Definition and Cultural Context:
Shaving, the act of removing hair from the body, particularly the face and head, is a practice that appears in various contexts throughout the Bible. In ancient Israelite culture, hair held significant symbolic meaning, often associated with strength, purity, and consecration. The act of shaving could signify a range of spiritual, ritualistic, or social transformations.

Biblical References:

1. Nazirite Vow:
One of the most notable references to shaving in the Bible is related to the Nazirite vow. Nazirites were individuals who took a special vow of consecration to God, which included abstaining from cutting their hair. Numbers 6:5 states, "For the entire period of his vow of separation, no razor shall pass over his head. He must be holy until the time of his consecration to the LORD is complete; he must let the hair of his head grow long." Upon completion of the vow, the Nazirite would shave his head as part of the purification process (Numbers 6:18).

2. Levitical Laws:
The Levitical laws also address shaving in the context of mourning and priestly conduct. Leviticus 19:27 instructs, "You must not cut off the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard." This command was part of a broader set of laws intended to distinguish the Israelites from surrounding nations and their practices.

3. Ritual Purity:
Shaving is also associated with ritual purification. In Leviticus 14:8-9, a person cleansed of leprosy was required to shave all their hair as part of the purification process: "The one being cleansed must wash his clothes, shave off all his hair, and bathe with water; then he will be clean."

4. Humiliation and Shame:
Shaving could also be a sign of humiliation or shame. In 2 Samuel 10:4-5, Hanun, the king of the Ammonites, humiliated David's servants by shaving off half of their beards, an act that was deeply insulting in the cultural context of the time.

5. Symbol of Mourning:
Shaving one's head was sometimes a sign of mourning or distress. In the book of Job, after hearing of his great losses, Job "arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground and worshiped" (Job 1:20). This act symbolized his deep grief and submission to God's will.

Theological Implications:
Shaving in the Bible often carries theological significance, reflecting themes of consecration, purity, and identity. The Nazirite vow, for instance, underscores the idea of being set apart for God's purposes, while the Levitical laws emphasize holiness and separation from pagan practices. The act of shaving as a sign of mourning or humiliation highlights the vulnerability and humility of the human condition before God.

Cultural and Historical Considerations:
Understanding the cultural and historical context of shaving in biblical times is crucial for interpreting these passages. Hair was often seen as a symbol of vitality and identity, and its removal could represent a profound transformation or a return to a state of purity. The biblical instructions and narratives surrounding shaving reflect the broader themes of covenant, community, and the relationship between God and His people.Shaving

The Jews shaved their beards and hair in time of mourning, repentance, or distress, Job 1:20 Jeremiah 48:37, and in certain ceremonial purifications, Le 14:9 Numbers 8:7. At other times they wore them long, like other oriental nations'except the Egyptians, who kept their beards shaved, as we learn from Herodotus and from antique monuments. Hence Joseph shaved before he was presented to Pharaoh, Genesis 41:14. See BEARD.

1. (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Shave.

2. (n.) The act of one who, or that which, shaves; specifically, the act of cutting off the beard with a razor.

3. (n.) That which is shaved off; a thin slice or strip pared off with a shave, a knife, a plane, or other cutting instrument.

SHAVING

shav'-ing (in Job 1:20, gazaz, usually galach; in Acts 21:24, xurao): Customs as to shaving differ in different countries, and in ancient and modern times. Among the Egyptians it was customary to shave the whole body (compare Genesis 41:14). With the Israelites, shaving the head was a sign of mourning (Deuteronomy 21:12 Job 1:20); ordinarily the hair was allowed to grow long, and was only cut at intervals (compare Absalom, 2 Samuel 14:26). 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). The shaving of the beard was not permitted to the Israelites; they were prohibited from shaving off even "the corner of their beard" (Leviticus 21:5). It was an unpardonable insult when Hanun, king of the Ammonites, cut off the half of the beards of the Israelites whom David had sent to him (2 Samuel 10:4 1 Chronicles 19:4).

Shaving "with a razor that is hired" is Isaiah's graphic figure to denote the complete devastation of Judah by the Assyrian army (Isaiah 7:20).

