Reference: Beard
American
The Hebrews regarded a thin, scanty beard as a great deformity; while a long, full, flowing beard was esteemed the noblest ornament of personal beauty and dignity. A man's honor was lodged, as it were, his beard. To insult it by word or act was the grossest indignity; to take it respectfully in the right hand and kiss it, was a mode of expressing high esteem and love permitted only to the nearest friends. It was cherished with great care, Ps 133:2; Da 10:3. To neglect, tear, or cut it, indicated the deepest grief, Ezr 9:3; Isa 15:2; Jer 41:5; 48:37; while to be deprived of it was a mark of servility and infamy. Many would prefer death to such a mutilation. These facts explain many passages of Scripture: as the gross insult offered to David's ambassadors, 2Sa 10:4-14; the zealous indignation of Nehemiah, Ne 13:25; the mode in which the feigned insanity of David was expressed, 1Sa 21:12, and the grief of Mephibosheth, 1Sa 19:24; the treachery of Judas; also several passages in the prophets, Isa 7:20; 50:6; Eze 5:1-5.
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And, even he, stripped off his upper garments, and, even he, was moved to prophesy before Samuel, and lay prostrate, disrobed, all that day, and all the night. For this cause, do they say, Is, even Saul, among the prophets?
And David laid up these words in his heart, - and feared greatly, because of Achish king of Gath.
Wherefore Hanun took David's servants, and shaved off half their beards, and cut off their upper garments in the middle, as far as their buttocks, - and let them go. And, when they told David, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed, - and the king said - Tarry at Jericho, until your beards be grown, then shall ye return. read more. And, when the sons of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious with David, the sons of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth-rehob, and the Syrians of Zoba - twenty thousand footmen, and of king Maacah - a thousand men, and men of Tob - twelve thousand men. And, when David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army of heroes, And the sons of Ammon came out, and set in array for battle, at the entrance of the gate, - whereas, the Syrians of Zoba, and of Rehob, and the men of Tob and of Maacah, were by themselves, in the field. And, when Joab saw that the front of the battle was towards him, before and behind, he chose out of all the chosen men of Israel, and set them in array against the Syrians; while, the rest of the people, he delivered into the hand of Abishai his brother, - and set them in array against the sons of Ammon. And he said - If the Syrians be too strong for me, then shalt thou become my deliverance, - but, if, the sons of Ammon, be too strong for thee, then will I come with deliverance to thee. Be strong, and let us put forth our strength, for the sake of our people, and for the sake of the cities of our God, - and, Yahweh, do what is good in his own eyes. And Joab drew nigh, and the people that were with him, to fight against the Syrians, - and they fled before him. And, when, the sons of Ammon, saw that the Syrians had fled, then fled they before Abishai, and entered the city, - so Joab returned from the sons of Ammon, and entered Jerusalem.
When I heard this thing, I rent my garment, and my robe, - and tore out of the hair of my head and my beard, and sat stunned.
So I contended with them, and laid a curse upon them, and I smote, from among them, certain men, and pulled out their hair, - and I put them on oath by God, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take of their daughters, for your sons nor for yourselves.
In that day, will My Lord shave, with hired razor, even with them of the lands over the River Euphrates, with the king of Assyria, the head and the hair of the feet, - yea, even the beard, will it sweep off.
He hath gone up to Bayith and Dibon, to the high places, to weep, - On Nebo and on Medeba, Moab is howling, On all their heads, a baldness, Every beard, clipped.
My back, gave I to smiters, and My cheeks, to them who pulled out the beard, - My face, hid I not from insult and spitting.
that men came in from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, - eighty men, with beards shaven and clothes rent who also had cut themselves, with a meal-offering and frankincense in their hand, to bring them into the house of Yahweh.
For, every head, is baldness, And every beard, clipped: Upon all hands, are gashes, And upon the loins, sackcloth
Thou therefore son of man Take thee a sharp cuting instrument, a barbers razor, shalt thou take thee, and shalt cause it to pass upon thy head and upon thy chin, - and shalt take the balances for weighing, and shalt divide the hair. A third part in the fire, shalt thou burn in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are fulfilled, - and thou shalt take a third part, thou shalt smite it with the cuting instrument round about it, and a third part, shalt thou scatter to the wind, and sword, will I, make bare after then; read more. and thou shalt take from thence, a few in number, - and shalt bind them in thy skirts; and of them, again take, and cast them into the midst of the fire, and burn them in the fire,-therefrom, shall go forth a fire unto all the house of Israel. Thus, saith My Lord, Yahweh, This, is Jerusalem, In the midst of the nations, I placed her, - and of the countries round about her;
food to delight in, did I not eat, neither flesh nor wine, came into my mouth, nor did I so much as, anoint, myself, - until were fulfilled three sevens of days.
