Hair

Hair in the Bible carries a range of symbolic and social meanings that differed significantly from modern Western conventions. In ancient Israel and the broader Near East, men generally wore their hair and beards long, while the Egyptians were distinguished by shaving both head and beard (Gen. 41:14). The Nazirite vow prohibited cutting the hair as a sign of consecration to God (Num. 6:5); the long hair of Samson was the visible token of his Nazirite strength (Judg. 16:17). Shaving or tearing the hair was a sign of mourning and humiliation (Ezra 9:3; Jer. 7:29).

The New Testament addresses hair primarily in its teaching on propriety in worship (1 Cor. 11:14–15), where Paul argues from nature and custom that long hair is a woman's glory and functions as a natural covering. Women's elaborate hairstyles are cautioned against in 1 Timothy 2:9 and 1 Peter 3:3 as external adornments that can substitute for the inner beauty of godly character. Luke 7:38 records Mary's wiping of Jesus' feet with her hair as an act of extravagant devotion.