Topical Bible: The Hair: Plucking out of, a Reproach

◄ The Hair: Plucking out of, a Reproach ►

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Topical Encyclopedia

In biblical times, the act of plucking out one's hair was a significant gesture, often associated with deep sorrow, mourning, or shame. This practice is mentioned in various contexts throughout the Scriptures, reflecting the cultural and religious significance of hair in the ancient Near Eastern world.

Cultural and Religious Significance

Hair in biblical times was considered a symbol of strength, beauty, and honor. For men, a full head of hair was often associated with vitality and masculinity, while for women, it was a sign of femininity and modesty. The Nazarite vow, as described in Numbers 6:5, underscores the importance of hair, where the uncut hair of the Nazarite was a symbol of their consecration to God: "All the days 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" .

Expressions of Mourning and Shame

The act of plucking out one's hair is depicted in the Bible as an expression of extreme grief or humiliation. In the book of Ezra, the prophet Ezra reacts to the news of the Israelites' unfaithfulness by tearing his garments and pulling hair from his head and beard: "When I heard this report, I tore my tunic and cloak, pulled out some hair from my head and beard, and sat down in horror" (Ezra 9:3). This act was a physical manifestation of his inner turmoil and distress over the people's sin.

Similarly, the prophet Nehemiah describes a situation where he confronted those who had married foreign women, contrary to God's commands. In his zeal for the purity of the people, he recounts, "I rebuked them, cursed them, beat some of their men, and pulled out their hair. Then I made them take an oath before God: 'You must not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves!'" (Nehemiah 13:25). Here, the plucking of hair serves as a public rebuke and a call to repentance.

Symbol of Reproach

The removal of hair, whether by one's own hand or by others, is also seen as a symbol of reproach and disgrace. In Isaiah 50:6, the suffering servant, a prophetic figure often associated with the Messiah, declares, "I offered My back to those who beat Me, and My cheeks to those who tore out My beard; I did not hide My face from scorn and spitting" . The plucking of the beard in this context is an act of humiliation and scorn, highlighting the servant's submission to suffering for a greater purpose.

Conclusion

The biblical references to the plucking out of hair illustrate the profound emotional and spiritual expressions associated with this act. Whether as a sign of mourning, a call to repentance, or a symbol of reproach, the removal of hair in the Scriptures conveys a depth of meaning that resonates with the cultural and religious values of the time.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Nehemiah 13:25
And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, You shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take their daughters to your sons, or for yourselves.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Isaiah 50:6
I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Prophecy Sets Forth Two Different Conditions of Christ, one Lowly ...
... Himself to be "a worm and not a man, a reproach of men ... the animal's head between
the horns, and the "pulling" (rather plucking out of its hair); but this ...
/.../the five books against marcion/chapter vii prophecy sets forth two.htm

On Clothes.
... furthermore, of staining the eyes, and plucking out hairs, and ... a kind of knot of
the hair"adorned with a ... flesh, receives its shape, and marks out the woman's ...
/.../clement/the instructor paedagogus/chapter xi name clothes.htm

Fire! Fire! Fire!
... the past, but let them celebrate his goodness in plucking them as ... the fire had no
power, nor was a hair of their ... I suppose there is not a nation out of which ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 7 1861/fire fire fire.htm

Looking unto Jesus
... his father's glorious Son and yet they said he did cast out devils through ... think
thou of the shame and spitting, the plucking off the hair, the reviling of ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/looking unto jesus.htm

The Spies
... He can a hair divide ... has run to riot, and their families have been quite out of order,
because the wife, like a foolish woman, was plucking everything down ...
//christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/the spies.htm