Easton
The mode of wearing it was definitely prescribed to the Jews (Le 19:27; 21:5). Hence the import of Ezekiel's (Eze 5:1-4) description of the "razor" i.e., the agents of an angry providence being used against the guilty nation of the Jews. It was a part of a Jew's daily toilet to anoint his beard with oil and perfume (Ps 133:2). Beards were trimmed with the most fastidious care (2Sa 19:24), and their neglet was an indication of deep sorrow (Isa 15:2; Jer 41:5). The custom was to shave or pluck off the hair as a sign of mourning (Isa 50:6; Jer 48:37; Ezr 9:3). The beards of David's ambassadors were cut off by hanun (2Sa 10:4) as a mark of indignity.
On the other hand, the Egyptians carefully shaved the hair off their faces, and they compelled their slaves to do so also (Ge 41:14).
Illustration: Modes of Wearing Beard
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Then sent Pharaoh and summoned Joseph, and they hastened him out of the dungeon, - so he shaved himself and changed his garments, and came in unto Pharaoh.
Ye shall not shave in a circle around your head, - nor shalt thou disfigure the fringe of thy beard.
They shall not make a baldness behind in their head, And the border of their beard, shall they not cut off, - And, in their flesh, shall they not make incisions.
Wherefore Hanun took David's servants, and shaved off half their beards, and cut off their upper garments in the middle, as far as their buttocks, - and let them go.
And, Mephibosheth, son of Saul, came down to meet the king, - he had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor, his clothes, had he washed, from the day the king departed, until the day that he entered in peace.
When I heard this thing, I rent my garment, and my robe, - and tore out of the hair of my head and my beard, and sat stunned.
He hath gone up to Bayith and Dibon, to the high places, to weep, - On Nebo and on Medeba, Moab is howling, On all their heads, a baldness, Every beard, clipped.
My back, gave I to smiters, and My cheeks, to them who pulled out the beard, - My face, hid I not from insult and spitting.
that men came in from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, - eighty men, with beards shaven and clothes rent who also had cut themselves, with a meal-offering and frankincense in their hand, to bring them into the house of Yahweh.
For, every head, is baldness, And every beard, clipped: Upon all hands, are gashes, And upon the loins, sackcloth
Thou therefore son of man Take thee a sharp cuting instrument, a barbers razor, shalt thou take thee, and shalt cause it to pass upon thy head and upon thy chin, - and shalt take the balances for weighing, and shalt divide the hair. A third part in the fire, shalt thou burn in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are fulfilled, - and thou shalt take a third part, thou shalt smite it with the cuting instrument round about it, and a third part, shalt thou scatter to the wind, and sword, will I, make bare after then; read more. and thou shalt take from thence, a few in number, - and shalt bind them in thy skirts; and of them, again take, and cast them into the midst of the fire, and burn them in the fire,-therefrom, shall go forth a fire unto all the house of Israel.
Fausets
With Asiatics, a badge of manly dignity. The Egyptians mostly shaved the hair of the face and head, except in mourning. In consonance with this Egyptian usage, Scripture, with the undesigned propriety of truth, represents Joseph as having "shaved his beard," which he had allowed to grow in prison, before entering Pharaoh's presence (Ge 41:14). Many Egyptians wore a false beard of plaited hair, private individuals small ones, kings long ones square below, the gods one turning at the end. Their enemies are represented bearded on the monuments.
The Jews were forbidden to "round the corners of their heads or mar (i.e. shave off) the corners of their beards" (Le 19:27; 21:5). Baal worshippers rounded the beard and hair to make their faces round, like the sun. The Arabs trimmed their beard round in sign of dedication to some idol. Possibly the Israelites retained the hair between the ear and eye, which the Arabs shaved away (Jer 9:26 margin; Jer 25:23; 49:32; compare Herodotus, 3:8).
