In the biblical context, the act of shaving holds various cultural, religious, and symbolic meanings. Throughout the Scriptures, shaving is mentioned in relation to purification, mourning, and consecration, among other themes.

Purification and Consecration

In the Old Testament, shaving is often associated with purification rituals. For instance, in the Book of Leviticus, the cleansing of a leper involves shaving: "On the seventh day he must shave off all his hair—his head, his beard, his eyebrows, and the rest of his hair. He must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water, and he will be clean" (Leviticus 14:9). This act symbolizes the removal of impurity and the restoration of the individual to the community.

Similarly, the Nazirite vow, a special vow of consecration to God, includes specific instructions regarding shaving. Numbers 6:18 states, "Then at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, the Nazirite is to shave off the hair of his consecrated head, take the hair, and put it on the fire under the peace offering." The shaving of the head marks the completion of the vow and the offering of oneself wholly to God.

Mourning and Humiliation

Shaving is also a sign of mourning and humiliation in the Bible. In the Book of Job, Job shaves his head as an expression of his profound grief: "Then Job stood up, tore his robe, and shaved his head. He fell to the ground and worshiped" (Job 1:20). This act of shaving signifies the depth of his sorrow and his submission to God's will amidst suffering.

The prophet Isaiah uses the imagery of shaving to depict humiliation and disgrace. In Isaiah 7:20, it is written, "On that day the Lord will use a razor hired from beyond the Euphrates—the king of Assyria—to shave your head and the hair of your legs, and to remove your beard as well." This metaphor illustrates the impending judgment and shame that will befall the people.

Cultural Practices and Prohibitions

In ancient Israel, cultural norms regarding shaving were influenced by surrounding nations. The Israelites were instructed to distinguish themselves from pagan practices. Leviticus 19:27 commands, "You must not cut off the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard." This prohibition served to set the Israelites apart from neighboring cultures that engaged in specific shaving rituals as part of idolatrous worship.

New Testament References

In the New Testament, shaving is mentioned in the context of Jewish customs and vows. In Acts 18:18, the Apostle Paul is described as having his hair cut off because of a vow he had taken: "Paul stayed on in Corinth for quite some time before saying goodbye to the brothers. He had his hair cut off at Cenchrea because of a vow he had taken." This indicates the continuation of certain Jewish practices among early Christians.

Overall, the act of shaving in the Bible is multifaceted, symbolizing purification, consecration, mourning, and cultural identity. It reflects the broader themes of holiness, submission, and separation from worldly practices, as prescribed by God to His people.1. (imp.) of Shave.

2. (p. p.) of Shave.

3587a. xurao -- to shave
... to shave. Transliteration: xurao Short Definition: shaved. Word Origin a late form
of xureo Definition to shave NASB Word Usage shaved (1). 3587, 3587a. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3587a.htm - 5k

3587b. xureo -- to shave
... to shave. Transliteration: xureo Short Definition: shave. Word Origin from xuron
(a razor) Definition to shave NASB Word Usage shave (1), shaved (1). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3587b.htm - 5k

1548. galach -- to be bald, shave, shave off
... Word Origin a prim. root Definition to be bald, shave, shave off NASB Word Usage
cut (3), shave (9), shave off (4), shaved (4), shaved off (3). poll, shave off. ...
/hebrew/1548.htm - 6k

1494. gazaz -- to shear
... root Definition to shear NASB Word Usage cut off (3), cut off your hair (1), shaved
(1), shear (3), shearers (3), shearing (2), sheepshearers (2), sheepshearers ...
/hebrew/1494.htm - 6k

7462a. raah -- to pasture, tend, graze
... 4), graze (7), grazed (2), grazing (1), herdsmen (6), keeper (1), pasture (12),
pastured (2), pastures (2), pasturing (5), rulers (1), shaved (1), Shepherd (5 ...
/hebrew/7462a.htm - 6k

Chapter xli
... And Pharaoh sent and let Joseph be summoned and brought in haste from the prison;
and he let himself be shaved and provided with a change of garments, and he ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xli.htm

