What Does the Bible Say About Cutting Beards?

Leviticus 19:27 ESV / 15 helpful votes

You shall not round off the hair on your temples or mar the edges of your beard.

Leviticus 21:5 ESV / 11 helpful votes

They shall not make bald patches on their heads, nor shave off the edges of their beards, nor make any cuts on their body.

Leviticus 19:28 ESV / 8 helpful votes

You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the Lord.

Ezekiel 44:20 ESV / 7 helpful votes

They shall not shave their heads or let their locks grow long; they shall surely trim the hair of their heads.

Jeremiah 49:32 ESV / 7 helpful votes

Their camels shall become plunder, their herds of livestock a spoil. I will scatter to every wind those who cut the corners of their hair, and I will bring their calamity from every side of them, declares the Lord.

Jeremiah 25:23 ESV / 7 helpful votes

Dedan, Tema, Buz, and all who cut the corners of their hair;

Leviticus 14:9 ESV / 7 helpful votes

And on the seventh day he shall shave off all his hair from his head, his beard, and his eyebrows. He shall shave off all his hair, and then he shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and he shall be clean.

Isaiah 50:6 ESV / 6 helpful votes

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.

Isaiah 15:2 ESV / 6 helpful votes

He has gone up to the temple, and to Dibon, to the high places to weep; over Nebo and over Medeba Moab wails. On every head is baldness; every beard is shorn;

1 Corinthians 11:14 ESV / 5 helpful votes

Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him,

Ezekiel 5:1 ESV / 5 helpful votes

“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.

Jeremiah 41:5 ESV / 5 helpful votes

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.

Jeremiah 9:26 ESV / 5 helpful votes

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 are uncircumcised in heart.”

Psalm 133:2 ESV / 5 helpful votes

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!

Ezra 9:3 ESV / 5 helpful votes

As soon as I heard this, I tore my garment and my cloak and pulled hair from my head and beard and sat appalled.

1 Samuel 21:13 ESV / 5 helpful votes

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.

Jeremiah 48:37 ESV / 4 helpful votes

“For every head is shaved and every beard cut off. On all the hands are gashes, and around the waist is sackcloth.

Jeremiah 9:25 ESV / 4 helpful votes

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will punish all those who are circumcised merely in the flesh—

2 Samuel 19:24 ESV / 4 helpful votes

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.

2 Samuel 10:4 ESV / 4 helpful votes

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.

Deuteronomy 22:5 ESV / 4 helpful votes

“A woman shall not wear a man's garment, nor shall a man put on a woman's cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God.

Deuteronomy 14:1 ESV / 4 helpful votes

“You are the sons of the Lord your God. You shall not cut yourselves or make any baldness on your foreheads for the dead.

1 Corinthians 11:6 ESV / 3 helpful votes

For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head.

Matthew 5:17-20 ESV / 3 helpful votes

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Jeremiah 16:6 ESV / 3 helpful votes

Both great and small shall die in this land. They shall not be buried, and no one shall lament for them or cut himself or make himself bald for them.

Isaiah 7:20 ESV / 3 helpful votes

In that day the Lord will shave with a razor that is hired beyond the River—with the king of Assyria—the head and the hair of the feet, and it will sweep away the beard also.

Isaiah 3:24 ESV / 3 helpful votes

Instead of perfume there will be rottenness; and instead of a belt, a rope; and instead of well-set hair, baldness; and instead of a rich robe, a skirt of sackcloth; and branding instead of beauty.

Psalm 133:1-3 ESV / 3 helpful votes

A Song of Ascents. Of David. Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! 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! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.

2 Samuel 10:4-5 ESV / 3 helpful votes

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.”

Judges 13:5 ESV / 3 helpful votes

For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. No razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines.”

Numbers 6:18 ESV / 3 helpful votes

And the Nazirite shall shave his consecrated head at the entrance of the tent of meeting and shall take the hair from his consecrated head and put it on the fire that is under the sacrifice of the peace offering.

Numbers 6:5 ESV / 3 helpful votes

“All the days of his vow of 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.

Genesis 41:14 ESV / 3 helpful votes

Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they quickly brought him out of the pit. And when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came in before Pharaoh.

Genesis 1:27 ESV / 3 helpful votes

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

1 Peter 2:21 ESV / 2 helpful votes

For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.

1 Corinthians 11:1-34 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you. But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven. ...

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

Romans 14:23 ESV / 2 helpful votes

But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.

Acts 18:18 ESV / 2 helpful votes

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.

John 7:24 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”

John 3:16-17 ESV / 2 helpful votes

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Matthew 5:36 ESV / 2 helpful votes

And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.

Jeremiah 7:29 ESV / 2 helpful votes

“‘Cut off your hair and cast it away; raise a lamentation on the bare heights, for the Lord has rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath.’