The beard is sworn by in the E. as an object of veneration. Not to trim it marked affliction, as in Mephibosheth's case during Absalom's occupation of Jerusalem (2Sa 19:24). An insult to it was resented as a gross outrage, as David did when Hanun shaved off half the beards of his ambassadors (2Sa 10:4). Compare God's threat of "shaving" away His people as "hair" with the Assyrian king as His "razor" (Isa 7:20). This was one gross indignity to which Jesus was subjected: "I gave My cheeks to them that plucked off the hair" (Isa 50:6). It was shaved in mourning (Isa 15:2; Jer 41:5; 48:37). Only the nearest friends were permitted to touch the beard, which marks the foul treachery of Joab in taking his cousin Amasa's beard to kiss him, or rather it (2Sa 20:9). The precious ointment flowed from Aaron's head at his consecration, upon his beard (Ps 133:2). The leper, at purification, had to shave his head and beard and eyebrows (Le 14:9).
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Then sent Pharaoh and summoned Joseph, and they hastened him out of the dungeon, - so he shaved himself and changed his garments, and came in unto Pharaoh.
Then sent Pharaoh and summoned Joseph, and they hastened him out of the dungeon, - so he shaved himself and changed his garments, and came in unto Pharaoh.
and it shall be on the seventh day, that he shall shave off all the hair of his head, and his beard, and his eyebrows, even all his hair, shall he shave off, - and shall wash his clothes and bathe his flesh in water so shall he be clean.
and it shall be on the seventh day, that he shall shave off all the hair of his head, and his beard, and his eyebrows, even all his hair, shall he shave off, - and shall wash his clothes and bathe his flesh in water so shall he be clean.
Ye shall not shave in a circle around your head, - nor shalt thou disfigure the fringe of thy beard.
Ye shall not shave in a circle around your head, - nor shalt thou disfigure the fringe of thy beard.
They shall not make a baldness behind in their head, And the border of their beard, shall they not cut off, - And, in their flesh, shall they not make incisions.
They shall not make a baldness behind in their head, And the border of their beard, shall they not cut off, - And, in their flesh, shall they not make incisions.
Wherefore Hanun took David's servants, and shaved off half their beards, and cut off their upper garments in the middle, as far as their buttocks, - and let them go.
Wherefore Hanun took David's servants, and shaved off half their beards, and cut off their upper garments in the middle, as far as their buttocks, - and let them go.
And, Mephibosheth, son of Saul, came down to meet the king, - he had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor, his clothes, had he washed, from the day the king departed, until the day that he entered in peace.
And, Mephibosheth, son of Saul, came down to meet the king, - he had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor, his clothes, had he washed, from the day the king departed, until the day that he entered in peace.
Then said Joab unto Amasa, Art thou, well, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand, to kiss him.
Then said Joab unto Amasa, Art thou, well, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand, to kiss him.
In that day, will My Lord shave, with hired razor, even with them of the lands over the River Euphrates, with the king of Assyria, the head and the hair of the feet, - yea, even the beard, will it sweep off.
In that day, will My Lord shave, with hired razor, even with them of the lands over the River Euphrates, with the king of Assyria, the head and the hair of the feet, - yea, even the beard, will it sweep off.
He hath gone up to Bayith and Dibon, to the high places, to weep, - On Nebo and on Medeba, Moab is howling, On all their heads, a baldness, Every beard, clipped.
He hath gone up to Bayith and Dibon, to the high places, to weep, - On Nebo and on Medeba, Moab is howling, On all their heads, a baldness, Every beard, clipped.
My back, gave I to smiters, and My cheeks, to them who pulled out the beard, - My face, hid I not from insult and spitting.
My back, gave I to smiters, and My cheeks, to them who pulled out the beard, - My face, hid I not from insult and spitting.
Upon Egypt and upon Judah, And upon Edom, and upon the sons of Ammon, And upon Moab, And upon all the clipped beards, The dwellers in the desert, - For, all the nations, are uncircumcised, And, all the house of Israel, are uncircumcised in heart.
Upon Egypt and upon Judah, And upon Edom, and upon the sons of Ammon, And upon Moab, And upon all the clipped beards, The dwellers in the desert, - For, all the nations, are uncircumcised, And, all the house of Israel, are uncircumcised in heart.
that men came in from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, - eighty men, with beards shaven and clothes rent who also had cut themselves, with a meal-offering and frankincense in their hand, to bring them into the house of Yahweh.
that men came in from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, - eighty men, with beards shaven and clothes rent who also had cut themselves, with a meal-offering and frankincense in their hand, to bring them into the house of Yahweh.
For, every head, is baldness, And every beard, clipped: Upon all hands, are gashes, And upon the loins, sackcloth
For, every head, is baldness, And every beard, clipped: Upon all hands, are gashes, And upon the loins, sackcloth
So shall their camels, become, a prey, And the throng of their cattle, a spoil, Then will I scatter them to every wind even the clipt-beards, - And from all sides of him, will I bring in their doom Declareth Yahweh.