James Orr

7144. qorchah -- baldness, bald spot
... qarach Definition baldness, bald spot NASB Word Usage bald (2), bald* (1), baldness
(4), baldness* (1), plucked-out scalp (1), shave* (1), shaving the head (1 ...
/hebrew/7144.htm - 6k

Whether those who are Ordained Ought to Wear the Tonsure?
... Now the ministers of Christ should not be captives, but free. Therefore shaving
and tonsure in the shape of a crown does not become them. ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether those who are ordained.htm

Whether There Can be any Suitable Cause for the Sacraments of the ...
... in Lev.14. Objection 8: Further, spiritual uncleanness cannot be cleansed
by material water or by shaving the hair. Therefore it ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether there can be any 2.htm

First Sunday after Epiphany
... As little as smearing and shaving were factors in Christ's priesthood, so little
will they thus procure for anyone the Christian priesthood. ...
/.../luther/epistle sermons vol ii/first sunday after epiphany.htm

1 Cor. Ix. 24
... I surpass Peter in declining to receive [compensation], it is that they may not
be offended; or descend lower than all, being circumcised and shaving my head ...
/.../homilies on the epistles of paul to the corinthians/homily xxiii 1 cor ix.htm

'More than Conquerors through Him'
... But the Ammonite courtiers need not have rejected David's overtures so insolently
as by shaving half his ambassadors' beards and docking their robes. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/more than conquerors through him.htm

Letter Lxx. To Magnus an Orator of Rome.
... Or that shaving off and cutting away all in her that is dead whether this be idolatry,
pleasure, error, or lust, I take her to myself clean and pure and beget ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/letter lxx to magnus an.htm

How Even Apostles Thought that a Lie was Often Useful and the ...
... feeble persons to condescend to a fictitious arrangement and insisted on his purifying
himself according to the requirements of the law, and shaving his head ...
/.../cassian/the conferences of john cassian/chapter xx how even apostles.htm

Finally, if You Think it Right, Returning to Our Inquiry...
... the canton of Eleusin, the hut of Baubo, and her rustic hospitality; what the drought
of cyceon [4507] means, the refusal of it, the shaving and disclosure of ...
/.../the seven books of arnobius against the heathen/35 finally if you think.htm

May 4. "Greater is He that is in You than He that is in the World" ...
... The reason of this is because it is generally a greater victory for him, and shows
that he can upset us by a shaving and knock us down with a straw. ...
/.../simpson/days of heaven upon earth /may 4 greater is he.htm

A Methodist Isaac Newton
... Europe before. Another proof of it was this: Thirty years ago, while I
was shaving, he was whittling the top of a stick. I asked ...
/.../wesley/the journal of john wesley/a methodist isaac newton.htm

Shaving (2 Occurrences)
... a knife, a plane, or other cutting instrument. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia.
SHAVING. shav'-ing (in Job 1:20, gazaz, usually galach ...
/s/shaving.htm - 9k

Barber
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Found only once, in Ezek. 5:1, where reference is made
to the Jewish custom of shaving the head as a sign of mourning. ...
/b/barber.htm - 11k

Baldness (11 Occurrences)
... it. This probably arose from their custom of constantly shaving the head,
only allowing the hair to grow as a sign of mourning. ...
/b/baldness.htm - 13k

Hair (135 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary. (1.) The Egyptians let the hair of their head and beard
grow only when they were in mourning, shaving it off at other times. ...
/h/hair.htm - 60k

Shave (19 Occurrences)
... 8. (n.) A thin slice; a shaving. 9. (n.) A cutting of the beard; the operation
of shaving. 10. (n.) An exorbitant discount on a note. 11. ...
/s/shave.htm - 14k

Shavsha (1 Occurrence)

/s/shavsha.htm - 8k

Shaveth (6 Occurrences)

/s/shaveth.htm - 8k

Razor (8 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary. 1. (n.) A keen-edged knife of peculiar shape, used in
shaving the hair from the face or the head. 2. (n.) A tusk of a wild boar. Int. ...
/r/razor.htm - 10k

Mourn (87 Occurrences)
... 26:65), wearing sackcloth (Genesis 37:34; Psalm 35:13), sprinkling dust or ashes
on the person (2 Samuel 13:19; Jeremiah 6:26; Job 2:12), shaving the head and ...
/m/mourn.htm - 38k

Plough (11 Occurrences)
... 5. (n.) A joiner's plane for making grooves; a grooving plane. 6. (n.) An
implement for trimming or shaving off the edges of books. ...
/p/plough.htm - 11k

What does the Bible say about shaving? | GotQuestions.org

Life in Practice ' Article Index | GotQuestions.org

What did it mean to tear one's clothes in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Shaving: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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