Was Samson Nazerite?

[MarquezsDg]

A buddy of mine asked this today.


Was Samson a Nazirite regardless of committing acts that contradicted how a Nazirite should've lived or was he stripped of being one because of the acts he committed?

 

[Jack K]

In Judges 13:5 the angel of the Lord says he's supposed to be a Nazirite but not a typical one since the order is that he be one from birth and continue to be one all his life (hair "never" cut). This is going further than the law mandated. I don't know who would have stripped him of this designation at that time. Given the rest of what was happening to godly worship at that period in Judges, it's not surprising that Samson's life a Nazirite left much to be desired. This was a time when the law was not closely followed, and "everyone did what was right in his own eyes."

So was he a different sort of Nazirite with different rules that he knew about but aren't mentioned? Or was he just a bad Nazirite? I suspect some of both.

 

[Contra_Mundum]

Samson should fall into the category of the Nazarite, even if his circumstances (given over to this vow from birth for a lifetime of service, according to the Word of the Lord) were rather extraordinary, and not voluntary and occasional/temporary according tp the law's express stipulations, Num.6.

Samson's violations of the vow under which he lay should be viewed as failures (sins) of the flesh--failures that every man must commit, because none of us is able to keep the Law perfectly. A temporary Nazarite was expected to "repent" of any failure in his vow-keeping, and to start over literally from the beginning of his vow. A "permanent" Nazarite should be expected to "repent" as well, despite the fact that genuine perfection would no longer be possible. "Renewal" is perhaps the better term.

And in Samson's case, I think there is clear evidence of both repentance from sin, and renewal. In losing his hair, Samson grieved away the Spirit (who was his real Source of strength). And, indeed this was only the last breakage of his link to his Nazarite vow, which had seen many violations of its stipulations, not to mention flagrant violations of the moral law. [The Nazarite vow was supposed to be "going above and beyond" the normal commitment of an Israelite in devotion to God.]

But God's acceptance of Samson's repentance and faith is shown in the event of his sacrificial death, in which he (by the power of the Spirit once again) gave his own life to destroy the destroyers of God's people.

 

[MarquezsDg]

Great thanks guys