H5139 H5139
Nazirite (one consecrated by vow); consecrated one, distinguished prince; an unpruned vine left untended.
The Hebrew noun nazir carries the root idea of separation and consecration, branching into three surprisingly different applications. In its best-known sense, it designates the Nazirite — a person set apart to God by a special vow involving abstinence from wine, uncut hair, and avoidance of corpse-impurity, as legislated in Numbers 6 and embodied by figures like Samson and Samuel. Yet in the ancient poetry of Genesis 49:26 and Deuteronomy 33:16, nazir describes Joseph as 'the consecrated one among his brothers' — not a Nazirite by vow but a prince distinguished by divine favor. French consacré and German Geweihter capture this elevated sense of being set apart for honor. Most unexpectedly, Leviticus 25:5 and 25:11 apply nazir to an unpruned vine — the grapevine left untended during the sabbatical year, its uncut growth mirroring the Nazirite's uncut hair in a striking agricultural metaphor.
Senses
1. Nazirite, one under vow — A Nazirite — a person consecrated to God by a special vow entailing three abstinences: no wine or grape products, no cutting of the hair, and no contact with the dead (Num 6:1-21). Eleven occurrences cluster in the Nazirite legislation of Numbers 6, covering the vow's initiation (Num 6:2), completion rituals (Num 6:13-20), and the shaving of the consecrated head. Spanish nazareo, French Nazirite, and German Nasiräer all transliterate the Hebrew, treating it as a technical religious term without domestic equivalent. Amos 2:11-12 extends the institution into prophetic critique: God raised up Nazirites among Israel's youth, but the people made them drink wine. 11×
AR["النَّذيرينَ", "الْـنَّذِيرُ", "الْـنَّذِيرِ", "نَذيرينَ", "نَذيرَ", "نَذِيرٍ", "نَذِيرُ"]·ben["নাজীর", "নাজীরের", "নাসরীয়দের", "নাসরীয়দের-জন্য", "নাসীর"]·DE["Nazirite", "Nazirite-von", "[הנזרים]", "[לנזרים]", "der-Nazirite", "ein-Nazirite-von"]·EN["Nazirite", "Nazirite-of", "a-Nazirite-of", "as-Nazirites", "the-Nazirite", "the-Nazirites"]·FR["Nazirite", "Nazirite-de", "le-Nazirite", "nazir", "un-Nazirite-de"]·heb["ה-נזיר", "ה-נזירים", "ל-נזירים", "נזיר"]·HI["के-लिए-नाज़ीरों", "नज़ीर", "नाज़ीरों", "नाजीर", "नाजीर-की", "नाजीर-के"]·ID["nazir", "orang-nazir", "orang-orang-Nazir", "sang-nazir", "untuk-menjadi-orang-Nazir"]·IT["Nazireo", "Nazirite-di", "[הנזרים]", "[לנזרים]", "il-Nazireo", "un-Nazirite-di"]·jav["Nazir", "kangge-Nazir", "nazir", "para-Nazir"]·KO["그-나실인", "그-나실인-이", "나실인-의", "나실인들로", "나실인들에게", "나실인이", "나실인이다"]·PT["nazireu", "nazireu-de", "o-nazireu", "os-nazireus", "para-nazireus"]·RU["на-назореев", "назореев", "назореем", "назорей", "назорея"]·ES["a-los-nazareos", "como-nazareos", "el-nazareo", "nazareo", "nazareo-de"]·SW["Hnzir", "Mnadhiri", "Mnaziri-wa", "Nzir", "Wanadhiri", "kuwa-Wanadhiri"]·TR["Nazirliler-olarak", "Nazirlilere", "nazir", "nazir-", "nazirin-", "nazirlerin"]·urd["-نذیروں-کو", "نذیر", "نذیر-کی", "نذیروں-کے-لیے"]
