Razor

The razor (ta'ar in Hebrew) was a sharp blade used for shaving the head and beard in the ancient Near East. Its most theologically significant use in the Old Testament is in connection with the Nazirite vow: one of the three defining restrictions of a Nazirite was that no razor shall touch his head for the duration of the vow (Numbers 6:5). Samson's Nazirite consecration from birth meant his hair was never to be cut; Delilah's betrayal of this secret to the Philistines, resulting in a razor being applied to his head while he slept, caused the loss of his strength (Judges 16:17–19). Isaiah 7:20 uses the image of a hired razor as a metaphor for Assyrian conquest: God will use the king of Assyria to shave Israel bare — a symbol of humiliation and devastation.