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
H5921a 1. upon, on, over (spatial) (5443×)H0413 1. directional: to, toward (5366×)H1121a 1. son, male offspring, descendant (4914×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)H4428 1. king, human ruler (2518×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)H6440 1. before, in front of (spatial) (1870×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H3027 1. physical hand (body part) (1596×)H1697 1. word, speech, utterance (1235×)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×)
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…