Hair according to the design of God, was given for honour to man.
White hair, or hoary head, is the symbol of the respect and honour due to the person that hath it. Levit 19:22, "Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man." And the wise man, Pro 16:31, saith, "The hoary head is a crown of glory."
Hence we find in Dan 7:9, God takes upon him the title of Ancient of Days, H3118
The hoary head is therefore the symbol of authority, and dominion, and honour, ensuing thereupon. And to this the Indian Interpreter agrees in c. 20.
In general, long and beautiful hair signifies the same. So the Indian c. 20, the Persian, c. 21, and the Egyptian c. 22; and in c. 33, the Persian and Egyptian observe, that the hair of the head denotes power and riches. On the contrary, the loss or cutting of the hair signifies, according to the Indian, c. 30, in respect of a king, loss of honour, power, and dominion, and sudden death.
Both the Persian and Egyptian, c. 31, say, the shaving of the head denotes great affliction, poverty, and disgrace. Thus in Isa 7:20, "the shaving the head, the hair of the feet and the beard, with a razor hired "-the king of Assyria-signifies the troubles, slaughter, and destruction, which was to be brought upon the Jews by the Assyrian king and his armies. Hence also in Jer 47:5, baldness is destruction.
The like may be collected out of the Arabian learning. For Hegiage Ben Josef,f1 having dreamed that he shaved the head and beard of Abdallah, who was then proclaimed and confirmed caliph at Mecca, Abdolmelik, Abdollah’s enemy, took this for a good omen, that Hegiage should overcome Abdallah, and therefore made him general of that expedition he undertook against him.
Hairs, as the hairs of women.-This may either denote the greatness, length, and fineness of the hair, the symbol of honour and authority; or else, that the hair is tressed up and platted after the manner of women, as was the way of the Saracens; and therefore those of the sect of Ali, to distinguish themselves, had not only a turban made after a particular fashion, but they also twisted their hair after a manner quite different from the rest of the Mussulmans.f2
In this sense, hairs, as the hairs of women, is the symbol of luxury and lechery: and therefore tressing or platting the hair is in 1Pe 3:3, 1Ti 2:9, forbidden to the Christian women, as being the practice of the heathens,f3 and the dress of harlots,f4 and that of luxurious dames.f5 And not only in women, but also more particularly in men, is the said practice condemned in holy writ; as 1Co 11:14, where the word K6,un signifies hair studiously dressed,f6 as women are wont to do with theirs. Whence such persons were always accused of effeminacy.
The eastern females wear their hair, which the prophet emphatically calls the “instrument of their pride,” very long, and divided into a great number of tresses. In Barbary, the ladies all affect to have their hair hang down to the ground, which, after they have collected into one lock, they bind and plait with ribands. Where nature has been less liberal in its ornaments, the defect is supplied by art, and foreign is procured to be interwoven with the natural hair. The Apostle’s remark on this subject corresponds entirely with the custom of the east; as well as with the original design of the Creator: “Does not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given her for a covering,” 1Co 11:14. The men in the east, Chardin observes, are shaved; the women nourish their hair with great fondness, which they lengthen by tresses, and tufts of silk down to the heels. But among the Hebrews the men did not shave their heads; they wore their natural hair, though not long; and it is certain that they were at a very remote period, initiated in the art of cherishing and beautifying the hair with fragrant ointments. The head of Aaron was anointed with a precious oil, compounded after the art of the apothecary; and in proof that they had already adopted the practice, the congregation were prohibited, under pain of being cut off, to make any other like it, after the composition of it, Exo 30:32-33. The royal Psalmist alludes to the same custom in the twenty-third Psalm: “Thou anointest my head with oil.” We may infer from the direction of Solomon, that the custom had at least become general in his time: “Let thy garments be always white, and let thy head lack no ointment,” Ecc 9:8. After the hair is plaited and perfumed, the eastern ladies proceed to dress their heads, by tying above the lock into which they collect it, a triangular piece of linen, adorned with various figures in needlework. This, among persons of better fashion, is covered with a sarmah, as they call it, which is made in the same triangular shape, of thin flexible plates of gold or silver, carefully cut through, and engraven in imitation of lace, and might therefore answer to
John Baptist was clothed in a garment made of camel’s hair, not with a camel’s skin, as painters and sculptors represent him, but with coarse camlet made of camel’s hair. The coat of the camel in some places yields very fine silk, of which are made stuffs of very great price; but in general this animal’s hair is hard, and scarcely fit for any but coarse habits, and a kind of hair cloth. Some are of opinion that camlet derives its name from the camel, being originally composed of the wool and hair of camels; but at present there is no camel’s hair in the composition of it, as it is commonly woven and sold among us.
