The removal of hair with a razor or other sharp implement. Both male and female Israelites allowed their hair to grow long. Barbers trimmed, but did not crop, men's hair, so giving special significance to the shaving of the head or whole body. These actions indicated shame or grief.
Personal toilet
Symbolic shaving
Shaved head a sign of grief
Job 1:20 See also Deuteronomy 21:10–14; Isaiah 15:2; Jeremiah 47:5, Jeremiah 48:36–37; Ezekiel 27:31; Amos 8:10; Micah 1:16; Jeremiah 7:29, Jeremiah 41:5
Then Job stood up, tore his robe, and shaved his head. He fell to the ground and worshiped,
A shaved head a sign of shame
2 Samuel 10:4 parallel 1 Chronicles 19:4 See also Ezra 9:3; Isaiah 7:20, Isaiah 50:6; Jeremiah 2:16; Ezekiel 7:18; 1 Corinthians 11:5–6
So Hanun took David’s servants, shaved off half of each man’s beard, cut off their garments at the hips, and sent them away.
Shaving in ritual cleansing
Leviticus 14:8–9; Numbers 8:7; Acts 21:24
Shaving as a visual aid
After a period of dedication
Shaving forbidden
As a pagan practice
Leviticus 19:27, Leviticus 21:5 See also Deuteronomy 14:1 Pagans shaved the front of their heads as a sign of mourning. God's people should have a different attitude to bereavement from those who have no hope; Ezekiel 44:20
You must not cut off the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard.
Priests must not make bald spots on their heads, shave off the edges of their beards, or make cuts in their bodies.
For the sake of a Nazarite vow
Numbers 6:5 See also Judges 16:17; 1 Samuel 1:11
For the entire period of his vow of separation, no razor shall touch his head. He must be holy until the time of his separation to the LORD is complete; he must let the hair of his head grow long.
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.