A person under the Nazirite vow was not to cut his hair during the time of the vow. When the vow expired, he was to cut off all his hair and present it at the tabernacle (Num. 6:18). The unshorn hair of the Nazirite was the visible token of his consecration, reminding both himself and the people of the sacred vows he had assumed. The long hair was thus the mark of the Nazirite as the linen garment was of the Levite.

 The word means “separated,” or, “devoted.” It is probably a shortened form of the full title, “devoted to God.” The Nazirite vow was a voluntary and temporary vow, carried out only for a specified period of time (see on Num. 6:2). Its significance consisted in a consecration of the life to God. The outward manifestation of the vow consisted of three things:

 (1) abstaining from all products of the grape, including the wine or the fruit, fresh or dried (Num. 6:3, 4);

 (2) allowing the hair of the head to grow, untouched by a razor or cutting instrument (Num. 6:5);

 (3) refraining from approaching a dead body under any circumstances lest defilement be incurred (Num. 6:6).

 The Nazirite vow was highly regarded among the Hebrews (Amos 2:11; Lam. 4:7). Samuel was a Nazirite (1 Sam. 1:11), as was also John the Baptist (Luke 1:15; DA 102). Some have thought that perhaps Joseph (see Gen. 49:26, where the word translated “separate” is the same word used of Samson here in this verse and of all the Nazirites) was a Nazirite.

Although the Nazirite vow was ordinarily voluntary and temporary, in the case of Samson the dedication was externally imposed upon him by divine command and began from his birth. God had a plan for Samson’s life, a plan whereby, through the leadership of Samson, Israel should be delivered from Philistine bondage. Both the vow and the parents’ faithful training were to influence the child to recognize this plan of God for his life and lead him to consecrate himself to fulfill it. In Samson, one devoted to God, the Lord designed to set before the people an object lesson of the strength they might attain to overcome their foes through submission and service to their God.

Unfortunately, as Samson grew to manhood, he refused to bring his life into harmony with the plan God had for him. He became self-willed and careless morally. The weakness of Samson’s own character rendered him unfit to achieve complete deliverance from the Philistines. That task had to be left to others at a later time. However, through his feats of strength the eventual downfall of the Philistines was begun.

God has a plan for every life. Yet such a plan does not preclude free choice. Men must still choose as to whether they will follow the divine blueprint or not. Samson’s experience is an illustration of how a man may completely thwart the high destiny planned for him.