Messianic Education Trust
		Living in Exile     Naso   (Num 4:21 - 7:89)

B'Midbar/Numbers 6:3   ... he shall abstain from wine and strong drink; he shall not drink from wine vinegar and vinegar of strong drink ...

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Our text starts the instructions HaShem gives Moshe concerning the נְזִיר, naziyr, the Nazarite who has taken a deliberate vow to abstain from certain normal parts of life in order to dedicate themselves a holy to HaShem their G-d. The root נזר means to consecrate oneself to something or someone, to separate oneself or abstain from something. The נָזִיר is therefore one who is consecrated, or set apart.¹ While there is clearly some overlap, נזר differs from the root קדשׁ, to be holy or set apart, in that the former talks of the process of becoming set apart, while the latter is concerned about the state of being set apart. The status of a Nazirite, whose level of holiness exceeds those of the priests, comparable to that of the Cohen Gadol, the High Priest, is nevertheless very different from the priesthood. A Nazirite may not enter the Sanctuary or serve as a priest in any of the Torah's religious ritual; a priest is required to trim his hair to keep it neat and tidy, while the visible sign of a Nazirite is long uncut hair; the priesthood is both hereditary and exclusively male - both men and women may elect to take the Nazirite vow voluntarily for a period of their choosing.

In the same way that the priest is holy to HaShem - "the priest is holy to his G-d" (Vayikra 21:7, NJPS) - all the days of his life, The Name ...

HaShem: literally, Hebrew for 'The Name' - an allusion used to avoid pronouncing the Tetragrammaton, the so-called 'ineffable' name of G–d
HaShem says of the Nazirite "קָדֹשׁ יִהְיֶה he shall be holy" (B'Midbar 6:5), repeating it a few sentences later: "קָדֹשׁ הוּא לַיהוה he is holy to HaShem" (v. 8). Thomas Dozeman explains that "the holy status of Nazirites means that such persons are divine property during the period of their vow. They are separated out for G-d."² Also repeated is the phrase "all the days" - four times, in verses 4, 5, 6 and 8 - to emphasise that once the vow is taken, that ownership and observation of the separating marks applies for the whole of the designated period, day in and day out, at all times and in all places. Whereas the priests are forbidden alcohol whenever they are on duty in the sanctuary - "Drink no wine or strong drink, you or your sons with you, when you go into the tent of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations" (Vayikra 10:9, NJPS) - Nazirites are banned from alcohol at all times for the duration of their vow.

What then are the first of three signs of consecration to HaShem that a Nazirite undertakes for the duration of his vow period? Drinking no wine or strong drink, eating no grapes or grape products (B'Midbar 6:3-4); to let the hair grow and not use a razor or scissors to trim it in any way (v. 5); no contact with a corpse, even for closest family (vv. 6-7). This is very much an all-or-nothing status - "All the days of נִזְרוֹ his separation he is holy to the L-RD" (v. 8, NJPS) - and breaching, even accidentally, any of these conditions voids the vow and discards the time so far elapsed so that after offering a sin-offering for the vow being broken, the vow must be restarted with the clock reset to zero (vv. 9-12). Why these three things - shouldn't there be more? The Who Is ...

Sforno: Rabbi Ovadiah Sforno (1470-1550 CE), Italian rabbi, philosopher and physician; born in Cesena, he went to Rome to study medicine; left in 1525 and after some years of travel, settled in Bologna where he founded a yeshiva which he conducted until his death
Sforno writes: He must not afflict himself by fasting for that would diminish his heavenly work, as we find in the words of our Sages - "Rabbi Jeremiah bar Abba further said in the name of Resh Lakish: A scholar may not afflict himself by fasting because he lessens thereby his heavenly work [He weakens himself by fasting and consequently his studies suffer]" (b. Ta'anit 11b) ... Rather, he shall separate himself (abstain) from wine, for in that manner he will considerably reduce licentiousness and subdue his evil inclination, but he will not weaken his strength through this (abstinence) at all." Who Is ...

