Numbers 6 · a question people ask
Were Samson, Samuel and John the Baptist Nazirites?
Of the three, only Samson is called a Nazirite. The angel of the LORD told his mother, "the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb" (Judges 13:5), and Samson said, "I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb" (Judges 16:17). Before Samuel was born, his mother Hannah vowed, "I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall come on his head" (1 Samuel 1:11). Of John, the angel said, "he will drink no wine nor strong drink" (Luke 1:15). Neither 1 Samuel nor Luke uses the word Nazirite. Readers answer in two main ways. Both agree on what the verses say, and that none of the three chose this for himself, as the one who vows in Numbers 6:2 does: each was set apart before he was born.
How Christians read it
Where Christians differ, Favor sets out the main views side by side and doesn't pick one.
All three were Nazirites for life
Some read Samuel and John as Nazirites too, like Samson. Samuel's "no razor shall come on his head" (1 Samuel 1:11) has the same English words as 6:5, and in Hebrew the same word for razor as Samson's (Judges 13:5), and John's "he will drink no wine nor strong drink" (Luke 1:15) matches 6:3. The LORD himself says he raised up Nazirites: "I raised up some of your sons for prophets, and some of your young men for Nazirites" (Amos 2:11).
1 Samuel 1:11 · Luke 1:15 · Numbers 6:3 · Numbers 6:5 · Amos 2:11 · Judges 13:5
Only Samson is called one
Others keep to the word. Only Samson is called a Nazirite (Judges 13:5, 13:7, 16:17). Samuel is described by the razor alone (1 Samuel 1:11), and John by the wine and strong drink alone (Luke 1:15). So they read Samuel and John as set apart in ways like a Nazirite, without calling them Nazirites.
Judges 13:5 · Judges 13:7 · Judges 16:17 · 1 Samuel 1:11 · Luke 1:15
The verses
“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.””
“but he said to me, ‘Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink. Don’t eat any unclean thing, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.’””
“He told her all his heart and said to her, “No razor has ever come on my head; for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaved, then my strength will go from me and I will become weak, and be like any other man.””
“She vowed a vow, and said, “LORD of Armies, if you will indeed look at the affliction of your servant and remember me, and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a boy, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall come on his head.””