Jump to: Smith's • ATS • ISBE • Easton's • Webster's • Concordance • Thesaurus • Greek • Hebrew • Library • Subtopics • Terms • Resources Smith's Bible Dictionary HairThe Hebrews were fully alive to the importance of the hair as an element of personal beauty. Long hair was admired in the case of young men. (2 Samuel 14:26) In times of affliction the hair was altogether cut off. (Isaiah 3:17,24; 15:2; Jeremiah 7:29) Tearing the hair (Ezra 9:3) and letting it go dishevelled were similar tokens of grief. The usual and favorite color of the hair was black, (Solomon 5:11) as is indicated in the comparisons in (Solomon 1:5; 4:1) a similar hue is probably intended by the purple of (Solomon 7:6) Pure white hair was deemed characteristic of the divine Majesty. (Daniel 7:9; Revelation 1:14) The chief beauty of the hair consisted in curls, whether of a natural or an artificial character. With regard to the mode of dressing the hair, we have no very precise information; the terms used are of a general character, as of Jezebel, (2 Kings 9:30) and of Judith, ch. 10:3, and in the New Testament, (1 Timothy 2:9; 1 Peter 3:3) The arrangement of Samson's hair into seven locks, or more properly braids, (Judges 16:13,19) involves the practice of plaiting, which was also familiar to the Egyptians and Greeks. The locks were probably kept in their place by a fillet, as in Egypt. The Hebrews like other nations of antiquity, anointed the hair profusely with ointments, which were generally compounded of various aromatic ingredients, (Ruth 3:3; 2 Samuel 14:2; Psalms 23:6; 92:10; Ecclesiastes 9:8) more especially on occasions of festivity or hospitality. (Luke 7:46) It appears to have been the custom of the Jews in our Saviour's time to swear by the hair, (Matthew 5:36) much as the Egyptian women still swear by the side-locks, and the men by their beards. ATS Bible Dictionary HairThe Jewish men, except Nazarites, Numbers 6:5,9, and cases like that of Absalom, 2 Samuel 14:26, cut their hair moderately short, 1 1 Corinthians 11:14, and applied fragrant ointments to it, Exodus 30:30-33 Psalm 23:5 Ecclesiastes 9:8. In mourning they wholly neglected it, or shaved it close, or plucked it out by handfuls, Jeremiah 7:29. Women prized a fine head of hair, and plaited, perfumed, and decked it in many ways, Isaiah 3:18,24 1 1 Corinthians 11:15, so much as to call for apostolic interdictions, 1 Timothy 2:9 1 Peter 3:9. "Hair like women's" characterized the locusts of antichrist, Revelation 9:8. Lepers when cleansed, and Levites, on their consecration, shaved the whole body, Le 13:1-59 14:8,9. 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. "So particular were they on this point that to have neglected it was a subject of reproach and ridicule; and whenever they intended to convey the idea of a man of low condition, or a slovenly person, the artists represented him with a beard." Joseph shaved himself before going in to Pharoah (Genesis 41:14). The women of Egypt wore their hair long and plaited. Wigs were worn by priests and laymen to cover the shaven skull, and false beards were common. The great masses of hair seen in the portraits and statues of kings and priests are thus altogether artificial. (2.) A precisely opposite practice, as regards men, prevailed among the Assyrians. In Assyrian sculptures the hair always appears long, and combed closely down upon the head. The beard also was allowed to grow to its full length. (3.) Among the Greeks the custom in this respect varied at different times, as it did also among the Romans. In the time of the apostle, among the Greeks the men wore short hair, while that of the women was long (1 Corinthians 11:14, 15). Paul reproves the Corinthians for falling in with a style of manners which so far confounded the distinction of the sexes and was hurtful to good morals. (See, however, 1 Timothy 2:9, and 1 Peter 3:3, as regards women.) (4.) Among the Hebrews the natural distinction between the sexes was preserved by the women wearing long hair (Luke 7:38; John 11:2; 1 Corinthians 11:6), while the men preserved theirs as a rule at a moderate length by frequent clipping. Baldness disqualified any one for the priest's office (Leviticus 21). Elijah is called a "hairy man" (2 Kings 1:8) from his flowing locks, or more probably from the shaggy cloak of hair which he wore. His raiment was of camel's hair. Long hair is