Topical Bible: The Hair: Man Cannot Even Change the Colour Or

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Topical Encyclopedia

In the biblical context, hair is often mentioned as a symbol of strength, beauty, and even consecration. However, one of the more intriguing aspects of hair in Scripture is its use as a metaphor for human limitation and the sovereignty of God. This is particularly evident in the teaching that man cannot change the color of his hair, underscoring the limitations of human power and the ultimate authority of God over creation.

Biblical Reference

The primary reference to this concept is found in the teachings of Jesus during the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 5:36, Jesus instructs, "Nor should you swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black." . This statement is part of a broader discourse on the futility of making oaths and the importance of simple, honest communication. By highlighting the inability to change even the color of one's hair, Jesus emphasizes human limitations and the futility of relying on one's own strength or promises.

Theological Implications

From a theological perspective, this teaching serves as a reminder of God's omnipotence and the inherent limitations of human beings. It underscores the belief that while humans are created in the image of God, they do not possess the divine power to alter fundamental aspects of their being. This acknowledgment of human limitation is a call to humility and reliance on God's will and provision.

Symbolism and Meaning

Hair, in biblical symbolism, often represents more than just physical appearance. For instance, in the account of Samson, hair is a symbol of divine strength and consecration (Judges 16). However, the inability to change its color serves as a metaphor for the aspects of life that are beyond human control. It is a reminder that, despite advancements in knowledge and technology, there are elements of creation that remain under God's sovereign control.

Practical Application

In practical terms, this teaching encourages believers to trust in God's sovereignty and to refrain from making promises or oaths that presume control over the future. It calls for a life of integrity, where one's "Yes" is simply "Yes," and "No" is "No," as stated in Matthew 5:37 . This approach fosters a reliance on God's faithfulness rather than human ability.

Cultural Context

In the cultural context of the biblical era, hair was often seen as a significant aspect of one's identity and social status. The inability to change its color would have been a clear illustration of human limitation to Jesus' audience. Today, while modern technology allows for the alteration of hair color, the underlying truth of human limitation in the face of divine sovereignty remains unchanged.

In summary, the biblical teaching that man cannot change the color of his hair serves as a profound reminder of human limitations and the need for reliance on God's omnipotence. It calls believers to live lives marked by humility, integrity, and trust in the divine order established by God.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Matthew 5:36
Neither shall you swear by your head, because you can not make one hair white or black.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Next Morning Dawned with all the Strange Half Mystical Glow of ...
... gave a soft "swish," as she moved,"her golden hair escaping in ... how poor and paltry
an animal man becomes when ... and Miraudin, as you know, one CANNOT receive!". ...
/.../corelli/the master-christian/xxiv the next morning dawned.htm

How to Become Like Christ.
... eyes are the very eyes; the brow, the hair are exactly ... cannot go and speak to the
sick; we cannot speak even ... course all the best things are open to every man. ...
/.../dods/how to become like christ/how to become like christ.htm

Justice.
... the very uttermost of truth, but not a hair's-breadth beyond ... I believe the notion
as unworthy of man's belief, as ... Men cannot, or will not, or dare not see that ...
//christianbookshelf.org/macdonald/unspoken sermons/justice.htm

Submission and Peace
... small it may appear, is like a horse-hair upon the ... No man is really at rest unless
his conscience is ... wicked is like the troubled sea, which cannot rest, whose ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture j/submission and peace.htm

The Burning of Hus.
... King Sigismund was there in all his pride, his flaxen hair falling in curls ... The man
was a heretic. ... "How can I do that," said Hus, "when I cannot even bear them ...
/.../hutton/history of the moravian church/chapter ii the burning of.htm

The Great Mysteries in the Building of the Militant and Triumphant ...
... having their shoulders exposed and their hair dishevelled, and ... great and glorious,
and difficult for man to understand ... of God is great, and cannot be contained ...
/.../the pastor books first second third/similitude ninth the great mysteries.htm

Fourth Tractate. Problems of the Soul (2).
... fire is no longer near them: similarly hair and nails ... difficulties that very much
trouble those who cannot think of ... is to be thought of as beneficent to man. ...
/.../plotinus/the six enneads/fourth tractate problems of the.htm

Of the Discipline and Advantage of Chastity.
... It cannot dread persecution, since it cannot provoke it from its security ... had attained
to the household of a man of Egypt ... Wherefore is the colour of hair changed ...
/.../of the discipline and advantage.htm

Satan Considering the Saints
... most likely man to go to hell is the man who has ... I believe that there cannot happen
a much worse evil to a ... strength lies in his God, not in his hair, or else ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 11 1865/satan considering the saints.htm

Caste viewed as a Doer
... A man wants to become a Christian, say, from the ... worked in iron or wood, and he cannot
attempt to ... harmonising so perfectly with the colour of eyes and hair. ...
/.../wilson-carmichael/things as they are/chapter xi caste viewed as.htm