Judges 13:4,5

‘Now therefore beware, I pray you, and drink no wine nor strong drink, and do not eat any unclean thing. For, lo, you will conceive and bear a son, and no razor shall come on his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he will begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.'

The child that was to be born would be dedicated to God from the womb. He was to be a permanent Nazirite. Thus his mother was to abstain from wine and strong drink, and be especially careful of unclean food. Nor was his hair to be cut. For he was to be God's initial weapon in preparing to deal with the Philistine menace.

Temporary Nazirites (from nazar - those ‘set apart, consecrated' because Yahweh's, compare nazir which means ‘untrimmed') are mentioned in Numbers 6, when men and women (Judges 13:2) who wished for a period to set themselves apart to God took a Nazirite vow. They were to abstain from wine and strong drink, and even from grapes or anything connected with the grape vine (Judges 13:3 compare Amos 2:11; Luke 1:15), were not to cut their hair but let it grow long (verse 5 compare 1 Samuel 1:11; Judges 5:2 literally), and were to avoid all contact with dead bodies, even of relatives who died (Judges 13:6), for they were to be continually ‘holy to Yahweh'. They were in many respects thus similar to the high priest when he went into the Holy Place (Leviticus 10:9; Leviticus 21:11; compare Ezekiel 44:21). They were especially ‘holy', set apart to God alone.

But the length of their vow was limited and after that they were released from it. At which point their hair must be shaved off and burnt on the altar with suitable offerings (Numbers 6:18). The hair especially was the sign of their separation and holiness and was thus seen as holy to Yahweh. That was why once the vow was past it had to be shaved off and burnt in a holy place. Similar significance and practise with regard to long hair, as dedication to gods and seeking of divine assistance, is known elsewhere among Semites, and among primitive peoples from ancient times, a practise which was here taken up and refined.

Abstinence from the fruit of the vine was possibly to ensure that the Nazirite never lost their full faculties which might put them in danger of breaking their vows unwittingly. Full dedication can be marred by the influence of wine and strong drink, which can produce unseemly behaviour. This was one reason why ‘the Priest' must not be under its influence in the Holy Place. But that it symbolised more comes out in that here Samson's mother was to abstain from wine and strong drink and to abstain from eating any unclean thing. She too was under a vow, although possibly not a full Nazirite one. ‘Unclean thing' possibly here refers to grapes and other products of the vine (Numbers 6:3), for all Israelites abstained from unclean foods. Or it may simply be to emphasise that to the Nazirite wine too was unclean. Either way the parallel shows that wine and strong drink were looked on as ‘unclean', unworthy of God. It was an earthly pleasure not a heavenly activity.

The abstinence may symbolise a return to the purer wilderness life, away from ‘modern' influences and the pleasures of the world, to a more dedicated manner of life. Compare how John the Baptiser was to refrain from wine and strong drink (Luke 1:15). But the fact that the mother was to abstain from them emphasises that there was certainly an aspect of ‘uncleanness' to them. They were not God's best and unsuitable for His presence. (In the New Testament ‘uncleanness' from this point of view ceases. Nothing is unclean of itself. Thus wine can take on a new meaning).

We note that the only restraint specifically placed on Samson himself was that his hair should remain permanently long and uncut. This was to be the sign of his consecration to God. But the other requirements for a Nazirite vow would be assumed to apply equally, as witness the requirement of his mother similarly to abstain from wine and strong drink (as also was hinted at in Samuel's mother - 1 Samuel 1:15). It was simply assumed that they would apply to a Nazirite.

Lifelong separation from touching dead things was not said to be required, possibly because recognised as not feasible (provision was made for short term Nazirites in that they could begin their dedication again and fulfil the whole term of their vow. This was not possible with a lifelong Nazirite). On the other hand it may again have been assumed. All knew that a Nazirite had to avoid wine and strong drink and contact with the dead. But the essential aspect of Naziriteship was found in the hair. It symbolised a man untouched by human activity. He was God's man. We can compare how the grapes of untrimmed (nazir) vines in the sabbatical year were not to be eaten (Leviticus 25:5). They too were God's handywork.

It should be noted that only Samson was called a Nazirite. Neither Samuel nor John the Baptiser were given the title, even though there were similarities. However the growing of the hair unshaven was clearly essential to being a Nazirite and as Samuel too was to be like that it would seem that his mother intended a Nazirite vow in respect of him (1 Samuel 1:11).

“And he will begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.” This was the reason for his dedication. He was to be an instrument of Yahweh in beginning to deliver Israel from the Philistines, and it would require the whole of his life to achieve it. But in this word ‘begin' was intrinsic the fact that final deliverance would take longer than the life of Samson. The Philistines were to be a continual test for Israel as to whether they would obey Yahweh and turn to Him, especially when they saw Samson's deliverances (Judges 3:4).