Isaiah 53:5 ESV / 2 helpful votes

But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.

Isaiah 22:12 ESV / 2 helpful votes

In that day the Lord God of hosts called for weeping and mourning, for baldness and wearing sackcloth;

Job 1:20 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped.

1 Chronicles 19:4-5 ESV / 2 helpful votes

So Hanun took David's servants and shaved them and cut off their garments in the middle, at their hips, and sent them away; and they departed. When David was told concerning the men, he sent messengers to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, “Remain at Jericho until your beards have grown and then return.”

2 Samuel 10:5 ESV / 2 helpful votes

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.”

1 Samuel 19:24 ESV / 2 helpful votes

And he too stripped off his clothes, and he too prophesied before Samuel and lay naked all that day and all that night. Thus it is said, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”

Deuteronomy 21:10-14 ESV / 2 helpful votes

“When you go out to war against your enemies, and the Lord your God gives them into your hand and you take them captive, and you see among the captives a beautiful woman, and you desire to take her to be your wife, and you bring her home to your house, she shall shave her head and pare her nails. And she shall take off the clothes in which she was captured and shall remain in your house and lament her father and her mother a full month. After that you may go in to her and be her husband, and she shall be your wife. But if you no longer delight in her, you shall let her go where she wants. But you shall not sell her for money, nor shall you treat her as a slave, since you have humiliated her.

Numbers 6:9 ESV / 2 helpful votes

“And if any man dies very suddenly beside him and he defiles his consecrated head, then he shall shave his head on the day of his cleansing; on the seventh day he shall shave it.

Numbers 6:1-5 ESV / 2 helpful votes

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When either a man or a woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to the Lord, he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink. He shall drink no vinegar made from wine or strong drink and shall not drink any juice of grapes or eat grapes, fresh or dried. All the days of his separation he shall eat nothing that is produced by the grapevine, not even the seeds or the skins. “All the days of his vow of 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.

Numbers 6:1-21 ESV / 2 helpful votes

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When either a man or a woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to the Lord, he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink. He shall drink no vinegar made from wine or strong drink and shall not drink any juice of grapes or eat grapes, fresh or dried. All the days of his separation he shall eat nothing that is produced by the grapevine, not even the seeds or the skins. “All the days of his vow of 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. ...

Leviticus 21:1 ESV / 2 helpful votes

And the Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them, No one shall make himself unclean for the dead among his people,

Leviticus 19:1-37 ESV / 2 helpful votes

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy. Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and you shall keep my Sabbaths: I am the Lord your God. Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves any gods of cast metal: I am the Lord your God. “When you offer a sacrifice of peace offerings to the Lord, you shall offer it so that you may be accepted. ...

Leviticus 13:29-30 ESV / 2 helpful votes

“When a man or woman has a disease on the head or the beard, the priest shall examine the disease. And if it appears deeper than the skin, and the hair in it is yellow and thin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is an itch, a leprous disease of the head or the beard.

56 Bible Verses about Cutting Beards

Leviticus 19:27 ESV / 15 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Leviticus 21:5 ESV / 11 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Leviticus 19:28 ESV / 8 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Ezekiel 44:20 ESV / 7 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Jeremiah 49:32 ESV / 7 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Jeremiah 25:23 ESV / 7 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Leviticus 14:9 ESV / 7 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Isaiah 50:6 ESV / 6 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Isaiah 15:2 ESV / 6 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Corinthians 11:14 ESV / 5 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Ezekiel 5:1 ESV / 5 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Jeremiah 41:5 ESV / 5 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Jeremiah 9:26 ESV / 5 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Psalm 133:2 ESV / 5 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Ezra 9:3 ESV / 5 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Samuel 21:13 ESV / 5 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Jeremiah 48:37 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Jeremiah 9:25 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

2 Samuel 19:24 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

2 Samuel 10:4 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Deuteronomy 22:5 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Deuteronomy 14:1 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Corinthians 11:6 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Matthew 5:17-20 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Jeremiah 16:6 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Isaiah 7:20 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Isaiah 3:24 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Psalm 133:1-3 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

2 Samuel 10:4-5 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Judges 13:5 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Numbers 6:18 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Numbers 6:5 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Genesis 41:14 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Genesis 1:27 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Peter 2:21 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Corinthians 11:1-34 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Romans 14:23 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Acts 18:18 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

John 7:24 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

John 3:16-17 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Matthew 5:36 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Jeremiah 7:29 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Isaiah 53:5 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Isaiah 22:12 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Job 1:20 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Chronicles 19:4-5 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

2 Samuel 10:5 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Samuel 19:24 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Deuteronomy 21:10-14 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Numbers 6:9 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Numbers 6:1-5 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Numbers 6:1-21 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Leviticus 21:1 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Leviticus 19:1-37 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Leviticus 13:29-30 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

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