Abraham Ibn Ezra: (1089-1167 CE), born in Tudela, Spain; died in the South of France after wandering all around the shores of the Mediterranean and England; a philosopher, astronomer, doctor, poet and linguist; wrote a Hebrew grammar and a commentary on the Bible
Ibn Ezra comments dryly: "Wine most certainly destroys one's reason and makes it impossible to serve G-d properly."

What is the Nazirite doing by taking on this vow? Richard Elliott Friedman explains that "there is the general idea in the Torah that all the people are holy - 'Speak to the whole Israelite community and say to them: You shall be holy, for I, the L-RD your G-d, am holy' (Vayikra 19:2, NJPS) - but the Nazirite vow refers to a singular state that exceeds that. Dennis Cole suggests that "the vineyard restriction is paralleled by the Rechabite tradition that forbade the planting of vineyards, an indication of a sedentary lifestyle (Jeremiah 35)," adding that "abstaining from the vineyard and related products was a personal and generally private act of special devotion of one's life and mind to HaShem."³ Dozeman takes that a little further, explaining that "abstinence from grape products represents a rejection of the settled agricultural life represented by Canaanite culture." It is possible that the much earlier "story of the drunkenness of Noah (B'resheet 9:18-29) reflects a similar suspicion of Canaanite civilisation."FootNoetRef(4) Michael Morales has another suggestion: "Perhaps, while priests have a designated sacred space of service, the Tent of Meeting, wherein they avoid intoxication, the Nazirite's space is comprehensive, always 'serving' G-d throughout the period of consecration."⁵

How many people took up the option to be a Nazirite? The judge and prophet Samuel is not explicitly called a Nazirite, but Hannah's prayer "if You will grant Your maidservant a male child, I will dedicate him to the L-RD for all the days of his life; and no razor shall ever touch his head" (1 Samuel 1:11, NJPS) names one of the Nazirite signs and suggests that Samuel was a life-long Nazirite. The most well-known Nazirite in the Bible is Samson - the words of the angel announcing his birth to his mother are explicit: "For you are going to conceive and bear a son; let no razor touch his head, for the boy is to be a Nazirite to G-d from the womb on. He shall be the first to deliver Israel from the Philistines" (Judges 13:5, NJPS) and the precautions for the mother as well tell the same story: "Now be careful not to drink wine or other intoxicant, or to eat anything unclean" (v. 4, NJPS). Moreover, the following chapters relate how Samson gradually broke each of his vow signs as he came into contact with the carcass of a lion (14:8-9), participated in drinking feasts with the Philistines (14:10) and allowed his hair to be cut by Delilah (16:15-22)."⁶ In a well constructed word-play, Yeshua is called a Nazarene in Matthew's gospel when, returning from Egypt, Joseph "went and lived in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled: 'He shall be called a Nazarene'" (Matthew 2:23, ESV). The reference alludes at the same time to His home in Nazareth and to His consecration to G-d from birth.

Returning to the connection with the priests, Rabbi Who Is ...

Hirsch: Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch (1808-1888 CE), German rabbi, author and educator; staunch opponent of the Reform movement in Germany and one of the fathers of Orthodox Judaism
Hirsch points out that "like the priests entering to function in the sanctuary, like the teachers of the Law before they expound it 'Drink no wine or other intoxicant, you or your sons, when you enter the Tent of Meeting, that you may not die. This is a law for all time throughout the ages, for you must distinguish between the sacred and the profane, and between the unclean and the clean; and you must teach the Israelites all the laws which the L-RD has imparted to them through Moses' (Vayikra 10:9-11, NJPS) have to avoid intoxicating drinks, so does the Nazirite - and to a much further extension - during the whole period of his Naziritism have to keep away from wine and everything that originates from the vine. For as long as the Nazirite is a Nazirite his mind is to be directed to the Sanctuary and to the Torah, for as long as he is a Nazirite he is to be steadfastly a priest and a teacher." Nazirites may not be able to serve as priests to perform the ritual in the sanctuary, but they can - and according to Hirsch are expected to - adopt the priestly roles of teaching and modelling holiness and purity.