2. consecrated one, prince — A consecrated one or distinguished prince — someone set apart not by formal vow but by divine election and honor among peers. Three occurrences appear in high poetry: Jacob's blessing calls Joseph 'the consecrated one of his brothers' (Gen 49:26), Moses' blessing echoes 'the prince among his brothers' (Deut 33:16), and Lamentations 4:7 describes Jerusalem's nobles (nezirehah) as once purer than snow. French prince-de and Spanish consagrado-de shift from the technical Nazirite label to vocabulary of royal distinction, while Arabic نذير preserves the root connection to consecration. The Joseph passages celebrate separation-as-honor rather than separation-as-abstinence. 3×
AR["الْمُكَرَّسِ", "نَذِيرِ", "نُذُرُهَا"]·ben["তার-নাজারীরা", "নাজীরের", "পৃথকীকৃত"]·DE["[נזיריה]", "des-Geweihten", "weihte-eins-von"]·EN["consecrated-one-of", "her-consecrated-ones", "prince-of"]·FR["[נזיריה]", "consacra-un-de", "prince-de"]·heb["נזיר", "נזיריה"]·HI["अलग-किए-हुए", "उसके-नाज़ीर", "नज़ीर"]·ID["orang-orang-nazir-nya", "yang-dipisahkan", "yang-terpisah"]·IT["[נזיריה]", "consacro-uno-di", "principe-di"]·jav["ingkang-kapisah", "ingkang-kapisahaken", "para-nasir-ipun"]·KO["구별된-자", "구별된-자(접)", "그녀-관원들-이"]·PT["consagrado-de", "príncipe-de", "seus-nazireus"]·RU["назореи-её", "назорея", "отделённого"]·ES["consagrado-de", "el-consagrado-de", "sus-nazareos"]·SW["Naziri", "Wanazirite-wake", "aliyetengwa"]·TR["Nazirler-onun", "adanmışın", "ayrılmış-olanın"]·urd["اُس-کے-نذری", "علیحدہ-کیے-ہوئے-کے", "نذیر"]
3. unpruned vine — An unpruned vine — a grapevine left to grow wild and unharvested during the sabbatical or jubilee year. Only two occurrences (Lev 25:5, 11) apply nazir to agriculture, and the metaphorical logic is elegant: just as a Nazirite's hair grows uncut as a sign of consecration, so the sabbatical vine grows untrimmed as a sign that the land rests for the LORD. Spanish nazareo-de-ella awkwardly carries the personal term into botany, while English 'unpruned vine' and 'undressed grapes' translate the concept rather than the word. The agricultural sabbath mirrors the human vow — both involve refraining from the normal cycle of cutting and harvesting. 2×
AR["كَرْمِكَ-الْمُهْمَلِ", "كُرُومَهَا-الْمُهْمَلَةَ"]·ben["তার-অছাঁটা-আঙুর।", "তোমার-অছাঁটা-লতার"]·DE["dein-unpruned-Weinstock", "sein-unpruned-Trauben"]·EN["its-unpruned-grapes", "your-unpruned-vine"]·FR["son-unpruned-raisins", "ton-unpruned-vigne"]·heb["נזירך", "נזריה"]·HI["इसके-नज़ीर", "तेरे-नज़ीर"]·ID["dari-pohon-anggur-yang-tidak-dipangkas", "pohon-anggurmu-yang-tidak-dipangkas"]·IT["suo-unpruned-uva", "tuo-unpruned-vite"]·jav["ingkang-boten-dipun-bersihaken-ipun.", "ingkang-boten-dipun-bersihaken-ira"]·KO["그것의-가지치지-않은-것을", "네-가지치지-않은-것의"]·PT["seus-naziratos", "tua-nazirato"]·RU["неподстриженного-твоего", "неподстриженные-её"]·ES["nazareo-de-ella", "tu-nazareo"]·SW["mizabibu-yake-isiyokatwa", "mizabibu-yako-isiyokatwa"]·TR["budanmamışlarını", "budanmamışın"]·urd["بےکٹی-تاک-اُس-کے", "بےکٹی-تاک-تیرے"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† נָזִיר n.m. Gn 49:26 one consecrated, devoted (נזיר י׳ Ecclus 46:13 c (of Samuel); cf. Syriac ܢܙܝܺܪ RSSem i. 463, 2d ed. 483);—נ׳ abs. Nu 6:2 + 5 times; cstr. נְזִיר Gn 49:26 + 4 times; sf. נְזִירֶ֑ךְ Lv 25:5; pl. נְזִרִים Am 2:11, 12; sf. נְזִרֶיהָ Lv 25:11, נְזִירֶיהָ La 4:7;— 1. of prince, ruler, as consecrated: נְזִיר אֶחָיו Gn 49:26 (poem in J), one consecrated among his brethren, = Dt…