especially noticed in the description of Absalom's person (2 Samuel 14:26); but the wearing of long hair was unusual, and was only practised as an act of religious observance by Nazarites (Numbers 6:5; Judges 13:5) and others in token of special mercies (Acts 18:18). In times of affliction the hair was cut off (Isaiah 3:17, 24; 15:2; 22:12; Jeremiah 7:29; Amos 8:10). Tearing the hair and letting it go dishevelled were also tokens of grief (Ezra 9:3). "Cutting off the hair" is a figure of the entire destruction of a people (Isaiah 7:20). The Hebrews anointed the hair profusely with fragrant ointments (Ruth 3:3; 2 Samuel 14:2; Psalm 23:5; 45:7, etc.), especially in seasons of rejoicing (Matthew 6:17; Luke 7:46). Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary 1. (n.) The collection or mass of filaments growing from the skin of an animal, and forming a covering for a part of the head or for any part or the whole of the body.2. (n.) One the above-mentioned filaments, consisting, in invertebrate animals, of a long, tubular part which is free and flexible, and a bulbous root imbedded in the skin. 3. (n.) Hair (human or animal) used for various purposes; as, hair for stuffing cushions. 4. (n.) A slender outgrowth from the chitinous cuticle of insects, spiders, crustaceans, and other invertebrates. Such hairs are totally unlike those of vertebrates in structure, composition, and mode of growth. 5. (n.) An outgrowth of the epidermis, consisting of one or of several cells, whether pointed, hooked, knobbed, or stellated. Internal hairs occur in the flower stalk of the yellow frog lily (Nuphar). 6. (n.) A spring device used in a hair-trigger firearm. 7. (n.) A haircloth. 8. (n.) Any very small distance, or degree; a hairbreadth. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia CAMEL'S HAIR(triches kamelou): In Matthew 3:4 and Mark 1:6 the description of John's raiment is explicit to the extent of telling the kind of hair of which his raiment was made. It is probable that his garment was made of a tawed camel skin, for the more expensive woven camel's hair garment would not be in keeping with the rest of the description. It is still common among the poor in some parts of Syria, when a camel or other animal dies, to remove its skin and, after treating the inner surface to stop decomposition, to make it up into various domestic articles. The writer once saw a peasant dragging a skin along the road which proved to be that of a donkey which had just died on the route. His intention was probably to make it up into a cloak. Some believe that Elijah's mantle was of camel's hair (2 Kings 1:8; compare Zechariah 13:4). Of that we cannot be sure, for in the East today the hairy garment is usually goat's hair or wool either woven or still clinging to the skin. It was much more likely to have been one of these latter. See SHEEP. Camel's hair, when woven into fabrics, as in rugs, makes an article of even softer and more glossy texture than wool. GOATS' HAIR ('ez): The word for she-goat is used elliptically to mean goats' hair, which was used in the tabernacle furnishings in the form of curtains (Exodus 26:7; Exodus 36:14). Goats' hair was probably used in the Midianite and Israelite camps in much the same way as in the Bedouin camps today (compare Numbers 31:20). The tents, tent ropes and rugs are made of spun goats' hair. The provision sacks which hold wheat, rice, etc., and the saddlebags are made of the same material. A strip of the cloth rolled up furnishes a bolster for the head while sleeping (compare 1 Samuel 19:13, 16). Goats' hair cloth is admirab1y suited to stand the hard usage of a frequently shifting encampment. The children of Israel appreciated its utility, even for the tabernacle, where to the modern critical eye it would have looked out of place, matched against scarlet and fine linen (Exodus 25:4; Exodus 35:6, 26). The fact that goats' hair was used is good indication of the comparative crudeness of the tabernacle, when contrasted with present-day furnishings. HAIR har (se`ar, sa`ar, Aramaic se`ar, and their derivatives; thrix, gen. case trichos, kome): PLUCKING OFF THE HAIR pluk'-ing. HAIR, PLUCKING OF THE See PUNISHMENTS. Greek 2864. kome -- hair ... hair. