What Does The Bible Say About Hair?

Hair is an important part of human identity and often carries cultural and religious symbolism. In ancient times, hair length and style conveyed status, vows, and messages. The Bible contains many references to hair that provide insight into how people of biblical times viewed this personal feature.

If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer: The Bible does not issue universal commands about hair length or style. Specific instructions are given in certain contexts for the people of that time. Overall the Bible uses hair metaphorically to teach spiritual lessons.

Hair as a Symbol of Dedication and Purity

The Nazirite Vow and Hair

In the Bible, hair is often used as a symbol of one’s dedication to God. One of the most prominent examples is the Nazirite vow described in Numbers 6. A Nazirite would take a vow to separate themselves to the Lord for a period of time.

During this vow they would not cut their hair or consume any wine or grapes. Their uncut hair signified their consecration and devotion to God (Numbers 6:1-21).

Samson is perhaps the most well-known Nazirite in the Bible. From birth, he was set apart with great strength through his uncut hair as long as he kept his Nazirite vow (Judges 13:1-5). When Samson’s hair was ultimately cut, he lost his strength along with his consecration to God.

So hair was deeply connected to his spiritual commitment and purity.

Hair Cutting as a Sign of Mourning

There are also examples in the Bible where the cutting or removal of hair is used as a sign of grief and mourning. When Job suffered immense losses, “he tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped” to show his devastation (Job 1:20).

Likewise, when people grieved over the destruction of Jerusalem, they were told “make yourselves bald and cut off your hair, for the children in whom you delight” (Micah 1:16). So the cutting or shaving of hair expressed deep anguish and sorrow.

The Bible also portrays hair as a reflection of purity and holiness. When vows were broken or sin committed, hair that was once kept could now be cut in shame. So hair served as an outward indicator of one’s inner spiritual devotion and purity before God.

The keeping or cutting of hair carried great symbolic weight in the Bible as an expression of consecration or grief.

Instructions About Head Coverings

The Bible provides guidance for followers of Christ on how to live godly lives. One area it addresses is practices around head coverings and hair. Here is an overview of some key instructions in Scripture on this topic:

Head Coverings for Women

In 1 Corinthians 11:2-16, the apostle Paul instructs that women should have their heads covered when praying or prophesying. This was a cultural practice at the time that reflected modesty, submission to authority, and distinction between the sexes. Reasons included:

• Angels were present at Christian worship, so women needed to show modesty and submission by covering their heads (v.10).
• A woman’s hair was given to her as a covering (v.15), so an additional head covering showed her submission and authority over her.
• It was disgraceful at the time for a woman to have her head shaved or shorn (v.6). A head covering prevented this disgrace.

There is debate today among Christians if this instruction was meant only for Corinthian culture at the time or continues to apply universally. Those who see it as universal emphasize the headship principle.

Those who see it as cultural point to verses like Galatians 3:28 that emphasize equality in Christ.

Uncovered Heads for Men

In the same passage, Paul states that men should not have their heads covered when praying or prophesying (1 Corinthians 11:4). This likely reflected a cultural distinction between the sexes. Reasons included:

• Men reflecting the glory of God should not cover their heads, just as Christ glorifies God with an uncovered head (v.7).
• Covering heads was associated with shame at the time, but men were created first and in the image of God (v.7-9).

As with instructions to women, there is debate if this principle is purely cultural or continues today. Those seeing it as cultural point to changing norms on head coverings. Those seeing it as ongoing emphasize male headship and avoiding cultural conformity that contradicts Scripture.

Hair Length in Other Passages

Another passage that addresses hair is 1 Corinthians 11:14, which states that it is degrading for men to have long hair. This again reflects cultural norms about distinct gender roles. Some also connect it to instructions in the Old Testament not to cut the hair at the sides of the head or mar the edges of a beard (Leviticus 19:27).

This was part of avoiding pagan mourning rituals.

In contrast, the New Testament does not prescribe hair length for women. There are positive examples of godly women with long hair, like Mary using her hair to wipe Jesus’ feet (John 12:3). But hair length instructions are not applied universally for women.

Hair as an Object of Pride and Vanity

Absalom’s Hair

The Bible references Absalom’s lustrous hair in 2 Samuel 14, when he is noted for his handsome appearance and abundant, flowing locks. However, Absalom later leads a revolt against his father King David, revealing his excessive pride and vanity (2 Samuel 18:9).

Though he was once admired, Absalom meets a tragic end when he gets caught by his hair in a tree during battle.

This Biblical story serves as a warning against vanity and self-importance. Absalom allowed his striking hair to inflate his ego to the point where he thought he could overthrow God’s chosen leader. His obsession with his own beauty led to his demise.

Even today, we must be careful not to become so enamored by our outward appearance that we lose sight of humility and wisdom.

