Whether you’re sporting a full beard or keeping it clean-shaven, you might wonder if the Bible has anything to say about facial hair. Interestingly, facial hair, especially beards, is mentioned in the Bible, often as a symbol of wisdom and maturity. Let’s look at the cultural significance of facial hair in biblical times and whether these ideas still hold meaning today.
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What Does The Bible Say About Facial Hair
Leviticus 19:27
“You shall not round off the hair on your temples or mar the edges of your beard.”
This verse teaches that it is important for men to maintain their facial hair and not tamper with it. It emphasizes the significance of honoring one’s appearance and natural features.
Numbers 6:5
“All the days of the vow of his separation, no razor shall touch his head. Until the time is completed for which he separates himself to the Lord, he shall be holy. He shall let the locks of hair of his head grow long.”
In this verse, the importance of keeping one’s hair untouched during a time of consecration and devotion to God is highlighted. It signifies a visible commitment to the Lord and a symbol of holiness.
Isaiah 50:6
“I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting.”
This verse portrays the suffering and humiliation that Jesus endured during His crucifixion. It mentions the pulling out of His beard, depicting a cruel act done to Him, showcasing the sacrificial love of Christ.
Ezekiel 5:1
“And you, O son of man, take a sharp sword. Use it as a barber’s razor and pass it over your head and your beard. Then take balances for weighing and divide the hair.”
This verse illustrates a prophetic action by the prophet Ezekiel, demonstrating the destruction and division that would come upon Israel. The act of cutting his hair and beard symbolizes judgment and loss.
1 Corinthians 11:14
“Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him?”
This verse addresses the cultural norms of hair length in Corinth and emphasizes the importance of maintaining appropriate gender distinctions. It highlights the significance of modesty and social standards.
1 Samuel 21:13
“So he changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands and made marks on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard.”
In this verse, David pretends to be insane to escape from King Achish. His situation is portrayed through the running of his spittle down his beard, emphasizing the desperate measures he took to avoid harm.
2 Samuel 10:4-5
“So Hanun took David’s servants and shaved off half the beard of each and cut off their garments in the middle, at their hips, and sent them away. When it was told David, he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, ‘Remain at Jericho until your beards have grown and then return.'”
This verse recounts an act of disrespect and humiliation where Hanun, the Ammonite king, shaves off half of David’s servants’ beards. The shaving of the beard shamed the men, and David instructed them to wait until their beards regrew, signaling a period of disgrace and restoration.
Lamentations 3:30
“Let him give his cheek to the one who strikes, and let him be filled with insults.”
In this verse, the author expresses the willingness to endure physical and emotional suffering, allowing their cheek to be struck. It demonstrates a posture of humility and acceptance in the face of adversity.
2 Samuel 19:24
“And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king. He had neither taken care of his feet nor trimmed his beard nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came back in safety.”
Mephibosheth’s unkempt appearance upon King David’s return exemplifies his mourning and distress during David’s absence. His untrimmed beard served as a visible sign of his sorrow and longing for the king’s safe return.
Psalms 133:2
“It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes!”
This verse describes the anointing of Aaron, the high priest, with oil. The flowing oil from his head onto his beard and robe symbolizes the blessing and anointing of God upon Aaron, signifying his priestly role and consecration.
Jeremiah 48:37
“For every head is shaved and every beard cut off; on all the hands are gashes, and around the waist is sackcloth.”
This verse paints a vivid picture of the devastation and mourning that would come upon Moab. The shaving of heads and cutting off of beards symbolize sorrow and anguish, reflecting the aftermath of destruction.
Song of Solomon 5:13
“His cheeks are like beds of spices, mounds of sweet-smelling herbs. His lips are lilies, dripping liquid myrrh.”
This verse employs descriptive imagery to praise the beauty of the beloved. The reference to cheeks provides a sensual description, highlighting their pleasing aroma and appearance.
Jeremiah 9:26
“Egypt, Judah, Edom, the sons of Ammon, Moab, and all who dwell in the desert who cut the corners of their hair, for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel is uncircumcised in heart.”
In this verse, cutting the corners of hair symbolizes conformity to pagan customs and practices, which God condemns. It emphasizes the importance of circumcising the heart, focusing on internal transformation and obedience.
Ezra 9:3
“As soon as I heard this, I tore my garment and my cloak and pulled hair from my head and beard and sat appalled.”
Upon hearing about the unfaithfulness of the people of Israel, Ezra expresses deep sorrow and repentance. The act of pulling hair from his head and beard signifies his distress and anguish over the sinfulness of the nation.
Jeremiah 41:5
“Eighty men arrived from Shechem and Shiloh and Samaria, with their beards shaved and their clothes torn, and their bodies gashed, bringing grain offerings and incense to present at the temple of the Lord.”
This verse describes the appearance of men who came to the temple with shaved beards, torn clothes, and gashed bodies to offer grain offerings and incense. Their disheveled state represents their mourning and contrition as they seek God’s forgiveness.
Psalm 133:1
“Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!”
This verse emphasizes the beauty and harmony of unity among brothers. It highlights the significance of living in peace and harmony, which brings blessings and joy.
Deuteronomy 21:12
“Then you shall bring her home to your house, and she shall shave her head and pare her nails.”
This verse outlines the practice for an Israelite man marrying a woman from a foreign nation. Shaving the woman’s head and paring her nails symbolize leaving behind her former life and establishing a new identity within the Israelite community.
Nehemiah 13:25
“And I confronted them and cursed them and beat some of them and pulled out their hair. And I made them take an oath in the name of God, saying, ‘You shall not give your daughters to their sons, or take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves.'”
Nehemiah’s actions of cursing, beating, and pulling out the hair of those who married foreign women demonstrate his zeal for preserving the purity and integrity of the Israelite community. He seeks to prevent intermarriage and maintain the people’s devotion to God.
Amos 8:10
“I will turn your feasts into mourning and all your songs into lamentation; I will bring sackcloth on every waist and baldness on every head; I will make it like the mourning for an only son and the end of it like a bitter day.”
This verse portrays the Lord’s judgment upon Israel, resulting in the transformation of joyful occasions into mourning and lamentation. The mention of baldness evokes a sense of mourning and grief comparable to the loss of an only child.
Malachi 3:23
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.”
This verse foretells the coming of the prophet Elijah as a precursor to the great day of the Lord. It signals a time of preparation and the anticipation of divine intervention and judgment.
Zechariah 13:4
“On that day every prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies. He will not put on a hairy cloak in order to deceive.”
In this verse, the concept of deception is addressed. It emphasizes that true prophets of God will not resort to wearing a hairy cloak or disguise to deceive others. It highlights the importance of integrity and genuine prophetic revelation.
Acts 18:18
“After this, Paul stayed many days longer and then took leave of the brothers and set sail for Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had cut his hair, for he was under a vow.”
In this verse, Paul has his hair cut in observance of a vow. Though not specifically related to facial hair, it highlights the practice of hair-related rituals within the Jewish faith and Paul’s adherence to religious customs.
Acts 21:24
“Take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may shave their heads. Thus, all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also live in observance of the law.”
This verse instructs Paul to purify himself and join others in a ritual of shaving their heads. It serves as a sign of Paul’s commitment to the Law and dispels any misconceptions about his teachings and lifestyle.