Samson was a Nazarite . . . actually the first mentioned in the scriptures. But what exactly does it mean to be a Nazarite? A Nazarite was a person who voluntarily made a vow with the Lord to set themselves apart. Usually, this vow was short-term. But Samson (like Samuel and John the Baptist seemed to be) was a lifelong Nazarite. As a Nazarite he had three specific rules he had to follow:
- Don’t drink alcohol
- Don’t go anywhere near anything dead (even family gravesites)
- Don’t cut your hair for the duration of the vow (Numbers 6:3-7)
Unfortunately, Samson seems to have broken every single Nazarite rule. He likely broke rule number at his wedding feast, which was a week long drinking party. (Judges 14:10 and 12)
Second, he broke rule #2 after killing a lion and not only going near it but touching it. (Judges 14:6-9)
Last and most famous, he broke rule #3 when Delilah cut off Samson’s hair after he told her it was the source of his great strength. (Judges 16:16-19)