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: kome Phonetic Spelling: (kom'-ay) Short Definition: hair, long hair Definition: hair, long hair. ... //strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2864.htm - 6k 2863. komao -- to wear long hair 5155. trichinos -- of hair 2359. thrix -- hair 1708. emploke -- (elaborate) braiding (of the hair) 4117. plegma -- a braiding 2751. keiro -- to shear 3587. xurao -- to shave 2768. keras -- a horn 2776. kephale -- the head Strong's Hebrew 8177. sear -- hair... 8176, 8177. sear. 8178 . hair. Transliteration: sear Phonetic Spelling: (seh-ar') Short Definition: hair. Word Origin (Aramaic) corresponding ... /hebrew/8177.htm - 6k 8185. saarah -- hair 8181. sear -- hair 1803. dallah -- hair, thrum 4253. machalaphah -- a plait (of hair) 6545. pera -- long hair, locks 6977. qevutstsoth -- locks (of hair) 7298b. rahat -- perhaps lock (of hair) 8534. taltallim -- perhaps locks (of hair) 1803a. dallah -- hair, thrum Library Of Dyeing the Hair. Whether the Hair and Nails Will Rise Again in the Human Body? Of Elaborate Dressing of the Hair in Other Ways, and Its Bearing ... "What Soft Hair He Has" Some Hair-Splitting Use of Words in which his Opponent had ... That a Tuft of Hair is not to be Worn on the Head. If any Woman from Pretended Asceticism Shall Cut Off Her Hair... How, when Absalom was Beaten, He was Caught in a Tree by his Hair ... Thine Head Upon Thee is Like Carmel, and the Hair of Thy Head Like ... Turn Away Thine Eyes from Me, Because they have Made Me to Flee ... Thesaurus 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 Hair-breadth (1 Occurrence) Chin (8 Occurrences) Deeper (18 Occurrences) Camel's (3 Occurrences) Nazarite (8 Occurrences) Diseased (39 Occurrences) Barber Baldness (11 Occurrences) Infection (24 Occurrences) Resources What is holy magic hair? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does the Bible say about dyeing hair? | GotQuestions.org Did Jesus have long hair? | GotQuestions.org Hair: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus Concordance Hair (135 Occurrences)Matthew 3:4 Matthew 5:36 Matthew 6:17 Mark 1:6 Luke 7:38 Luke 7:44 Luke 21:18 John 11:2 John 12:3 Acts 18:18 Acts 27:34 1 Corinthians 11:5 1 Corinthians 11:6 1 Corinthians 11:14 1 Corinthians 11:15 1 Timothy 2:9 1 Peter 3:3 Revelation 1:14 Revelation 6:12 Revelation 9:8 Genesis 25:25 Genesis 27:11 Genesis 27:23 Genesis 41:14 Genesis 42:38 Genesis 44:29 Genesis 44:31 Exodus 25:4 Exodus 26:7 Exodus 35:6 Exodus 35:23 Exodus 35:26 Exodus 36:14 Leviticus 10:6 Leviticus 13:3 Leviticus 13:4 Leviticus 13:10 Leviticus 13:20 Leviticus 13:21 Leviticus 13:25 Leviticus 13:26 Leviticus 13:29 Leviticus 13:30 Leviticus 13:31 Leviticus 13:32 Leviticus 13:33 Leviticus 13:36 Leviticus 13:37 Leviticus 13:40 Leviticus 13:41 Leviticus 13:42 Leviticus 13:43 Leviticus 13:45 Leviticus 14:8 Leviticus 14:9 Leviticus 19:27 Leviticus 21:5 Leviticus 21:10 Numbers 5:18 Numbers 6:5 Numbers 6:9 Numbers 6:18 Numbers 6:19 Numbers 8:7 Numbers 31:20 Deuteronomy 14:1 Deuteronomy 21:12 Deuteronomy 32:25 Judges 5:2 Judges 13:5 Judges 16:14 Judges 16:17 Judges 16:19 Judges 16:22 Judges 20:16 1 Samuel 1:11 1 Samuel 14:45 1 Samuel 16:12 1 Samuel 17:35 1 Samuel 19:13 1 Samuel 19:16 2 Samuel 10:4 2 Samuel 10:5 2 Samuel 14:11 2 Samuel 14:26 2 Samuel 19:24 2 Samuel 20:9 1 Kings 1:52 1 Kings 2:6 1 Kings 2:9 2 Kings 1:8 2 Kings 9:30 1 Chronicles 19:4 1 Chronicles 19:5 Ezra 9:3 Nehemiah 13:25 Job 1:20 Job 4:15 Job 41:32 Proverbs 16:31 The Hair of Nazarites: Not to be Cut or Shorn During Their Vow The Hair of Nazarites: Shorn After Completion of Vow The Hair of the Healed Leper to be Shorn The Hair of Women: Neglected in Grief The Hair of Women: Plaited and Broidered The Hair of Women: Well Set and Ornamented The Hair of Women: Worn Long for a Covering The Hair: Black, Particularly Esteemed The Hair: Colour of, Changed by Leprosy The Hair: Cut off in Affliction The Hair: Judgments Expressed by Sending Baldness For The Hair: Judgments Expressed by Shaving The Hair: Man Cannot Even Change the Colour Or The Hair: Men Condemned for Wearing Long The Hair: Often Expensively Anointed The Hair: Plucked out in Extreme Grief The Hair: Plucking out of, a Reproach The Hair: Sometimes Worn Long by Men The Hair: The Natural Covering of the Head The Hair: White or Gray with Righteousness, a Crown of Glory The Hair: White or Gray: A Token of Age The Hair: White or Gray: A Token of Weakness and Decay The Hair: White or Gray: An Emblem of Wisdom The Hair: White or Gray: To be Reverenced |