נָזִיר (na.zir)
na.zir
Nazirite
N:N--TGQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 16 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N--TG
Word Overview
The noun nazir identifies a person who has taken a special vow of consecration to God, setting themselves apart for a specific period or even for life. The term literally means "consecrated" or "devoted," highlighting a state of being set aside from ordinary social and ritual norms. This status is not a permanent caste but a voluntary commitment, detailed primarily in the laws of Numbers 6 and illustrated by figures like Samson in Judges.
Central to this vow were three prohibitions: abstaining from wine and grape products, avoiding contact with dead bodies, and letting the hair on their head grow uncut. These restrictions served as visible signs of their devotion. The connection between the person (nazir) and the crown or glory (nezzer) is often noted by scholars, suggesting that the growing hair acted like a "crown" of holiness worn on the head during the vow.
While most nazirites returned to normal life after their term ended with specific sacrifices, some, like Samson, were nazirites from birth. This unique category shows that the vow could be divinely imposed rather than self-chosen. The word appears sixteen times in the Hebrew Bible, anchoring a practice that emphasized total dedication to Yahweh through tangible, bodily discipline.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word nazir points to a life set apart for God through tangible discipline. It describes someone who voluntarily steps back from ordinary comforts—like wine or social grooming—to show total devotion. This was not a permanent caste but a temporary, focused commitment that made inner dedication visible on the outside.
In your own walk, this invites you to consider what 'set apart' looks like today. You might not grow long hair or avoid grapes, but you can choose seasons of fasting, silence, or specific prayer to keep your heart fixed on God. The nazirite reminds us that holiness often requires saying no to good things so we can say yes to the best.
Even when the vow ended with a return to normal life, the experience left a mark. Similarly, our seasons of special dedication shape us for the rest of our journey. God honors the desire to be fully His, in whatever form that takes for you.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 16 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- the/ Nazirite5×
- a Nazirite of2×
- untrimmed vines/ your1×
- untrimmed vines/ its1×
- to/ Nazirites1×
- the/ Nazirites1×
- ones of high rank/ its1×
- a Nazirite1×
- [the] prince of1×
- [the] consecrated one of1×
- [am] a Nazirite of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- נְזִ֧יר2×
- נְזִ֥יר2×
- נָזִ֔יר1×
- נְזִרֶֽי/הָ\׃1×
- נְזִירֶ֙י/הָ֙1×
- נְזִירֶ֖/ךָ1×
- נְזִ֤יר1×
- לִ/נְזִרִ֑ים1×
- הַ/נָּזִיר֮1×
- הַ/נָּזִ֗יר1×
- הַ/נָּזִ֖יר1×
- הַ/נָּזִ֔יר1×
Key Verses
-
Numbers 6:2
“Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them: ‘When either man or woman shall make a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to Yahweh,
This verse establishes the foundational rule that a nazirite is one who makes a special vow to separate themselves specifically to Yahweh.
-
Judges 13:5
for, behold, you shall conceive and give birth to a son. No razor shall come on his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb. He shall begin to save Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.”
Here the term applies to Samson, showing that God can impose this consecration from birth rather than waiting for a human choice.
-
Amos 2:11
I raised up some of your sons for prophets, and some of your young men for Nazirites. Isn’t this true, you children of Israel?” says Yahweh.
God reminds Israel that He Himself raised up nazirites among them, indicating this was a divinely initiated gift of dedication.