Several centuries later, Amos is called away from his sheep-farm south of Jerusalem and sent to the northern kingdom of Israel. There, at the end of eight prophecies against the nations, HaShem proclaims, "For three transgressions of Israel, for four, I will not revoke it" (Amos 2:6, NJPS). Amongst a catalogue of other offences, HaShem says "I raised up prophets from among your sons and Nazirites from among your young men. Is that not so, O people of Israel? -- says the L-RD. But you made the Nazirites drink wine and ordered the prophets not to prophesy" (vv. 11-12, NJPS). This shows the close similarity between the Nazirites - who show and live holiness - and the prophets, who speak out the word of G-d to challenge, rebuke and encourage His people. Both are raised up by HaShem; both are callings of the divine and both are empowered by the Spirit. But the kingdom of Israel, their kings and priests, did not want to hear or see HaShem, the G-d of Israel, so they forced the Nazirites to break their vow and silenced the prophets. They attempted to muzzle G-d! Amos brings a stinging rebuke and a reminder - "You alone have I singled out of all the families of the earth -- that is why I will call you to account for all your iniquities" (3:2, NJPS) - that they will be judged for breaking the covenant.

In the same way that ordinary lay Israelites could be called by HaShem as Nazirites and prophets, to teach and demonstrate holiness and to speak truth to power, exiles are called - certainly before the world and perhaps even among other exiles - to choose the path of holiness, setting themselves apart for Him. They are moved and enabled by the same "Spirit of holiness who declared Yeshua to be the Son of G-d in power by the resurrection from the dead" (Romans 1:4, ESV). Rav Sha'ul told his congregations, "I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy" (1 Corinthians 14:5, ESV), encouraging them, "earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues" (v. 39, ESV). But the body of Messiah is usually very unreceptive to some members choosing to be holy to HaShem; it is seen as criticism of everyone else and an attempt to be holier than others. Even worse, just like ancient Israel, the world wants to silence and break the vows of prophets and nazirites, of exiles who will speak out and be separate by choosing not to go along with society's dictates and mores.

Yeshua warned His disciples about the coming days, to "beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for My sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles" (Matthew 10:17-18, ESV). What will provoke such treatment? Disciples who follow Peter's instructions to "Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify G-d on the day He visits us" (1 Peter 2:12, NIV). This is what Yeshua taught: "In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16, ESV). Much though we might want to keep our heads down, attract no attention and quietly go about our business without being noticed, blending into the background, this is not the walk to which we have been called. In one way or the other, we must be seen or heard; we must be faithful to the One who has loved us and ransomed us. While we should not seek to attract attention, we must not fail to heed the prompting of the Spirit to say what must be said or do what must be done.

1. - David J. A. Clines (ed.) The Concise Dictionary of Classical Hebrew, (Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2009), page 267.

2. - Thomas B. Dozeman, "Numbers" in The New Interpreter's Bible Commentary Vol I, edited by Leander E. Keck, (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2015), page 704.

3. - R. Dennis Cole, Numbers The New American Commentary, (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2000), page 122.

4. - Dozeman, page 704.

5. - L. Michael Morales, Numbers 1-19, Apollos Old Testament Commentary, (London, Apollos, 2024), page 160.

6. - Dennis T. Olson, Numbers, Interpretation, (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2012), pages 39-40.

Further Study: Isaiah 30:8-11; Mark 13:9-13; 1 Peter 3:14-16

Application: Have you taken a Nazirite-like vow over part of your life in order to be holy to HaShem, to bring honour and glory to Yeshua? Perhaps you should consider whether the Master is calling you to a greater level of holiness, set-apartness from the world, so that our holiness or prophetic voice can be seen and heard in today's noisy world.

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© Jonathan Allen, 2025

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