The Hebrew noun nazir refers to someone who is consecrated to God, separated from ordinary life for a holy purpose. The Nazirite vow (Numbers 6) involved abstaining from wine, not cutting the hair, and avoiding contact with the dead — visible signs of total dedication to God.
Nazir is one of the most striking concepts of personal holiness in the Old Testament. Famous Nazirites include Samson and Samuel. The separation was meant to be visible and costly — a whole-life offering to God. The root connects to the concept of 'crown' (nezer), suggesting that consecration is a form of royal dignity before God.
Theologically, the Nazirite vow anticipates the New Testament call to full consecration — 'offer your bodies as a living sacrifice' (Romans 12:1). Jesus himself is called a 'Nazarene,' and while this may be geographic, early readers connected it to holiness and separation.