(4) Law of the Nazarite. The law of the Nazarite, which may be found in Num. vi, is, in effect, as follows: Male and female might as sumc the vow ; on doing so a person was under stood to separate himself unto the Lord ; this separation consisted in abstinence from wine and all intoxicating liquors, and from everything made therefrom: 'From vinegar or wine, and vinegar of strong drink; neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes or dried'; he was to 'eat nothing of the vine-tree, from the kernels even to the husks.' Nor was a razor to come upon his head all the time of his vow ; he was to 'be holy, and let the locks of the hair of his head grow.' With special care was lie to avoid touch ing any dead body whatever. Being holy unto the Lord, he was not to tnake himself unclean by touching the corpse even of a relative. Should he happen to do so, he was then to shave his head, and offer a sin-offering and a burnt offer ing; thus making an atonement for himself, `for that he sinned by the dead.' A lamb, also, of the first year, was to be offered as a trespass-offer ing. The days, too, that had gone before his de filement were to be lost, not reckoned in the num ber of those during which his vow was to last. On the termination of the period of the vow the Nazarite himself was brought unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, there to offer a burnt-offering, a sin-offering, a peace offering, and a meat and a drink offering. The Nazarite also shaved his head at the door of the tabernacle, and put the hair grown during the time of separation into the fire which was under the sacrifice of the peace-offerings. 'And the priest shall take the sodden shoulder of the ram and one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them in the hands of the Nazarite after the hair of his sep arahion is shaven ; and the priest shall wave them for a wave-offering."After that the Nazarite may drink wine.' (5) Illustrations. There are not wanting in dividual instances which serve to illustrate this vow, and to show that the law in the case went into operation. Samson's mother took the vow of a Nazarite that she might have a son. Sam son himself was a Nazarite from the time of his birth (Judg. xiii). In his history is found a fact which seems to present the reason why cutting the hair was forbidden to the Nazarite. The hair was considered the source of strength ; it is, in fact, often connected with unusual strength of body, for thc male has it in greater abun dance than the female. Delilah urged Samson to tell her where his strength lay. After a time,
'hc told her all his heart, and said unto her, There bath not comc a razor upon mine head, for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother's womb; if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any othcr man' (Judg. xvi :is, sq.) The secret was revealed ; Samson was shorn and ac cordingly lost his strength and his life.
From the language employed by Samson, as well as from the tenor of the law in this case, the retention of the hair seems to have been one essential feature in the vow. It is. therefore, somewhat singular that any case should have been considered as the Nazaritic vow in which the shaving of the head is put forth as the chief particular. St. Paul is supposed to have been under this vow, when (Acts xviii :18) he is said to have 'shorn his head in Cenchrea, for he had a vow' (sec also Acts xxi :24). The head was not shaven till the vow was performed, when a person had not a vow.
FiguratiVe. The vow of the Nazarites indi cates an entire consecration of the body to the Lotd, and is in the spirit of St. Paul's exhortation to present the body a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable, unto God (Rom. xii :6). It is ex pressly said that during the days of his separation the Nazarite "is holy unto the Lord" (Num. vi :8).
(1) Were not these Nazarites typical of Jesus Christ? Altogether holy, he was solemnly devoted to the service of God. Never was hc defiled with carnal pleasures, nor intoxicated with sinful lusts or earthly cares; never was he defiled by irregular affections towards his nearest relations, nor pol luted by his gracious connections with men. His graces and good works increased more and more, and his people rooted in him, grow up and flour ish in God's holy place. Never did he break his vow, but finished it in giving himself for an all comprehensive offering for us; and in his resur rection, laid aside every token of continued sub jection to an angry God or broken law, and purges and inflames the hearts of his people, by his bleed ing love. (2) Wcre not these Nazarites emblems of ministers and saints, who, denying themselves, and mortifying the deeds of the body, consecrate themselves to God, renounce this world, and the pleasures of sin? (Brown, Bib. Dict.) NEAH (ne'ah), (Heb. 7q;., nay-aw', the shak ing or settlement), a town of Zebulun on the suuthern boundary of Rimmon (Josh. xix:13). Por ter suggests 'Ain, about three miles northwest of Nazareth, as its site, but the site is not known.