Is frequently mentioned in Scripture, and in scarcely anything has the caprice of fashion been more strikingly displayed than in the various forms which the taste of different countries and ages has prescribed for disposing of this natural covering of the head. The Greeks let their hair grow to a great length. The early Egyptians, again, who were proverbial for their habits of cleanliness, removed the hair as an encumbrance, and the almost unavoidable occasion of sordid and offensive negligence. All classes among that people, not excepting the slaves imported from foreign countries, were required to submit to the tonsure (Gen 41:14); and yet, what was remarkable in the inhabitants of a hot climate, while they removed their natural hair, they were accustomed to wear wigs, which were so constructed that ’they far surpassed,’ says Wilkinson, ’the comfort and coolness of the modern turban, the reticulated texture of the groundwork on which the hair was fastened allowing the heat of the head to escape, while the hair effectually protected it from the sun.’ Different from the custom both of the Greeks and the Egyptians, that of the Hebrews was to wear their hair generally short, and to check its growth by the application of scissors only. The priests at their inauguration shaved off all their hair, and when on actual duty at the temple, were in the habit, it is said, of cutting it every fortnight. The only exceptions to this prevailing fashion are found in the case of the Nazarites, whose hair, from religious duty, was not to be cropped during the term of their vow; of young persons who, during their minority, allowed their hair to hang down in luxuriant ringlets on their shoulders; of such effeminate persons as Absalom (2Sa 14:26); and of Solomon’s horse-guards, whose vanity affected a puerile extravagance, and who strewed their heads every day with particles of gold-dust. Although the Hebrews wore their hair short, they were great admirers of strong and thickset locks; and so high a value did they set on the possession of a good head of hair, that they deprecated nothing so much as baldness. To prevent or remedy this defect they seem, at an early period, to have availed themselves of the assistance of art, not only for beautifying the hair, but increasing its thickness; while the heads of the priests were anointed with an unguent of a peculiar kind, the ingredients of which, with their various proportions, were prescribed by divine authority, and the composition of which the people were prohibited, under severe penalties, from attempting to imitate (Exo 30:32). This custom spread till anointing the hair of the head became a general mark of gentility and an essential part of the daily toilet; the usual cosmetics employed consisting of the best oil of olives mingled with spices, a decoction of parsley-seed in wine, and more rarely of spikenard (Psa 23:5; Psa 45:7; Ecc 9:8; Mar 14:3). The prevailing color of hair among the Hebrews was dark; ’locks bushy and black as a raven,’ being mentioned in the description of the bridegroom as the perfection of beauty in mature manhood (Son 5:11). Hence the appearance of an old man with a snow-white head in a company of younger Jews, all whose heads, like those of other Eastern people, were jet black—a most conspicuous object—is beautifully compared to an almond-tree, which in the early part of the year is in full blossom, while all the others are dark and leafless (Ecc 12:5). Among the Romans it was customary to employ artificial means for changing or disguising the silver hue of age. From Rome the fashion spread into Greece and other provinces, and it appears that the members of the church of Corinth were, to a certain extent, captivated by the prevailing taste, some Christians being evidently in the eye of the Apostle, who had attracted attention by the cherished and womanly decoration of their hair (1Co 11:14-16). To them the letter of Paul was intended to administer a timely reproof for allowing themselves to fall in with a style of manners which, by confounding the distinctions of the sexes, threatened a baneful influence on good morals: and that not only the Christian converts in that city, but the primitive church generally, were led by this admonition to adopt simpler habits, is evident from the remarkable fact that a criminal, who came to trial under the assumed character of a Christian, was proved to the satisfaction of the judge to be an impostor, by the luxuriant and frizzled appearance of his hair.
