those under the ancient law who engaged by a vow to abstain
from wine and all intoxicating liquors, to let their hair grow, not to
enter any house polluted by having a dead corpse in it, nor to be
present at any funeral. If, by accident, any one should have died in
their presence, they recommenced the whole of their consecration and
Nazariteship. This vow generally lasted eight days, sometimes a month,
and sometimes their whole lives. When the time of their Nazariteship was
expired, the priest brought the person to the door of the temple, who
there offered to the Lord a he-lamb for a burnt-offering, a she-lamb for
an expiatory sacrifice, and a ram for a peace-offering. They offered,
likewise, loaves and cakes, with wine, for libations. After all was
sacrificed and offered, the priest, or some other, shaved the head of
the Nazarite at the door of the tabernacle, and burned his hair on the
fire of the altar. Then the priest put into the hands of the Nazarite
the shoulder of the ram roasted, with a loaf and a cake, which the
Nazarite returning into the hands of the priest, he offered them to the
Lord, lifting them up in the presence of the Nazarite. And from this
time he might again drink wine, his Nazariteship being accomplished.
Perpetual Nazarites, as Samson and John the Baptist, were consecrated to
their Nazariteship by their parents, and continued all their lives in
this state, without drinking wine or cutting their hair. Those who made
a vow of Nazariteship out of Palestine, and could not come to the temple
when their vow was expired, contented themselves with observing the
abstinence required by the law, and cutting off their hair in the place
where they were: the offerings and sacrifices prescribed by Moses, to be
offered at the temple, by themselves or by others for them, they
deferred till a convenient opportunity. Hence it was that St. Paul,
being at Corinth, and having made the vow of a Nazarite, had his hair
cut off at Cenchrea, a port of Corinth, and deferred the rest of his vow
till he came to Jerusalem, Acts xviii, 18. When a person found he was
not in a condition to make a vow of Nazariteship, or had not leisure
fully to perform it, he contented himself by contributing to the expense
of sacrifices and offerings of those who had made and were fulfilling
this vow; and by this means he became a partaker in such Nazariteship.
When St. Paul came to Jerusalem, A. D. 58, St. James, with other
brethren, said to him, that to quiet the minds of the converted Jews he
should join himself to four persons who had a vow of Nazariteship, and
contribute to their charges and ceremonies; by which the new converts
would perceive that he did not totally disregard the law, as they had
been led to suppose, Acts xxi, 23, 24. The institution of Nazaritism is
involved in much mystery; and no satisfactory reason has ever been given
of it. This is certain, that it had the approbation of God, and may be
considered as affording a good example of self-denial in order to be
given up to the study of the law, and the practice of exact
righteousness.
from wine and all intoxicating liquors, to let their hair grow, not to
enter any house polluted by having a dead corpse in it, nor to be
present at any funeral. If, by accident, any one should have died in
their presence, they recommenced the whole of their consecration and
Nazariteship. This vow generally lasted eight days, sometimes a month,
and sometimes their whole lives. When the time of their Nazariteship was
expired, the priest brought the person to the door of the temple, who
there offered to the Lord a he-lamb for a burnt-offering, a she-lamb for
an expiatory sacrifice, and a ram for a peace-offering. They offered,
likewise, loaves and cakes, with wine, for libations. After all was
sacrificed and offered, the priest, or some other, shaved the head of
the Nazarite at the door of the tabernacle, and burned his hair on the
fire of the altar. Then the priest put into the hands of the Nazarite
the shoulder of the ram roasted, with a loaf and a cake, which the
Nazarite returning into the hands of the priest, he offered them to the
Lord, lifting them up in the presence of the Nazarite. And from this
time he might again drink wine, his Nazariteship being accomplished.
Perpetual Nazarites, as Samson and John the Baptist, were consecrated to
their Nazariteship by their parents, and continued all their lives in
this state, without drinking wine or cutting their hair. Those who made
a vow of Nazariteship out of Palestine, and could not come to the temple
when their vow was expired, contented themselves with observing the
abstinence required by the law, and cutting off their hair in the place
where they were: the offerings and sacrifices prescribed by Moses, to be
offered at the temple, by themselves or by others for them, they
deferred till a convenient opportunity. Hence it was that St. Paul,
being at Corinth, and having made the vow of a Nazarite, had his hair
cut off at Cenchrea, a port of Corinth, and deferred the rest of his vow
till he came to Jerusalem, Acts xviii, 18. When a person found he was
not in a condition to make a vow of Nazariteship, or had not leisure
fully to perform it, he contented himself by contributing to the expense
of sacrifices and offerings of those who had made and were fulfilling
this vow; and by this means he became a partaker in such Nazariteship.
When St. Paul came to Jerusalem, A. D. 58, St. James, with other
brethren, said to him, that to quiet the minds of the converted Jews he
should join himself to four persons who had a vow of Nazariteship, and
contribute to their charges and ceremonies; by which the new converts
would perceive that he did not totally disregard the law, as they had
been led to suppose, Acts xxi, 23, 24. The institution of Nazaritism is
involved in much mystery; and no satisfactory reason has ever been given
of it. This is certain, that it had the approbation of God, and may be
considered as affording a good example of self-denial in order to be
given up to the study of the law, and the practice of exact
righteousness.