Board index ‹ Specific Bible verses, texts, and passages ‹ Leviticus

[Christian]

Is it wrong to cut our hair, including facial hair?

[jimwalton]

It's not wrong to cut hair. First of all, these laws are for the people of Israel under the covenant, so they don't apply to us. Secondly, the context of Leviticus is talking about pagan mourning rites associated with a rite for the dead, so they don't apply to us. Thirdly, in the ancient world they cut their hair at certain times to honor their gods (like making an offering). Sometimes even hair was an ingredient in their magic rituals. God is saying, "I'm not interested in your hair, and I don't want any confusion with true worship and mere magic, so don't cut your hair under those circumstances or for those reasons." In other words, it doesn't apply to us.

Leviticus 21.5 is specific rules for the priests, so that doesn't apply to us. Priests weren't to cut their hair like the pagans did to win favor with the gods. God was saying, "That's not how you win favor with me," so it doesn't apply to us. Notice at the end of Lev. 21.5 it adds, "or cut their bodies." It was how they offered up their lives to their gods, symbolized by their bleeding all over the altar. God wanted nothing to do with that ritual either. None of it applies to us.