So shall their camels, become, a prey, And the throng of their cattle, a spoil, Then will I scatter them to every wind even the clipt-beards, - And from all sides of him, will I bring in their doom Declareth Yahweh.
Hastings
Morish
The Israelites always cultivated the beard, and highly valued it. The law forbade them to 'mar the corners of their beards,' Le 19:27, and a priest must not shave off the corner of his beard as a sign of mourning. Le 21:5. King Hanun inflicted a sore indignity when he marred the beards of David's ambassadors. 2Sa 10:4. Ezra in great grief at the sin of the people plucked off the hair of his head and of his beard. Ezr 9:3: cf. Jer 41:5. God's judgement on Israel is compared to the beard being consumed by a razor, Isa 7:20; and they were to be scattered as hair that is cut off. Eze 5:1-2,12. Of Moab it was said, every beard should be cut off. Isa 15:2; Jer 48:37.
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Ye shall not shave in a circle around your head, - nor shalt thou disfigure the fringe of thy beard.
They shall not make a baldness behind in their head, And the border of their beard, shall they not cut off, - And, in their flesh, shall they not make incisions.
Wherefore Hanun took David's servants, and shaved off half their beards, and cut off their upper garments in the middle, as far as their buttocks, - and let them go.
When I heard this thing, I rent my garment, and my robe, - and tore out of the hair of my head and my beard, and sat stunned.
In that day, will My Lord shave, with hired razor, even with them of the lands over the River Euphrates, with the king of Assyria, the head and the hair of the feet, - yea, even the beard, will it sweep off.
He hath gone up to Bayith and Dibon, to the high places, to weep, - On Nebo and on Medeba, Moab is howling, On all their heads, a baldness, Every beard, clipped.
that men came in from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, - eighty men, with beards shaven and clothes rent who also had cut themselves, with a meal-offering and frankincense in their hand, to bring them into the house of Yahweh.
For, every head, is baldness, And every beard, clipped: Upon all hands, are gashes, And upon the loins, sackcloth
Thou therefore son of man Take thee a sharp cuting instrument, a barbers razor, shalt thou take thee, and shalt cause it to pass upon thy head and upon thy chin, - and shalt take the balances for weighing, and shalt divide the hair. A third part in the fire, shalt thou burn in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are fulfilled, - and thou shalt take a third part, thou shalt smite it with the cuting instrument round about it, and a third part, shalt thou scatter to the wind, and sword, will I, make bare after then;
The third part of thee by pestilence, shall die, and by famine, be consumed in thy midst And the third part by the sword, shall fall round about thee,- And the third part to every wind, will I scatter, and a sword, will I make bare after them.
Smith
Beard.
Western Asiatics have always cherished the beard as the badge of the dignity of manhood, and attached to it the importance of a feature. The Egyptians, on the contrary for the most part shaved the hair of the face and head, though we find some instances to the contrary. The beard is the object of an oath, and that on which blessing or shame is spoken of as resting. The custom was and is to shave or pluck it and the hair out in mourning,
Ezr 9:3; Isa 15:2; 50:6; Jer 41:5; 48:37
Bar. 6:31; to neglect it in seasons of permanent affliction,
and to regard any insult to it as the last outrage which enmity can inflict.
The beard was the object of salutation.
The dressing, trimming, anointing, etc., of the beard was performed with much ceremony by persons of wealth and rank
The removal of the beard was a part of the ceremonial treatment proper to a leper.
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and it shall be on the seventh day, that he shall shave off all the hair of his head, and his beard, and his eyebrows, even all his hair, shall he shave off, - and shall wash his clothes and bathe his flesh in water so shall he be clean.
Wherefore Hanun took David's servants, and shaved off half their beards, and cut off their upper garments in the middle, as far as their buttocks, - and let them go.
And, Mephibosheth, son of Saul, came down to meet the king, - he had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor, his clothes, had he washed, from the day the king departed, until the day that he entered in peace.
Then said Joab unto Amasa, Art thou, well, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand, to kiss him.
When I heard this thing, I rent my garment, and my robe, - and tore out of the hair of my head and my beard, and sat stunned.
He hath gone up to Bayith and Dibon, to the high places, to weep, - On Nebo and on Medeba, Moab is howling, On all their heads, a baldness, Every beard, clipped.
