In the Bible, beards often symbolize wisdom, dignity, and masculinity, reflecting a man's status, maturity, and adherence to cultural and religious traditions.
The beard is a symbol of manhood, virility, and sovereignty. It is wisdom, a mark of the knowledge of the elders, and is often the mark of male dignity. Hence, a bearded woman is often a witch. In the Old Testament, the beard can only be cut as a form of penance, mourning, punishment or putting someone to shame.
Scholars have also suggested that it is likely Jesus had short hair and a beard, in accordance with Jewish practices of the time and the appearance of philosophers. The earliest depictions of Jesus from the Roman catacombs depict him as free of facial hair.
Some folks think it was to make him look more like the traditional images of gods and wise men of the time, who were often shown with beards as a sign of wisdom and maturity. It was also about distinguishing Jesus from the Roman emperors.
The context suggests that these are specific pagan mourning practices of mutilation that God is prohibiting. And even if the word shachath in Leviticus 19:27 is referring to shaving as merely removing hair from one's face, it is prohibited only as an act of mourning.
Beards as a Symbol of Piety
Beards were seen as a sign of religious devotion and piety. Men who were deeply committed to God's commandments and observant of religious rituals often embraced the growth of their beards, considering it an outward expression of their inner faith.
Shaving the beard is muthla (mutilation). Verily the Prophet ﷺ has prohibited muthla. The great Imam of Madinah, Imam Mâlik is reported to have said: The sin of shaving the beard is not only a kabîra (major sin), but it is also bagi (open offence).
Muslims learn about the Prophet's views on facial hair not from the Koran, but through hadith - or sayings - attributed to Muhammad. One such hadith, in a collection by Muslim scholar Muhammad al-Bukhari centuries ago, stipulates: "Cut the moustaches short and leave the beard."
From ancient civilizations to modern-day society, beards have been a symbol of power, wisdom, and even rebellion. Beards in Ancient Times: In ancient Egypt, a well-groomed beard was a sign of high social status.
Eastern Christianity
Traditionally, Syrian Christians from Kerala wear long beards. Some view it as a necessity for men in the Malayali Syrian Christian community because icons of Christ and the saints with beards were depicted from the 3rd century onwards.
First, in Israelite culture, the beard served as a sign of mature masculinity. All Israelite men grew beards; God commanded it: “You shall not round off the hair on your temples or mar the edges of your beard” (Leviticus 19:27).
If your motives are to glorify His work in your life (Romans 14:23), the tattoo can be an excellent conversation starter. Just as we are commanded to do all things to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31), we can view the act of tattooing in the same manner.
Why does God like facial hair so much? Because it's manly. Although beards appear repeatedly in religious texts, God never explicitly tells us why they're so holy. In the absence of any divine exposition, many theologians have posited that a hairy face is a symbol of masculinity bestowed upon men by God.
Medical Definition
beard. noun. ˈbi(ə)rd. : the hair that grows on a man's face often excluding the mustache. bearded.
Leviticus 19:27 Amplified Bible (AMP)
You shall not trim and round off the side-growth of [the hair on] your heads, nor mar the edges of your beard.
The conclusion then stands, that since the beard is created by God and esteemed in Scripture as a sign of gender distinction and manly maturity, it is indisputably right for Christian men to follow the biblical example and wear their God-given beards, whatever the view of the surrounding culture and fashion trends may ...
Since the ability to grow a beard is a sign of physical maturity in men, it is naturally associated with age and grown manhood — as is evidenced by a study that found that beards were associated with maturity, power, and higher social status by both men and women.
The beard has been a symbol of masculinity, power, and virility for centuries.
“The benefit of having a beard is protection, as well as esthetics,” Dr. Harvey says. “Its good protection against wind, chafing and traumatic injury. It's also a trend, so we see a lot of men with some form of facial hair.”
He is depicted with a beard because that is how the Bible describes him. In ancient Greco-Roman culture, some false gods had beards and other false gods didn't. In a situation like this, Jesus was going to be similar to a false god one way or the other. It's inevitable—and therefore insignificant.
The practice derives from Leviticus 19:27 in the Torah, which states: “You shall not round off the corners on your head, or destroy the corners of your beard.” According to the 12th-century scholar Maimonides, this prohibition was a way to differentiate Jews from idolatrous priests, who shaved their beards.
Religions such as Orthodox Judaism, Rastafarianism, and Sikhism all prohibit haircuts, the removal of facial hair, or a combination of the two due to beliefs that hair is sacred or a gift from God.
A clean-shaven look can foster positive self-perception, making individuals feel more groomed, polished, and put together. This newfound sense of self-image can lead to increased social confidence and improved interactions with others.
“Sikhs are allowed to wear beards and turbans because it actually is a religious requirement of their faith that they do so. Kesh, or 'uncut hair' is one of the five religious requirements of baptized Sikhs.
In Leviticus 19:27, which is part of the Holiness code, Jews are prohibited from "destroying" the corners of the beard.