King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh.
Complete Jewish Bible:
Cohanim are not to make bald spots on their heads, mar the edges of their beards or cut gashes in their flesh.
Berean Standard Bible:
Priests must not make bald spots on their heads, shave off the edges of their beards, or make cuts in their bodies.
American Standard Version:
They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
They shall not make{H7139} baldness{H7144} upon their head{H7218}, neither shall they shave off{H1548} the corner{H6285} of their beard{H2206}, nor make{H8295} any cuttings{H8296} in their flesh{H1320}.
Cross-References (KJV):
Deuteronomy 14:1
- ¶ Ye [are] the children of the LORD your God: ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead.
Ezekiel 44:20
- Neither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long; they shall only poll their heads.
Leviticus 19:27
- Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard.
Leviticus 19:28
- Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I [am] the LORD.
Jeremiah 48:37
- For every head [shall be] bald, and every beard clipped: upon all the hands [shall be] cuttings, and upon the loins sackcloth.
Amos 8:10
- And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; and I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins, and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning of an only [son], and the end thereof as a bitter day.
Leviticus 10:6
- And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons, Uncover not your heads, neither rend your clothes; lest ye die, and lest wrath come upon all the people: but let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the LORD hath kindled.
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for Leviticus 21:5
1. **Themes:**
- **Holiness and Distinctiveness:** The verse emphasizes the theme of holiness, particularly the requirement for priests to maintain a distinct appearance that sets them apart from the surrounding nations and their practices.
- **Respect for the Priesthood:** It reflects the importance of respecting the sanctity of the priesthood and the tabernacle (later the temple), with priests being instructed to avoid practices associated with mourning or pagan rituals that might defile them or their sacred duties.
- **Avoidance of Pagan Rituals:** The prohibitions likely served to distinguish Israelite priests from pagan priests who engaged in such practices as part of their religious ceremonies.
2. **Historical Context:**
- **Time Period:** Leviticus 21:5 dates to the time of Moses, around the 14th to 13th century BCE, during the wilderness wanderings of the Israelites after their exodus from Egypt.
- **Cultural Practices:** The surrounding cultures often practiced ritual cutting and shaving for religious or mourning purposes. The instructions to the Israelite priests were meant to prevent assimilation of these practices into Israelite worship.
- **Priestly Conduct:** The book of Leviticus contains extensive laws regarding priestly conduct, sacrifices, and ceremonial cleanliness. These laws were designed to maintain the purity and holiness of the priestly class, who were responsible for mediating between God and the people of Israel.
- **Covenant Law:** This verse is part of the Holiness Code (Leviticus 17-26), which contains laws that emphasize the holiness of God and the necessity for His people to be holy as well, which includes the priesthood's obligation to uphold specific standards of appearance and behavior.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H7139
There are 5 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: קָרַח
Transliteration: qârach
Pronunciation: kaw-rakh'
Description: a primitive root; to depilate; make (self) bald. - Strong's Number: H7144
There are 11 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: קׇרְחָה
Transliteration: qorchâh
Pronunciation: kor-khaw'
Description: or קׇרְחָא; (Ezekiel 27:31), from קָרַח; baldness; bald(-ness), [idiom] utterly. - Strong's Number: H7218
There are 548 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: רֹאשׁ
Transliteration: rôʼsh
Pronunciation: roshe
Description: from an unused root apparently meaning to shake; the head (as most easily shaken), whether literal or figurative (in many applications, of place, time, rank, itc.); band, beginning, captain, chapiter, chief(-est place, man, things), company, end, [idiom] every (man), excellent, first, forefront, (be-)head, height, (on) high(-est part, (priest)), [idiom] lead, [idiom] poor, principal, ruler, sum, top. - Strong's Number: H1548
There are 18 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: גָּלַח
Transliteration: gâlach
Pronunciation: gaw-lakh'
Description: a primitive root; properly, to be bald, i.e. (causatively) to shave; figuratively to lay waste; poll, shave (off). - Strong's Number: H6285
There are 59 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: פֵּאָה
Transliteration: pêʼâh
Pronunciation: pay-aw'
Description: feminine of פֹּה; properly, mouth in a figurative sense, i.e. direction, region, extremity; corner, end, quarter, side. - Strong's Number: H2206
There are 18 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: זָקָן
Transliteration: zâqân
Pronunciation: zaw-kawn'
Description: from זָקֵן; the beard (as indicating age); beard. - Strong's Number: H8295
There are 2 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שָׂרַט
Transliteration: sâraṭ
Pronunciation: saw-rat'
Description: a primitive root; to gash; cut in pieces, make (cuttings) pieces. - Strong's Number: H8296
There are 2 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שֶׂרֶט
Transliteration: sereṭ
Pronunciation: seh'-ret
Description: and שָׂרֶטֶת; from שָׂרַט; an incision; cutting. - Strong's Number: H1320
There are 241 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בָּשָׂר
Transliteration: bâsâr
Pronunciation: baw-sawr'
Description: from בָּשַׂר; flesh (from its freshness); by extension, body, person; also (by euphemistically) the pudenda of aman; body, (fat, lean) flesh(-ed), kin, (man-) kind, [phrase] nakedness, self, skin.