Quote:
Originally Posted by Costeon
Either a man or a woman could take the Nazirite vow: "When either a man or woman consecrates an offering to take the vow of a Nazirite . . ." ( Num 6.2).
One of the requirements of this vow was "all the days of the vow of his separation no razor shall come upon his head" (v. 5) (The "he" here is a generic singular pronoun referring to an individual whether male or female. This is the same usage found in the other requirements as well.)
This seems to suggest that it was not the norm for Israelite women to have uncut hair, that is, to never use a razor to cut their hair. Otherwise how could this vow to abstain from cutting her hair symbolize her Nazirite consecration if she never cut it anyway? |
The Nazirite vow appears to conflict with the policy of uncut hair that the typical Apostolic church teaches. As pointed out in the OP, the vow could be taken by a male or female, and no distinction is drawn between the two in regards to the practice.
Where it gets interesting is when the period of time that the vow is kept is completed, the hair is cut and burned upon the same fire 🔥 that was used to offer sacrifice as described in Numbers chapter 6, verse 18 below.
18 And the Nazarite shall shave the head of his separation at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall take the hair of the head of his separation, and put it in the fire which is under the sacrifice of the peace offerings.
There is no distinction made for male or female gender, so it seems that the women would offer their hair as part of their sacrifice as well as men, which once again seems to conflict with the Apostolic hair doctrine. The idea that women should shave their hair at the end of their vow conflicts on one end, and the fact that men would never cut their hair (Samson and John the Baptist were Nazirites for life, Samson from birth and John the Baptist from possibly his teens?) would seem to conflict on the men’s side.
It just doesn’t seem to reconcile with our doctrine. Like EB points out, it is another tradition (of the Mosaic law) for another people, in another time. I personally believe our hair doctrine is based on misinterpretation of the scripture, but maybe that’s just me.