Numbers 6:5
All the time of his separation no razor shall pass over his head, until the day be fulfilled of his consecration to the Lord. He shall be holy, and shall let the hair of his head grow.
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- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Omni tempore separationis suæ novacula non transibit per caput ejus usque ad completum diem, quo Domino consecratur. Sanctus erit, crescente cæsarie capitis ejus.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας τοῦ ἁγνισμοῦ ξυρὸν οὐκ ἐπελεύσεται ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ· ἕως ἂν πληρωθῶσιν αἱ ἡμέραι ὅσας ηὔξατο Κυρίῳ, ⸂⸆⸃ ἅγιος ἔσται τρέφων κόμην τρίχα κεφαλῆς.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- כָּל יְמֵי֙ נֶ֣דֶר נִזְר֔וֹ תַּ֖עַר לֹא יַעֲבֹ֣ר עַל רֹאשׁ֑וֹ עַד מְלֹ֨את הַיָּמִ֜ם אֲשֶׁר יַזִּ֤יר לַיהוָה֙ קָדֹ֣שׁ יִהְיֶ֔ה גַּדֵּ֥ל פֶּ֖רַע שְׂעַ֥ר רֹאשֽׁוֹ
Haydock's commentary
Grow. At the commencement, and at the end of the Nazariteship, the hair was cut; though perhaps a sort of crown was left at the top of the head, as the 7th verse may be rendered, "the crown of his God," &c. (Calmet)
The Nazarite is under the same regulations as the high priest, with respect to any corpse, ver. 6. (Maimonides; More, p. 3.; Leviticus xxi. 11.) Both were consecrated to God in the most perfect manner. (Menochius)
When the hair of Samson was cut off, he immediately lost his supernatural strength, Judges xvi.
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St Augustine Of the Work of Monks, Section 39
39. For there is less sin, if people do not praise the sinner in the desires of his soul, and speak good of him who practiseth iniquities. Now what is more an iniquity than to wish to be obeyed by inferiors, and to refuse to obey superiors? The Apostle, I mean, not us: insomuch that they even let their hair grow long: a matter, of which he would have no disputing at all, saying, “If any chooseth to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the Church of God. Now this I command;” which gives us to understand that it is not cleverness of reasoning that we are to look for, but authority of one giving command to attend unto. …