My back, gave I to smiters, and My cheeks, to them who pulled out the beard, - My face, hid I not from insult and spitting.
that men came in from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, - eighty men, with beards shaven and clothes rent who also had cut themselves, with a meal-offering and frankincense in their hand, to bring them into the house of Yahweh.
For, every head, is baldness, And every beard, clipped: Upon all hands, are gashes, And upon the loins, sackcloth
Watsons
BEARD. The Hebrews wore their beards, but had, doubtless, in common with other Asiatic nations, several fashions in this, as in all other parts of dress. Moses forbids them, Le 19:27, "to cut off entirely the angle, or extremity of their beard;" that is, to avoid the manner of the Egyptians, who left only a little tuft of beard at the extremity of their chins. The Jews, in some places, at this day suffer a little fillet of hair to grow from below the ears to the chin: where, as well as upon their lower lips, their beards are long. When they mourned, they entirely shaved the hair of their heads and beards, and neglected to trim their beards, to regulate them into neat order, or to remove what grew on their upper lips and cheeks, Jer 48:37. In times of grief and affliction, they plucked away the hair of their heads and beards, a mode of expression common to other nations under great calamities. The king of the Ammonites, designing to insult David in the person of his ambassadors, cut away half of their beards, and half of their clothes; that is, he cut off all their beard on one side of their faces, 2Sa 10:4-5; 1Ch 19:5. To avoid ridicule, David did not wish them to appear at his court till their beards were grown again. When a leper was cured of his leprosy, he washed himself in a bath, and shaved off all the hair of his body; after which, he returned into the camp, or city; seven days afterward, he washed himself and his clothes again, shaved off all his hair, and offered the sacrifices appointed for his purification, Le 14:9. The Levites, at their consecration, were purified by bathing, and washing their bodies and clothes; after which, they shaved off all the hair of their bodies, and then offered the sacrifices appointed for their consecration, Nu 8:7.
Nothing has been more fluctuating, in the different ages of the world and countries than the fashion of wearing the beard. Some have cultivated one part and some another; some have endeavoured to extirpate it entirely, while others have almost idolized it; the revolutions of countries have scarcely been more famous than the revolutions of beards. It is a great mark of infamy among the Arabs to cut off the beard. Many people would prefer death to this kind of treatment. As they would think it a grievous punishment to lose it, they carry things so far as to beg for the sake of it: "By your beard, by the life of your beard, God preserve your blessed beard." When they would express their value for any thing, they say, "It is worth more than a man's beard." And hence we may easily learn the magnitude of the offence of the Ammonites in their treatment of David's ambassadors, as above mentioned; and also the force of the emblem used Eze 5:1-5, where the inhabitants of Jerusalem are compared to the hair of his head and beard. Though they had been dear to God as the hair of an eastern beard to its owner, they should be taken away and consumed, one part by pestilence and famine, another by the sword, another by the calamities incident on exile.
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and it shall be on the seventh day, that he shall shave off all the hair of his head, and his beard, and his eyebrows, even all his hair, shall he shave off, - and shall wash his clothes and bathe his flesh in water so shall he be clean.
Ye shall not shave in a circle around your head, - nor shalt thou disfigure the fringe of thy beard.
And, thus, shalt thou do unto them, to purify them, sprinkle upon them sin-cleansing water, - then shall they, cause a razor to pass over all their flesh, and shall wash their clothes and so make themselves pure.
Wherefore Hanun took David's servants, and shaved off half their beards, and cut off their upper garments in the middle, as far as their buttocks, - and let them go. And, when they told David, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed, - and the king said - Tarry at Jericho, until your beards be grown, then shall ye return.
For, every head, is baldness, And every beard, clipped: Upon all hands, are gashes, And upon the loins, sackcloth
Thou therefore son of man Take thee a sharp cuting instrument, a barbers razor, shalt thou take thee, and shalt cause it to pass upon thy head and upon thy chin, - and shalt take the balances for weighing, and shalt divide the hair. A third part in the fire, shalt thou burn in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are fulfilled, - and thou shalt take a third part, thou shalt smite it with the cuting instrument round about it, and a third part, shalt thou scatter to the wind, and sword, will I, make bare after then; read more. and thou shalt take from thence, a few in number, - and shalt bind them in thy skirts; and of them, again take, and cast them into the midst of the fire, and burn them in the fire,-therefrom, shall go forth a fire unto all the house of Israel. Thus, saith My Lord, Yahweh, This, is Jerusalem, In the midst of the nations, I placed her, - and of the countries round about her;