New International Version
Ezekiel 44:20
20“ ‘They must not shave their heads or let their hair grow long, but they are to keep the hair of their heads trimmed.
Ezekiel 44:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Neither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long; they shall only poll their heads.
- English Standard Version (ESV)They shall not shave their heads or let their locks grow long; they shall surely trim the hair of their heads.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“They shall neither shave their heads nor let their hair grow long, but they shall keep their hair well trimmed.
- New Living Translation (NLT)“They must neither shave their heads nor let their hair grow too long. Instead, they must trim it regularly.
Context of Ezekiel 44:20
18They are to wear linen turbans on their heads and linen undergarments around their waists. They must not wear anything that makes them perspire. 19When they go out into the outer court where the people are, they are to take off the clothes they have been ministering in and are to leave them in the sacred rooms, and put on other clothes, so that the people are not consecrated through contact with their garments. “ ‘They must not shave their heads or let their hair grow long, but they are to keep the hair of their heads trimmed. 21No priest is to drink wine when he enters the inner court. 22They must not marry widows or divorced women; they may marry only virgins of Israelite descent or widows of priests.
Read all of Ezekiel 44Ezekiel 44:20 word by word
וְרֹאשָׁם֙ לֹ֣א יְגַלֵּ֔חוּ וּפֶ֖רַע לֹ֣א יְשַׁלֵּ֑חוּ כָּס֥וֹם יִכְסְמ֖וּ אֶת־רָאשֵׁיהֶֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Ezekiel 44:20
- Leviticus 21:5“ ‘Priests must not shave their heads or shave off the edges of their beards or cut their bodies.
- Deuteronomy 14:1You are the children of the Lord your God. Do not cut yourselves or shave the front of your heads for the dead,
- Numbers 6:5“ ‘During the entire period of their Nazirite vow, no razor may be used on their head. They must be holy until the period of their dedication to the Lord is over; they must let their hair grow long.
- 1 Corinthians 11:14Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him,
Commentaries on Ezekiel 44:20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20Neither shall they shave their heads - The priests of Isis shaved their heads close to the skin; the priests of Budhoo do so still, their ordinances oblige them to shave their heads every tenth day. To let the hair grow long would have been improper; therefore the Lord commands them to poll - cut the hair short, but not to shave.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17-31Verses 17-31 Regulations as to the priests‘ services. The garments of the priests are defined and various rules prescribed in the Law are repeated with some additions in order to denote additional care to avoid uncleanness. Ezekiel 44:18 The material of which the four vestments of the ordinary priest were made was “linen,” or, more accurately, “byssus,” the cotton stuff of Egypt. The two special qualities of the byssus - white and shining - are…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20-27The priests had to avoid contact with death. They could not enter a place where a dead body was present. They also could not follow certain mourning customs, such as shaving their heads or letting their hair grow wild. They were not allowed to drink wine before entering the inner courtyard. This rule helped prevent serious mistakes that could lead to death (see Leviticus 10:9). The priests also had rules about marriage. They could marry only a virgin from…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. Neither ... shave ... heads--as mourners do (Le 21:1-5). The worshippers of the Egyptian idols Serapis and Isis shaved their heads; another reason why Jehovah's priests are not to do so. nor suffer ... locks to grow long--as the luxurious, barbarians, and soldiers in warfare did [Jerome].Read the comment
Topics related to Ezekiel 44:20
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Ezekiel 44
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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