With regard to women, the possession of long and luxuriant hair is allowed by Paul to be an essential attribute of the sex—a graceful and modest covering provided by nature; and yet the same Apostle elsewhere (1Ti 2:9) concurs with Peter (1Pe 3:9) in launching severe invectives against the ladies of his day for the pride and passionate fondness they displayed in the elaborate decorations of their head-dress. As the hair was pre-eminently the ’instrument of their pride’ (Eze 16:39, margin), all the resources of ingenuity and art were exhausted to set it off to advantage and load it with the most dazzling finery; and many when they died caused their longest locks to be cut off, and placed separately in an urn, to be deposited in their tomb as the most precious and valued relics.
From the great value attached to a profuse head of hair arose a variety of superstitious and emblematic observances, such as shaving parts of the head, or cropping it in a particular form; parents dedicating the hair of infants to the gods; young women theirs at their marriage; warriors after a successful campaign; sailors after deliverance from a storm; hanging it up on consecrated trees, or depositing it in temples; burying it in the tomb of friends, as Achilles did at the funeral of Patroclus; besides shaving, cutting off, or plucking it out, as some people did; or allowing it to grow in sordid negligence, as was the practice with others, according as the calamity that befell them was common or extraordinary, and their grief was mild or violent.
Various metaphorical allusions are made to hair by the sacred writers, especially the prophets. ’Cutting off the hair’ is a figure used to denote the entire destruction of a people by the righteous retributions of Providence (Isa 7:20) ’Gray hairs here and there on Ephraim’ portended the decline and fall of the kingdom of Israel (Hos 7:9). ’Hair like women’s’ forms part of the description of the Apocalyptic locusts, and historically points to the prevailing headdress of the Saracens, as well as the voluptuous effeminacy of the Antichristian clergy (Rev 9:8). And, finally, ’hair like fine wool’ was a prominent feature in the appearance of the deified Redeemer, emblematic of the majesty and wisdom that belong to him (Rev 1:14).
The Jewish men, except Nazarites, Num 6:5,9, and cases like that of Absalom, 2Sa 14:26, cut their hair moderately short, 1Co 11:14, and applied fragrant ointments to it, Exo 30:30-33 Psa 23:5 Ecc 9:8 . In mourning they wholly neglected it, or shaved it close, or plucked it out by handfuls, Jer 7:29 . Women prized a fine head of hair, and plaited, perfumed, and decked it in many ways, Isa 3:18,24 1Co 11:15, so much as to call for apostolic interdictions, 1Ti 2:9 1Pe 3:9 . "Hair like women’s" characterized the locusts of antichrist, Jer 9:8 . Lepers when cleansed, and Levites, on their consecration, shaved the whole body, Lev 13:1-59 14:8,9.\par
Hair. The Hebrews were fully alive to the importance of the hair as an element of personal beauty. Long hair was admired in the case of young men. 2Sa 14:26. In times of affliction, the hair was altogether cut off. Isa 3:17; Isa 3:24; Isa 15:2; Jer 7:29. Tearing the hair, Ezr 9:3, and letting it go dishevelled were similar tokens of grief.
The usual and favorite color of the hair was black, Son 5:11, as is indicated in the comparisons in Son 1:5; Son_ 4:1; a similar hue is probably intended by the purple of Son 7:6. Pure white hair was deemed characteristic of the divine Majesty. Dan 7:9; Rev 1:14.
The chief beauty of the hair consisted in curls, whether of a natural or an artificial character. With regard to the mode of dressing the hair, we have no very precise information; the terms used are of a general character, as of Jezebel, 2Ki 9:30, and of Judith, Jdt 10:3, and in the New Testament, 1Ti 2:9; 1Pe 3:3.
The arrangement of Samson’s hair into seven locks, or more properly braids, Jdg 16:13; Jdg 16:19, involves the practice of plaiting, which was also familiar to the Egyptians and Greeks. The locks were probably kept in their place by a fillet, as in Egypt.
