Notice a more modern rendering of these verses in the New King James: "You shall not shave around the sides of your head, nor shall you disfigure the edges of your beard" (
For this reason the loss of Samson's hair (Judg 16:17) was a tragic sin. Shaving the head normally was regarded as a sign of humiliation (2 Sam 10:4–5) or mourning (Isa 15:2; Jer 41:5–6; 48:37; Ezek 9:3).
No it is not a sin for a man to get a haircut. In fact, the Bible encourages it. Vowing a vow of a Nazarite is a special case where one did not cut their hair for the length of the vow. It is not the rule. They also had many other requirements to conform to. At the end of their vow they shaved their head.
In 1 Corinthians 11:3-15, Paul writes that if a woman is to be so immodest as to wear her hair uncovered while praying or prophesying in a Christian assembly she might as well shave her head. Paul instructs the Corinthians that it is “one and the same” for a woman to have her head shaved and for her to unveil her hair.
1 Corinthians 11:6 Amplified Bible (AMP)
If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off; and if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, she should cover her head.
To summarize, Leviticus 19:27 is not a general commandment against shaving. The context suggests that these are specific pagan mourning practices of mutilation that God is prohibiting.
Tonsure can also refer to the secular practice of shaving all or part of the scalp to show support or sympathy, or to designate mourning. Current usage more generally refers to cutting or shaving for monks, devotees, or mystics of any religion as a symbol of their renunciation of worldly fashion and esteem.
Deuteronomy 14:1 New Living Translation (NLT)
“Since you are the people of the LORD your God, never cut yourselves or shave the hair above your foreheads in mourning for the dead.
21:5 5They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh. (Leviticus 21:5); Deut. 14:1 1Ye are the children of the Lord your God: ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead.
It was narrated from 'Abdullah bin 'Umar that : The Prophet [SAW] said: "Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, has forbidden me from Al-Qaza' (to shave part of the head and leave part)." It was narrated that Ibn 'Umar said: "The Messenger of Allah [SAW] forbade Al-Qaza' (to shave part of the head and leave part)."
Jesus told His disciples, “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered” (Matthew 10:30). As the Creator of human beings (and human hair), God takes great interest in how we care for His creation. We frequently receive questions from men and women on this subject.
So is Getting a Tattoo a Sin? It depends. Revisiting 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 is a great reminder when considering a tattoo: “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price.
As I have already stated, some teach that Paul was instructing women not to cut their hair because the word shorn in 1 Corinthians 11 means, “cut at all.” Others believe that the word uncovered describes the head of a woman who has cut her hair, while others teach that the words long hair in verses 14 and 15 or that ...
It is this type of false worship the Bible forbids. Shaving one's beard and cutting one's hair for normal good grooming is something entirely different and not at all condemned in the Scriptures. In fact, the apostle Paul takes great pains to address proper grooming of one's hair in I Corinthians 11:2-15.
The Roman Catholic Church does not condemn smoking per se, but considers excessive smoking to be sinful, as described in the Catechism (CCC 2290): The virtue of temperance disposes us to avoid every kind of excess: the abuse of food, alcohol, tobacco, or medicine.
He shaved his head at Cenchreae because of a vow he had taken. NLT Paul stayed in Corinth for some time after that, then said good-bye to the brothers and sisters and went to nearby Cenchrea. There he shaved his head according to Jewish custom, marking the end of a vow.
The second mention of hair loss lies in Leviticus 13:40-41, which proclaims that “a man has lost his hair and he is bald, he is clean. ... Indeed, this is in marked contrast to Ancient Egypt, where baldness was seen as a sign of being cursed by the gods, and suffering from hair loss was seen as punishment for ...
Leviticus 19:27 in Other Translations
27 "Don't cut the hair on the sides of your head or trim your beard. 27 Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard. 27 "Never shave the hair on your foreheads, and never cut the edges of your beard.
Little kids called Elijah "baldhead." “He (Elijah) cursed them in the name of the Lord. And two she-bears came out of the woods and tore forty-two of the boys” 2 Kings 2:23-24.
(2Sa 14:25, 26) God's law commanded Israelite men that they should not 'cut their sidelocks short around,' nor destroy the “extremity” of their beards. This was not an injunction against trimming the hair or beard but was evidently to prevent imitation of pagan practices.
Leviticus 19:28 says You shall not make any cuts on your body [in mourning] for the dead, nor make any tattoo marks on yourselves; I am the Lord. In other scriptures, God punished the Israelites for wearing earrings because they were doing it at a feast to the idol, Baal.
Haircuts, especially during moments of personal change, often carry a deeper, spiritual significance. They symbolise letting go—whether of an old identity, emotional baggage, or past memories—and create space for transformation.
Nazirites were forbidden to use a razor, but when their vow was expired, or if they were defiled, they were to shave the whole head (Numbers 6:5,9,18; compare Acts 21:24).
Around the world, Buddhist monks shave their heads as a symbol of their commitment to spiritual enlightenment. In India, some Hindu priests shave their heads as a sign of humility and renunciation of worldly desires. Historical Significance of Baldness. Baldness has also been historically significant.
Religious & Cultural Symbolism
The act of voluntarily shaving the head hair symbolises celibacy, chastity or purity. Christian Monks have shaven heads. Hindu Priests have shaven heads.