Hebrew word · H4177

מוֹרָה

morah

razor

A razor. The word is rare and found only in Judg 13:5, Judg 16:17, and here. The more common word for razor is taʿar, which is the term Numbers 6:5 uses in the Nazirite law.

Appears 3 times in 3 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

razor

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of 1 Samuel 1:11

Range of meaning

A razor. The word is rare and found only in Judg 13:5, Judg 16:17, and here. The more common word for razor is taʿar, which is the term Numbers 6:5 uses in the Nazirite law.

Against the English

English translations agree on “razor.” What they cannot show is that this exact wording, “a razor shall not go up on his head,” is copied from the angel's words about Samson.

Used elsewhere in the period

Judg 13:5: “a razor (morah) shall not go up on his head, for the boy shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb.” In Mishnah Nazir 9:5, Rabbi Nehorai argues from this shared word that Samuel was a Nazirite. Rabbi Yose answers that morah here means “fear” of human beings (as though from moraʾ). The Hebrew of Sirach 46:13 calls Samuel a “nazir of the LORD.” The Septuagint adds the Nazirite ban on wine here.

From the study of Judges 13:5

Range of meaning

Môrāh is a rare word for a razor. In Num 6:5 the Nazirite law uses the more common taʿar. 'No razor shall go up on his head' is a fixed formula.

Against the English

BSB's 'touch' and NLT's 'his hair must never be cut' give the sense. KJV/WEB 'come on his head' and YLT 'go up on his head' are closer to the Hebrew picture.

Used elsewhere in the period

The exact same wording appears only in Hannah's vow for Samuel (1 Sam 1:11) and in Samson's confession to Delilah (Judg 16:17). This ties the two dedicated sons of barren mothers together across the books.

Where it appears

Judges · 2

  1. Judges 13:5 וּמוֹרָה֙ and a razor

    For behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son. And no razor shall touch his head, because the boy will be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hand of the Philistines.”

    Here: 'And a razor'. This rare word appears only here, in Judg 16:17 and in 1 Sam 1:11 (Samuel). It is placed first for emphasis: a razor, of all things, must never touch him.

  2. Judges 16:17 מוֹרָה֙ a razor

    Samson told her all that was in his heart: “My hair has never been cut, because I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaved, my strength will leave me, and I will become as weak as any other man.”

1 Samuel · 1

  1. 1 Samuel 1:11 וּמוֹרָ֖ה and a razor

    And she made a vow, saying, “O LORD of Hosts, if only You will look upon the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, not forgetting Your maidservant but giving her a son, then I will dedicate him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall ever touch his head.”

    Here: “And a razor.” This rare word appears elsewhere only in Samson's story (Judg 13:5; 16:17), so the wording points straight at Samson.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.