the time of their vow, for they are holy, and set apart to the Lord. 

Until the time of their vow has been fulfilled, they must let their hair grow long. And they must not go near a dead body, during the entire period, of their vow to the Lord. 

Even if the dead person is their own father, mother, brother, or sister, they must not defile themselves, for the hair on their head is the symbol, of their separation to God. 

This requirement applies, as long as they are set apart, to the Lord. 

“If someone falls dead beside them, the hair, which they have dedicated, will be defiled. 

They must wait for seven days, and then, shave their heads. 

Then, they will be cleansed from their defilement. 

On the eighth day, they must bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons, to the priest, at the entrance of the Tabernacle. 

The priest will offer one of the birds, for a sin offering, and the other, for a burnt offering. 

In this way, he will purify them, from the defilement they incurred, through contact with the dead body. 

Then, they must reaffirm their commitment, and let their hair begin to grow again. 

The days of their vow that were completed, before their defilement no longer count. 

They must rededicate themselves, to the Lord, as a Nazirite, for the full term of their vow, and each must bring a one-year-old male lamb, for a guilt offering. 

“This is the ritual law for Nazirites. 

At the conclusion, of their time of separation, as Nazirites, they must each go to the entrance of the Tabernacle, and offer their sacrifices to the Lord: 

…a one-year-old male lamb, without defect, for a burnt offering, 

…a one-year-old female lamb, without defect, for a sin offering, 

…a ram without defect, for a peace offering, 

…a basket of bread made without yeast—cakes of choice flour, mixed with olive oil, and wafers spread with olive oil—along with their prescribed grain offerings and liquid offerings. 

The priest will present these offerings before the Lord: 

…first the sin offering and the burnt offering; then the ram for a peace offering, along with the basket of bread made without yeast. 

The priest must also present the prescribed grain offering and liquid offering to the Lord. 

“Then, the Nazirites will shave their heads, at the entrance of the Tabernacle. 

They will take the hair, which had been dedicated, and place it on the fire beneath the peace-offering sacrifice. 

After the Nazirite’s head has been shaved, the priest will take, for each of them, the boiled shoulder of the ram, and he will take from the basket a cake and a wafer, made without yeast. 

He will put them all into the Nazirite’s hands. 

Then, the priest will lift them up as a special offering before the Lord. 

These are holy portions, for the priest, along with the breast, of the special offering, and the thigh of the sacred offering, which are lifted up before the Lord. 

After this ceremony, the Nazirites may again drink wine. 

“This is the ritual law of the Nazirites, who vow to bring these offerings to the Lord. 

They may also bring additional offerings, if they can afford it. 

And they must be careful to do, whatever they vowed, when they set themselves apart, as Nazirites.” 

Numbers 6:1–21 (NLT)

Praise be to God!