Topical Bible: Hair: Symbolical Dividing of

◄ Hair: Symbolical Dividing of ►

Jump to: Nave's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

In biblical literature, hair often serves as a powerful symbol, representing various spiritual truths and divine messages. The act of dividing hair symbolically is particularly significant in the prophetic literature of the Old Testament, where it is used to convey God's judgment and the fate of His people.

One of the most notable instances of the symbolic dividing of hair is found in the book of Ezekiel. In Ezekiel 5:1-4, the prophet is instructed by God to take a sharp sword and use it as a barber's razor to shave his head and beard. He is then commanded to divide the hair into three parts, each representing a different aspect of the impending judgment on Jerusalem. The passage reads:

"And you, son of man, take a sharp sword, use it as a barber’s razor, and shave your head and your beard. Then take a set of scales and divide the hair. When the days of the siege have ended, you are to burn a third of the hair inside the city. You are to chop a third with the sword all around the city, and you are to scatter a third to the wind. For I will unleash a sword behind them. But you are to take a few strands of hair and secure them in the folds of your garment. Again, take a few of these and throw them into the fire and burn them. From there a fire will spread to all the house of Israel." (Ezekiel 5:1-4)

In this passage, the divided hair serves as a metaphor for the fate of the inhabitants of Jerusalem. The first third, burned inside the city, symbolizes those who will perish during the siege. The second third, struck with the sword, represents those who will fall by the sword outside the city. The final third, scattered to the wind, signifies those who will be dispersed among the nations. The few strands secured in the folds of Ezekiel's garment symbolize a remnant that will be preserved, while the strands thrown into the fire indicate that even the remnant will face trials.

The symbolic dividing of hair in Ezekiel's prophecy underscores the severity of God's judgment and the comprehensive nature of His plans. It serves as a vivid illustration of the consequences of disobedience and the fulfillment of divine justice. The act of dividing hair, therefore, is not merely a physical action but a profound prophetic gesture that communicates the gravity of the situation and the certainty of God's word.

Throughout Scripture, hair is often associated with strength, glory, and identity. In the case of Ezekiel, the shaving and dividing of hair signify the stripping away of these attributes as a result of sin and rebellion. This symbolic act serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of faithfulness to God and the dire consequences of turning away from His commandments.

Nave's Topical Index

Ezekiel 5:1,2
And you, son of man, take you a sharp knife, take you a barber's razor, and cause it to pass on your head and on your beard: then take you balances to weigh, and divide the hair.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

The Immaculate Conception
... of the Messiah proceeding from David and dividing into two ... a long cloak of brownish
wool, like camel's hair. ... Above this symbolical picture of the Feast of the ...
/.../emmerich/the life of the blessed virgin mary/ii the immaculate conception.htm

The First vision "On Earth"
... Romanism, not rightly dividing the Dispensations, presses such Scriptures ... sun became
black as sackcloth of hair, and the ... us to take this as symbolical; or as ...
/.../bullinger/commentary on revelation/the first vision on earth.htm

Criticism of the Westminster System of Doctrine.
... the Catechisms, is the fullest and ripest symbolical statement of ... far more than any
other the minute hair-splitting and straw-dividing distinctions which ...
/.../ 97 criticism of the.htm

On the Interpretation of Scripture
... To one the same words have appeared to bear a moral, to another a symbolical meaning;
a ... or of the prophet who was girded with a garment of camel's hair, or of ...
/.../on the interpretation of scripture.htm