Page 774
VERS. XIV.
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &c.
That if a man have long hair, &c.
WHether the Apostle reproves mens long hair, by occasion offered from his discourse of womens long hair; or (which is not improbable) that these Judaizing Co∣rinthians as yet retained Nazarite-ship, and for that cause let their hair grow; that which he saith, That nature it self teacheth, that it is a disgrace for a man to have long hair, is suf∣ficiently confirmed from hence, that it is womanish. There were indeed divers Nations which wore long hair, as 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, The long haired Acheans, in Homer; Gallia Comata, Gaul whose Inhabitants wore long hair, in the Historians, &c. But whether in this they followed the light of nature, or rather did it out of their barbarous breeding, or that they might appear more terrible to their enemies, is upon good reason in∣quired.
You will say then, whence comes it to pass that the Nazarites let their hair grow, and that by divine command? I answer, it was a sign of humiliation, and self-denyal, as abstaining from Wine and Grapes also was. It made a shew of a certain religious sloven∣liness, and contempt of a mans self.
They are therefore very much deceived, who think that Absalom let his hair grow out of pride, when he did so indeed by reason of a vow (at least a feigned vow) of Na∣zarite-ship. The Jerusalem Talmudists say very truly; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 d 1.1 Absalom, say they, was a perpetual Nazarite. Very truly, I say, in this, that they assert he was a Nazarite: but of the perpetuity of his vow we will not here dispute. See 2 Sam. XV. 7, 8.
There is, in Tacitus, a wicked Votary not unlike him, Civilis by name; of whom thus he speaks, e 1.2 Civilis, barbaro Voto, post coepta adversus Romanos arma, propexum rutila∣tum{que} crinem, &c. Civilis by a barbarous vow, after armes taken up against the Romans, laid down his long red hair, the slaughter of the Legions being at last executed.
The Jews, if they were not bound by the vow of a Nazarite, cut their hair very of∣ten: and however they did it at other times, certainly always before a Feast, and that in honour of the Feast, that was approaching. Whence a greater suspicion may here arise, that these Corinthians by their long hair professed themselves Nazarites.
These f 1.3 cut their hair in the feast it self: He that comes from a Heathen place, and he that comes out of prison, and the excommunicate person, who is loosed from his excommunication. The sense of the Tradition is this, Those, who were detained by some necessity before the Feast, that they could not cut their hair, might cut it in the Feast it self. But if no such necessity hindred, they cut their hair before the Feast, and commonly on the very Eves of the Feast: g 1.4 When any man cuts not his hair on the Eves of the Festival day, but three days before, it appears, that he cut not his hair in honour of the Feast.
We cannot here omit this story. h 1.5 A certain Travailer, who was a Barbar, and an Astro∣loger, saw by his Astrology, that the Jews would shed his blood (which was to be understood of his Proselytism, namely, when they circumcised him) when a certain Jew therefore came to him, to have his hair cut, he cut his throat. And how many throats did he cut? R. Lazar ben Jose saith, Eighty. R. Jose ben R. Bon saith. Three hundred.