Instructions for Braided Hair

The New Testament provides instructions for appropriate hair styling, advising women against elaborate braided hairstyles interwoven with gold or pearls (1 Timothy 2:9). This ornate hair decoration reflects vanity, pride and misplaced priorities.

Rather than focusing on external beauty, scripture urges women to cultivate inner godliness reflected through good works and righteous living. The emphasis is on developing a gentle and quiet spirit, not showcasing material wealth.

Even in today’s beauty-obsessed culture, the Bible reminds us that charm is deceptive and fleeting, but a woman who honors God will be praised (Proverbs 31:30).

Cultural Standards of Hair Length

Throughout history and across cultures, standards for acceptable hair length have varied tremendously. In many societies, hair length has been used as a marker of gender, social status, religion, or ethnicity. Here is an overview of some major cultural norms regarding hair length throughout history:

Ancient Egypt

In ancient Egypt, most men and women shaved their heads for cleanliness and to prevent lice. Nobility and royalty wore ornate wigs or headdresses as symbols of status. Egyptian pharaohs often wore false beards as a sign of authority.

Ancient Greece and Rome

In ancient Greece, short hair was associated with slaves, prisoners, and defeat. Greek and Roman women wore their hair long, pinned up, or in braids. Respectable married women covered their hair in public. Men wore their hair short.

Early Christian Europe

During the Middle Ages in Europe, married women covered their hair according to Christian standards of modesty. Many men wore short hair or shaved their heads entirely. Monks tonsured their hair with a distinct haircut featuring a shaved crown and perimeter.

China’s Qing Dynasty

In 17th century China, the ruling Manchus made long queue hairstyles compulsory for men. Han Chinese men who refused to adopt this hairstyle were executed. The queue symbolized submission to Manchu rule.

Victorian England

During the Victorian era, respectable British women wore their hair long, often styled in elaborate updos. Many Victorians associated short hair on women with radical political views or sexuality.

Early 20th Century

In the early 1900s, women who cut their hair short, or “bobbed” it, shocked conventional society. Short hairstyles for women only gained mainstream acceptance in the 1920s. Men continued wearing their hair short.

Counterculture of the 1960s

Longer hairstyles became popular among Western men in the 1960s and 70s as a symbol of counterculture protest. Today, hair length standards remain relaxed, though long hair on men is still sometimes seen as unconventional.

Hair Metaphors in the Bible

Hair is frequently used as a metaphor throughout the Bible. It can represent strength, weakness, devotion, vanity, and more. Here are some of the key ways hair is used symbolically in Scripture:

Strength and Vitality

A head full of lush, thick hair often signifies strength and vitality in the Bible. Samson’s long hair was the source of his superhuman power (Judges 16:17). When his hair was cut, he lost his strength.

Absalom was noted for his abundant and beautiful hair (2 Samuel 14:25-26), which was a mark of his vitality and virility.

Devotion and Dedication

In the Nazirite vow, people dedicated themselves to God by refraining from cutting their hair (Numbers 6:5). Their uncut hair visibly demonstrated their commitment to God. The New Testament mentions women praying with their heads covered, signifying submission and modesty before God (1 Corinthians 11:5-6).

Mourning and Repentance

Cutting or shaving one’s hair could represent mourning, repentance, or humiliation. When Job suffered immense losses, he shaved his head as a sign of mourning (Job 1:20). The Bible records Israelites, Egyptians, and other groups shaving their heads as acts of repentance, grief, or penance (Isaiah 15:2; Jeremiah 41:5; 47:5).

Vanity and Hedonism

Elaborate hairstyles could reflect excessive pride or self-indulgence. God brought judgment on the people of Judah for their arrogance and preoccupation with appearance (Isaiah 3:16-24). The New Testament instructs women to avoid braided hair and gold or pearls in their hair, opting instead for modest and humble presentation (1 Timothy 2:9).

Neglect and Judgment

Disheveled, unkempt hair could represent God’s judgment or neglect. God warned he would bring disaster on the Ammonites, causing their hair to be cut off (Jeremiah 49:32). Absalom’s death and public humiliation was preceded by his long hair getting tangled in trees (2 Samuel 18:9-15).

Ezekiel condemned Israel’s “uncleanliness” pictured by scattered hairs (Ezekiel 8:3).

Whether representing human deeds or divine purposes, hair vividly conveys spiritual metaphors throughout Scripture. It reflects inner realities like devotion, sin, mourning, vanity and more. The Bible’s imagery helps us grasp the theological significance of this symbol in cultural context.

Conclusion

As we have seen, the Bible contains many references to hair that give insight into the cultural and spiritual significance it held at that time. Instructions and symbolism related to hair often conveyed deeper spiritual meanings about dedication, mourning, pride, or social norms rather than serving as universal decrees.

While the Bible does not forbid certain hair lengths or styles outright, it does warn against excessive attention to outward appearance over inward condition of the heart. As with many topics, Scripture calls us to spiritual self-examination rather than mere rule following when it comes to something as personal as hair.