A Strong Man who Lost his Strength
... God from my birth. If I should be shaved, my strength would be gone, and
I would become weak like any other man.". When Delilah saw ...
//christianbookshelf.org/sherman/the childrens bible/a strong man who lost.htm

On Extreme Unction and Holy Orders
... is a mark of the clerical state, and in Catholic countries it is made manifest by
keeping a small circular spot on the crown of the head shaved perfectly clean ...
/.../kinkead/baltimore catechism no 4/lesson 25 on extreme unction.htm

Our Instructor's Treatment of Our Sins.
... says, through Moses: "If any one die suddenly by him, straightway the head of his
consecration shall be polluted, and shall be shaved," [1037] designating ...
/.../clement/the instructor paedagogus/chapter ii our instructors treatment of.htm

Persistency in Wrong Doing.
... Hanun took the servants, the ambassadors of David, and shaved off half their beards,
and cut off the lower half of all their clothes, and sent them back to ...
/.../xliii persistency in wrong doing.htm

The Death of Samson.
... THE DEATH OF SAMSON. Samson's birth was foretold by an angel. He was to grow up
a Nazarite, forbidden to drink strong drink, neither was his head to be shaved. ...
/.../anonymous/mother stories from the old testament/the death of samson.htm

Councils of Basel and Florence (Ad 1431-9)
... as a hermit; but after a while, finding that it looked strange among the smooth
chins of those around him, he, of his own accord, allowed it to be shaved off. ...
/.../chapter xxvi councils of basel.htm

The Somatic and the Spiritual Gospel.
... to the flesh, without, when reason shows it to be necessary, circumcising Timothy,
and when it appears the natural course getting himself shaved and making a ...
/.../origen/origens commentary on the gospel of john/9 the somatic and the.htm

Letter Lxx. To Magnus an Orator of Rome.
... [2135] He had read in Deuteronomy the command given by the voice of the Lord that
when a captive woman had had her head shaved, her eyebrows and all her hair ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/letter lxx to magnus an.htm

A Prisoner who Became a Mighty Ruler
... Then Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and they quickly brought him out of the dungeon; and
he shaved his face, changed his clothes, and came to Pharaoh. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/sherman/the childrens bible/a prisoner who became a.htm

Shaved (23 Occurrences)
... 1. (imp.) of Shave. 2. (pp) of Shave. Multi-Version Concordance Shaved (23 Occurrences). ...
He shaved his head in Cenchreae, for he had a vow. (WEB WEY). ...
/s/shaved.htm - 13k

Shave (19 Occurrences)
... remove the hair from with a razor or other sharp instrument; to take off the beard
or hair of; as, to shave the face or the crown of the head; he shaved himself ...
/s/shave.htm - 14k

Barber
... 4b, Shab, section 6). (2) In Genesis 41:14 we probably have a case of conformity
to Egyptian, rather than Palestinian custom, where Joseph "shaved himself, and ...
/b/barber.htm - 11k

Razor (8 Occurrences)
... The Nazarites were forbidden to make use of the razor (Numbers 6:5; Judges 13:5).
At their consecration the Levites were shaved all over with a razor (Numbers 8 ...
/r/razor.htm - 10k

Buttocks (3 Occurrences)
... 2 Samuel 10:4 So Hanun took David's servants, and shaved off the one half of their
beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks ...
/b/buttocks.htm - 7k

Beards (6 Occurrences)
... 2 Samuel 10:4 So Hanun took David's servants, and shaved off the one half of their
beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks ...
/b/beards.htm - 8k

Hanun (10 Occurrences)
... 2 Samuel 10:4 So Hanun took David's servants, and shaved off the one half of their
beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks ...
/h/hanun.htm - 11k

Hips (6 Occurrences)
... 2 Samuel 10:4 So Hanun took David's servants, and shaved off the one half of their
beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks ...
/h/hips.htm - 8k

Nazirite (10 Occurrences)
... This was entered on by the ceremonial of restoration, in the undergoing of which
the Nazirite shaved his head, presented two turtle-doves or two young pigeons ...
/n/nazirite.htm - 21k

Raiment (75 Occurrences)
... Genesis 41:14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily
out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in ...
/r/raiment.htm - 31k

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