Wesley Corpus

Chapter VI The law of the Nazarites. What they were to abstain from, ver. 1 - 8. How to be cleansed from casual uncleanness, ver. 9 - 12. How to be discharged from their vow, ver. 13 - 21. The form of blessing the people, ver. 22 - 27. Man or woman - For both sexes might make this vow, if they were free and at their own disposal: otherwise their parents or husbands could disannul the vow. A vow of a Nazarite - Whereby they sequestered themselves from worldly employments and enjoyments, that they might entirely consecrate themselves to God's service, and this either for their whole lifetime, or for a less and limited space of time. Nor eat grapes - Which was forbidden him for greater caution to keep him at the farther distance from wine. All the days of his separation - Which were sometimes more, sometimes fewer, as he thought fit to appoint. No razor - Nor scissors, or other instrument to cut off any part of his hair. This was appointed, partly as a sign of his mortification to worldly delights and outward beauty; partly as a testimony of that purity which hereby he professed, because the cutting off the hair was a sign of uncleanness, as appears from Num 6:9, partly that by the length of his hair he might be constantly minded of his vow; and partly that he might reserve his hair entirely for God, to whom it was to be offered. Holy - That is, wholly consecrated to God and his service, whereby he shews that inward holiness was the great thing which God required and valued in these, and consequently in other rites and ceremonies. His father - Wherein he was equal to the high - priest, being, in some sort, as eminent a type of Christ, and therefore justly required to prefer the service of God, to which he had so fully given himself, before the expressions of his affections to his dearest and nearest relations. The consecration - That is, the token of his consecration, namely, his long hair.