Also they shall not shave their heads, yet they shall not let their locks grow long; they shall only trim the hair of their heads.
Parallel translations
- WEB Neither shall they shave their heads, nor allow their locks to grow long; they shall only cut off the hair of their heads.
- KJV Neither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long; they shall only poll their heads.
- BSB They must not shave their heads or let their hair grow long, but must carefully trim their hair.
- NKJV “They shall neither shave their heads nor let their hair grow long, but they shall keep their hair well trimmed.
- NLT “They must neither shave their heads nor let their hair grow too long. Instead, they must trim it regularly.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Priests must keep their hair neatly trimmed, neither shaving their heads nor letting their hair grow long.
Overview
Moderation in appearance distinguished the priests from pagan mourning customs and from disorder. Their grooming reflected dignity, order, and consecration to God. Even such details show that those who serve God should bear themselves in a manner befitting His holiness.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- 1 Cor 11:14Doesn’t even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him?
- Num 6:5“‘All the days of his vow of separation no razor shall come on his head, until the days are fulfilled, in which he separates himself to Yahweh. He shall be holy. He shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow long.
- Lev 21:5–24“‘They shall not shave their heads or shave off the corners of their beards or make any cuttings in their flesh.
- Deut 14:1You are the children of Yahweh your God. You shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The promise of one Shepherd-King David, a new heart and new Spirit, and the river of life flowing from the temple all stream toward Christ, the good Shepherd who gives the Spirit.
How Ezekiel 44:20 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.