6437. And on the crown of the head of the Nazirite of his brethren. That this signifies as to the exteriors, is evident from the signification of the “crown of the head of a Nazirite,” as being exterior things (of which presently); and from the representation of the sons of Israel, who here are “his brethren,” as being spiritual truths in the natural (see n. 5414, 5879, 5951), which also are relatively exterior, for the man of the spiritual church is in the good of truth, and this good is interior, because in the interior natural. That a “Nazirite” signifies exterior things is because the Nazirites represented the Lord as to the Divine natural, which is the external Divine Human. That this was what they represented is evident from the fact that the Naziriteship is the hair, and that its sanctity consisted in the hair, which was for the sake of the representation that has been mentioned; for the hair corresponds to and hence signifies what is natural (n. 3301, 5247, 5569-5573). This is also plain from those who made a vow of Naziriteship, who were then forbidden to shave their hair (Numbers 6:5); and afterward, when they had completed the days of the Naziriteship, they were to shave the head at the door of the tent, and to put the hair into the fire under the sacrifice of the peace-offering (Numbers 6:13, 18). This is further evident from Samson, who was a Nazirite, in that his strength consisted in his hair (Judg. 13:3, 5; 16; see n. 3301). Hence it is written in Jeremiah:

Cut off the hair of thy Naziriteship, and cast it away, and take up a lamentation on the hills (Jeremiah 7:29).

From these passages it is evident that by the “crown of the head of a Nazirite” are signified exterior things, for the crown of the head of a Nazirite is where his hair is. This is the secret signified by the Nazirites in the Word.