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What does the Bible say about baldness?

Bible Topic · WEB

The Bible treats baldness both as a natural physical condition and, in some settings, as a sign of grief, humiliation, or divine judgment, never as a measure of a person's worth before God. Leviticus 13:41 recognizes ordinary baldness without calling it unclean. By contrast, Micah 1:16, Isaiah 3:24, Ezekiel 7:18, Jeremiah 48:37, and Amos 8:10 use shaved heads or baldness to portray mourning and the consequences of sin. Leviticus 21:5 forbade priests from pagan mourning practices, guarding holy worship. In 2 Kings 2:23-24, the youths' insult toward Elisha expressed contempt for God's prophet, and God's judgment warns against despising His word.

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Rankings: OpenBible.info Topical Bible (CC BY) · Scripture: World English Bible

  • 2 Kings 2:23-24

    [23] He went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up by the way, there came forth young lads out of the city, and mocked him, and said to him, Go up, you baldy; go up, you baldhead. [24] He looked behind him and saw them, and cursed them in the name of Yahweh. There came forth two she-bears out of the wood, and mauled forty-two lads of them.

  • Leviticus 13:41

    If his hair has fallen off from the front part of his head, he is forehead bald. He is clean.

  • Micah 1:16

    Shave your heads, And cut off your hair for the children of your delight. Enlarge your baldness like the vulture; For they have gone into captivity from you!

  • Isaiah 3:24

    It shall happen that instead of sweet spices, there shall be rottenness; Instead of a belt, a rope; Instead of well set hair, baldness; Instead of a robe, a girding of sackcloth; And branding instead of beauty.

  • 2 Kings 2:23

    He went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up by the way, there came forth young lads out of the city, and mocked him, and said to him, Go up, you baldy; go up, you baldhead.

  • Leviticus 21:5

    "'They shall not shave their heads, neither shall they shave off the corners of their beards, nor make any cuttings in their flesh.

  • Ezekiel 7:18

    They shall also gird themselves with sackcloth, and horror shall cover them; and shame shall be on all faces, and baldness on all their heads.

  • Jeremiah 48:37

    For every head is bald, and every beard clipped: on all the hands are cuttings, and on the loins sackcloth.

  • Acts 18:18

    Paul, having stayed after this many more days, took his leave of the brothers, and sailed from there for Syria, together with Priscilla and Aquila. He shaved his head in Cenchreae, for he had a vow.

  • Amos 8:10

    I will turn your feasts into mourning, And all your songs into lamentation; And I will make you wear sackcloth on all your bodies, And baldness on every head. I will make it like the mourning for an only son, And the end of it like a bitter day.

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