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One of the regulations of Naziriteship was not to go near or touch a dead person:
Numbers 6:6 NASB
6 "All the days of his separation to the Lord he shall not go near to a dead person. 7 He shall not make himself unclean for his father or for his mother, for his brother or for his sister, when they die, because his separation to God is on his head."
As a Nazirite why was Samson exempted?
Samson was not 'exempted' from touching dead bodies, nor can I find any record that he did so.
... And he smote them hip and thigh, with a great slaughter; Judges 15:8 KJV.
When Samson smote them, they were alive.
After he smote them, they died.
And he used a weapon, in any case, and did not touch them with his hand :
And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men. Judges 15:16 KJV.
Edit: Samson killed thirty Philistines, and again they were alive when he smote them and they died after he did so. It cannot be proved that Samson touched their dead bodies. He 'slew them and took their spoil' does not imply stripping the dead bodies but implies entering their houses and taking garments from their cupboards - 'spoil'.
Samson rent a lion which was alive when he rent it. And he took honey from its carcase but did not touch the carcase, he only touched the honey.
The case needs to be proved 'beyond reasonable doubt' in order to establish an offence.
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There was provision made for a Nazarite 'if any man dies suddenly by him' : there was a sacrifice available. Provision was made. Numbers 6: 9-12.
Samson was a Nazirite, (Judges 13:1-5) yet we read that he touched dead persons ,Judges 15:8 , Why?
Nazirite: Meaning , "The one separated or one consecrated to God.
There were two types of Nazirites, those that volunteered and took the nazirite oath and those that were appointed by God. Those that took the nazirite oath to God were to live as nazirites for the duration of the vow which was:
Numbers 6:1-7 (NRSV)
The Nazirites : Those that took the vow.
1" The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 Speak to the Israelites and say to them: When either men or women make a special vow, the vow of a nazirite,[a] to separate themselves to the Lord, 3 they shall separate themselves from wine and strong drink; they shall drink no wine vinegar or other vinegar, and shall not drink any grape juice or eat grapes, fresh or dried. 4 All their days as nazirites[b] they shall eat nothing that is produced by the grapevine, not even the seeds or the skins."
5 "All the days of their nazirite vow no razor shall come upon the head; until the time is completed for which they separate themselves to the Lord, they shall be holy; they shall let the locks of the head grow long.6 All the days that they separate themselves to the Lord they shall not go near a corpse. 7 Even if their father or mother, brother or sister, should die, they may not defile themselves; because their consecration to God is upon the head."
Nazirites: Those commission from from conception by God, did not take the oath and remained nazirites for life, their special purpose and requirements were defined by God;
Regarding Samson:
Judges 13:5 (NRSV)
5 "For you shall conceive and bear a son. No razor is to come on his head, for the boy shall be a nazirite to God from birth. It is he who shall begin to deliver Israel from the hand of the Philistines.”
Regarding John the Baptizer;
John was commission to turn the hearts of the people to God, and to make ready for the Lord a people prepared for him.
Luke 1:7-17 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
7 "But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting on in years.8 Once when he was serving as priest before God and his section was on duty, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and offer incense. 10 Now at the time of the incense offering, the whole assembly of the people was praying outside."
11 "Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. 14 You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth."
15 "For he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink; even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. 16 He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
I find it interesting that the text feels the need to inform us that he did not tell his parents where he got the honey from. If there was nothing considered "unclean" about the honey, then why mention that detail?
I can't help but wonder how he got the Philistine foreskins without defiling the typical Nazirite vow. It appears that Samson was set apart unto God for this very purpose and that his miraculous birth was such an indicator. He should have never existed in the first place apart from special accommodation being facilitated by God Himself.
That being said, I can not see how Samson would have been in violation of anything considering that it was God who both inspired and authenticated the Law in the first place and has every right to make any exceptions, loopholes, or negations that he sees fit.
It appears to be the case with Samson and we seem to see a similar mechanism at work with David and the hollowed bread which was only lawful for the priest to eat.
