Ezekiel 44:20
New International Version
“’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
“They must neither shave their heads nor let their hair grow too long. Instead, they must trim it regularly.

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

Berean Standard Bible
They must not shave their heads or let their hair grow long, but must carefully trim their hair.

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

New King James Version
“They shall neither shave their heads nor let their hair grow long, but they shall keep their hair well trimmed.

New American Standard Bible
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.

NASB 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.

NASB 1977
“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.

Legacy Standard Bible
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.

Amplified Bible
Also they shall not shave their heads, yet they shall not allow their hair to grow long; they shall only cut short or trim their hair.

Christian Standard Bible
“They may not shave their heads or let their hair grow long, but are to carefully trim their hair.

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

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.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
They shall not shave their heads; they shall not grow their curls, but they shall surely crop their heads

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And they shall not shave their heads, nor shall they pluck off their hair; they shall carefully cover their heads.

Contemporary English Version
Priests must never shave their heads when they are mourning. But they must keep their hair properly trimmed and not let it grow too long.

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

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

Good News Translation
"Priests must neither shave their heads nor let their hair grow long. They are to keep it a proper length.

International Standard Version
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.

JPS Tanakh 1917
Neither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long; they shall only poll their heads.

Literal Standard Version
And they do not shave their head, and they do not send forth the lock; they certainly trim their heads.

Majority Standard Bible
They must not shave their heads or let their hair grow long, but must carefully trim their hair.

New American Bible
They shall not shave their heads nor let their hair hang loose, but they shall keep their hair carefully trimmed.

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

New Revised Standard Version
They shall not shave their heads or let their locks grow long; they shall only trim the hair of their heads.

New Heart 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.

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
“‘“They shall not shave their heads, or 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.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Duties of the Priests
19When they go out to the outer court, to the people, they are to take off the garments in which they have ministered, leave them in the holy chambers, and dress in other clothes so that they do not transmit holiness to the people with their garments. 20They must not shave their heads or let their hair grow long, but must carefully trim their hair. 21No priest may drink wine before he enters the inner court.…

Cross References
Leviticus 21:5
Priests must not make bald spots on their heads, shave off the edges of their beards, or make cuts in their bodies.

Numbers 6:5
For the entire period of his vow of separation, no razor shall pass over his head. He must be holy until the time of his separation to the LORD is complete; he must let the hair of his head grow long.

2 Samuel 14:26
And when he cut the hair of his head--he shaved it every year because his hair got so heavy--he would weigh it out to be two hundred shekels, according to the royal standard.

Ezekiel 5:1
"As for you, son of man, take a sharp sword, use it as a barber's razor, and shave your head and beard. Then take a set of scales and divide the hair.


Treasury of Scripture

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

shave

Leviticus 21:5
They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh.

Deuteronomy 14:1
Ye are the children of the LORD your God: ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead.

nor suffer

Numbers 6:5
All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no rasor come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto the LORD, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow.

1 Corinthians 11:14
Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?

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Ezekiel 44
1. The east gate assigned only to the prince
4. The priests reproved for polluting the sanctuary
9. Idolaters incapable of the priests office
15. The sons of Zadok are accepted thereto
17. Ordinances for the priests














(20) Their locks to grow long.--The law forbade the shaving of the head (Leviticus 21:5), but only condemned letting the hair grow long by implication, providing for it in the exceptional case of the vow of the Nazarite. The prohibition of Ezekiel 44:21 is given in Leviticus 10:9.

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.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
They must not
לֹ֣א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

shave
יְגַלֵּ֔חוּ (yə·ḡal·lê·ḥū)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1548: To be bald, to shave, to lay waste

their heads
וְרֹאשָׁם֙ (wə·rō·šām)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 7218: The head

or let their hair
וּפֶ֖רַע (ū·p̄e·ra‘)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6545: Long hair, locks

grow long,
יְשַׁלֵּ֑חוּ (yə·šal·lê·ḥū)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

but must carefully trim
כָּס֥וֹם (kā·sō·wm)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 3697: To shear, clip

their hair.
רָאשֵׁיהֶֽם׃ (rā·šê·hem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 7218: The head


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OT Prophets: Ezekiel 44:20 Neither shall they shave their heads (Ezek. Eze Ezk)
Ezekiel 44:19
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