Ezekiel 44:20
 Ezekiel 44:20 
New International Version (©2011)
"'They must not shave their heads or let their hair grow long, but they are to keep the hair of their heads trimmed.

New Living Translation (©2007)
"They must neither shave their heads nor let their hair grow too long. Instead, they must trim it regularly.

English Standard Version (©2001)
They shall not shave their heads or let their locks grow long; they shall surely trim the hair of their heads.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
"Also they shall not shave their heads, yet they shall not let their locks grow long; they shall only trim the hair of their heads.

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
Neither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long; they shall only poll their heads.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
They may not shave their heads or let their hair grow long, but must carefully trim their hair.

International Standard Version (©2012)
Also, they are not to shave their heads nor let their hair grow long. Instead, they are certainly to trim the hair on their heads.

NET Bible (©2006)
"'They must not shave their heads nor let their hair grow long; they must only trim their heads.

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
" 'They must not shave their heads or let their hair grow long. They must keep the hair on their heads trimmed.

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
Neither shall they shave their heads, nor allow their locks to grow long; they shall only trim the hair of their heads.

American King James Version
Neither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long; they shall only poll their heads.

American Standard Version
Neither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long; they shall only cut off the hair of their heads.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Neither shall they shave their heads, nor wear long heir: but they shall only poll their heads.

Darby Bible Translation
Neither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long: they shall duly poll their heads.

English Revised Version
Neither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long; they shall only poll their heads.

Webster's Bible Translation
Neither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long; they shall only poll their heads.

World English Bible
Neither shall they shave their heads, nor allow their locks to grow long; they shall only cut off the hair of their heads.

Young's Literal Translation
And their head they do not shave, and the lock they do not send forth; they certainly poll their heads.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

44:1-31 This chapter contains ordinances relative to the true priests. The prince evidently means Christ, and the words in ver. 2, may remind us that no other can enter heaven, the true sanctuary, as Christ did; namely, by virtue of his own excellency, and his personal holiness, righteousness, and strength. He who is the Brightness of Jehovah's glory entered by his own holiness; but that way is shut to the whole human race, and we all must enter as sinners, by faith in his blood, and by the power of his grace.


Pulpit Commentary

Verse 20. - The next rubric concerned the mode in which the priests should wear their hair. It should neither be shaved nor worn long, thus avoiding excess on either side (compare for the first, Leviticus 21:5; and for the second, Leviticus 10:6; Leviticus 21:10, Revised Version), but should merely be polled. The obligation to let the hair grow freely was imposed upon the Nazarite only during the period of his vow (Numbers 6:5). The verb "to poll," or "cut" (כָּסַם), occurs nowhere else. Smend thinks what is here denied to the priests collectively is in the priest-code denied solely to the high priest (Leviticus 21:10, Revised Version; compare, however, Leviticus 10:6, Revised Version), and discovers in this a sign of the later origin of Leviticus. Ezekiel's raising the priesthood as a body to the rank of the high priest, of whom in connection with this temple is no trace, rather proves Ezekiel to have been later than Leviticus.


Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Neither shall they shave their heads,.... As the priests and worshippers of Isis and Serapis did, as Jerom on the text observes; and as the Romish priests now do, from whom the Lord's faithful ministers must be distinguished:

nor suffer their locks to grow long; as the Nazarites, that a distinction might be preserved between those who were and were not such; or rather, after the manner of women, their locks hanging down, and flowing about their shoulders, as a token of levity, wantonness, effeminacy, pride, and vanity; see 1 Corinthians 11:14,

they shall only poll their heads; observe a medium between both; neither shave their heads close, nor let their hair grow long, but keep it in an even moderate length; for which reason godly men of the last age among us were called "round heads".


Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

20. 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].


Ezekiel 44:20 Parallel Commentaries

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Rules for the Levites
19And when they go forth into the utter court, even into the utter court to the people, they shall put off their garments wherein they ministered, and lay them in the holy chambers, and they shall put on other garments; and they shall not sanctify the people with their garments. 20Neither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long; they shall only poll their heads. 21Neither shall any priest drink wine, when they enter into the inner court. …

Leviticus 21:5 "'Priests must not shave their heads or shave off the edges of their beards or cut their bodies.
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.
2 Samuel 14:26 Whenever he cut the hair of his head--he used to cut his hair once a year because it became too heavy for him--he would weigh it, and its weight was two hundred shekels by the royal standard.
Ezekiel 5:1 "Now, son of man, take a sharp sword and use it as a barber's razor to shave your head and your beard. Then take a set of scales and divide up the hair.