The Pulpit Commentary — Numbers — Section 68

sbom locks of those n•ho had taken the vow. Ver. 6.-There shall 110 ruor oome upon It is evident indeed, from the way in which his head. The tneauing of this law is best the N aziiite vow is here spoken of, that it understood from the ease of Samson, whose had been, perhaps long, familiar among the strength was in his hair, and departed from people. .All that this commandment did was him when his hair was cut. No doubt thai to recognise the practice, to regulate it strength was a more or leas supernatural gift, minutely, and to adopt it into the religious a.nd it went and came with his hair accord- code of Israel. Whence the custom was ing to some supomatural law ; but it is clear derived is wholly uncertain, for although the that the connection was not merely arbitrary, separate elements existed in mo.ny different but was founded on some generally received quart.ers, yet the peculiar combination of idea. To the Jew, differing in this from the them which made the law of the Nazi.rite is shaven Egyptian and the short-haired Greek, entirely peculiar. Vows of abstinence have, the hair represented the virile powers of the of course, been common amon~ all religions. adult, growing with its growth, and failing :Mingled 'l'rith much of $Uperstition, self-will, ags.in with its decay. To use a simple and pride, they have sprung in the main analogy from nature, the uncropped locks of from noble impulses and yearnings after a the N azirite were like the mane of the male higher life, prompted by the Holy Spirit of lion, a symbol of the fulness of his proper God ; and it may be said with some con- strength and life (cf. 2 Sam. xiv. 26, 26, and, fidence, that in spite of all reproaches (de- for the disgrace of bu.ldness, 2 Kings ii. 2S). served or UDdeserved), such voluntary vows In later ages Westem and Greek feeling on of abstinence have done more than anything the subject prevailed over Eastern and Jewish, else to save religion from becoming an un.real nnd a " Hebrew of the Hebrews'' was able profession. Hair offerings, on the other hand, to argue that "even nature itself" teaches springing from a simple and natural senti- us "that if a man have long hair it is 11 ment, have been common enough amongst shame unto him" (1 Cor. :r.i. 14). No doubt the heathen. Compare the sacred lock of "nature itself'' taught the Greek of Corinth Achilles ('Iliad,• :nili. 142, sqq. ), and the that lesson ; but no doubt also "nature va.tlou.s use of the tonsure in pursuance of vows itself" taught the Jew of Palestine exactly among the ancient Egyptians (Herod., ii the opposite lesson ; and the Apostle him• 65} and amongst modem Mahomedans and self did not quite discard the earlier senti• Christians. The physical fact on which all ment, for be too made a Na.zirite vow, and these hair offerings rest is that the hair is suffered his hair to grow while it lasted the only portion of oueself which can be (.Acts xxi. 24). The meaning, therefore, of conveniently detache~ and presented. _ the law was that the whole fulness of the Ver. 3.-Strong drink. Hebrew, sk,eklllT'; man's vitality was to be dedicated without uio:,pa (Levit. x. 9 ; Luke i. 15). Any in- any diminution to the Lord, as typified by to:ricating drink, other than wine, including the free growth of his hu.ir. It· has been the beer of the Egyptians. Vinega.r. Hebrew, conjectured that it was allowed to the Nazir• cluzmds. It seems to have been freely used ite to "poll" (1<,ipau!a,) his hair during hia by the poorer people (Ruth ii. U), and was, vow, although not to "shave" it ((vpii,r!,11); perhaps, a thin, sonr wine (" vile potet ace- and in this way the statement is explained tum," Horat.). Liquor of grapes. A drink that St. Paul "polled his head" (-,upap•vo,: rna.de by soaking grape-skins in water. r,jv o:,~aX,jv, Acts xviii. 18, compared with Ver. 4.-J'rom the kernela even to the x:r:i. 24) in Cenchrrea, because he had a vow. huk, or skin. Of grape-skins it is said that It is, however, quite evident that any per- cakes were made which were considered a mission to cut the hair is inconsistent with delicacy (Hoe. iii I, mistranslated "&gons the whole intention of the commandment; of wine"), but this is doubtful The Septua- for if a man might "poll his head" when he gint has o1vov a,ro urip'"'""" i..,, ,-,yap- pleased, he would not be distinguished from .,.ov, "wine of grape-skins (the li<J.uor of other men. Ifit was allowed in the Apostle'li grapes mentioned before} even to the Jiemel." time, it is only another instance of the way The expression is best understood as includ- in which the commandmtnts of God were ing anything and everything, howl!ver un- made of none effect by the traditions of men. likely to be used, connected with the grape. Ver. 7.-B:e ■hall not make himJell 11.Jl• It is clear that the abstinence of the Nazir. clean for his father, or for hi■ mother. The ite extended beyond what might possibly same injunction had been given to the priests intoxicate to what was simply pleasant to (Levit. xxi. 12)-" for the crown of the anoint- the taste, like raisins, or refreshing, like ing oil of his God is upon him." A similar ~ - The vine represented. by an easy reason restrained the N azirite. llece.ue th& parable, the tree of carnal delight.I, which co:a.■eoration of hia God la upon hia head, i. e. yielde to the appetite of men such a variety because he wearB the unshorn locks which of aatisfactions. So among the Romans the are the outward sign of his separation unto Flamen Dialis might not even touch a vine, God. The hsir of the Nazirite was to him CB, VI. 1-21.] THE BOOK OF NUMBERS. 45