The Hebrews like other nations of antiquity, anointed the hair profusely with ointments, which were generally compounded of various aromatic ingredients, Rth 3:3; 2Sa 14:2; Psa 23:6; Psa 92:10; Ecc 9:8, more especially on occasions of festivity or hospitality. Luk 7:46. It appears to have been the custom of the Jews in our Saviour’s time to swear by the hair, Mat 5:36, much as the Egyptian women still swear by the side-locks, and the men by their beards.
Shaved closely by men, worn long by women, in Egypt. The Hebrew wore long beards; the Egyptians only in mourning did so. At the same time the Hebrew kept the distinction of sexes by clipping the hair of men (though hardly so much as we do; Lev 10:6; Hebrew: "let not loose (the hair of) your heads," not "uncover," etc.), but not of women (1Co 11:6, etc.; Luk 7:38). The law forbad them to "round the corners of their heads, or mar the cornners of the beard"; for the Arabs in honour of the idol Orotal cut the hair from the temples in a circular form, and in mourning marred their beards (Lev 19:27; Jer 9:26 margin, Jer 48:37). Baldness, being often the result of leprosy, disqualified for the priesthood (Lev 21:20, Septuagint).
Absalom’s luxuriant hair is mentioned as a sign of beauty, but was a mark of effeminacy; its weight perhaps was 20, not 200 shekels, the numeral resh (r) having by a copyist’s error been substituted for kaph (k) (2Sa 14:26). Nazarites wore it uncut, a sign of humiliation and self-denial, at the same time of dedication of all the strength, of which hair was a token, to God (Num 6:5; Jdg 13:5; Jdg 16:17). Shaving the head was often practiced in fulfillment of a vow, as Paul did, the shaving being usually followed by a sacrifice in 30 days (Act 18:18); probably his vow was made in some sickness (Gal 4:13).
Black was the favorite color. Son 5:11, the bridegroom’s locks are "bushy" (curled), betokening headship; Son 4:1, the hair of goats in the East being fine like silk and flowing, the token of the bride’s subjection; Son 1:5; Son 7:5, "purple," i.e. glossy black. Ecc 12:5, "the almond tree shall flourish." does not refer to white hair on the old, for the almond blossom is pink, but to the almond (lit. the wakeful) tree blossoming in winter, i.e. the wakefulness of old age shall set in. But Gesenius, "(the old man) loathes the (sweet) almond."
In Son 7:5, for "galleries" translated "the king is held (fascinated) with the flowing ringlets." The hair was often platted in braids, kept in their place by a fillet. So Samson’s "seven locks" (Jdg 16:13; Jdg 16:19; compare 1Ti 2:9; 1Pe 3:3). Egyptian women swear by their sidelocks, and men by their beards; the Jews’ imitation of this our Lord condemns (Mat 5:36). Hair represents what is least valuable (Mat 10:30); innumerable to man, but "all numbered" by God’s providence for His children. "Hair as the hair of women" (Rev 9:8), long and flowing, a mark of semi-barbarous hosts (1Co 11:14-15).
Hair. The Hebrews allowed the hair to grow thick and somewhat long. Eze 8:3. Baldness was disliked, as sometimes symptomatic of leprosy, Lev 13:40-44: hence the reproach uttered against Elisha, 2Ki 2:23. Cuttings of the hair, such as were usual in idolatrous worship, were forbidden. Lev 19:27; Deu 14:1. Still this seems to have been a Hebrew custom in mourning, Jer 7:29; while, on the contrary, the Egyptians let their hair grow when in distress, and shaved or cut it on returning prosperity. Gen 41:14: comp. Herodotus, lib. ii. 36. in. 12. The way in which Absalom let his hair grow was no doubt the vanity of a young and handsome man. 2Sa 14:26. Thus, to uncover the ear is a common phrase for communicating a secret, 1Sa 9:15, marg., 20:2, marg., as if it were necessary to put aside the locks in order to whisper in the ear. There was, however, a clear distinction made between the sexes in this respect, 1Co 11:14-15; so that the women wore their hair very long. Luk 7:38; Joh 12:3. Hence, perhaps, the long hair of the Nazirites was to indicate humility and subjection. Num 6:5. The color of the hair was generally black, Son 5:11; but the gray hairs of age were regarded as especially venerable, Pro 16:31; on this account, perhaps, the hairs of the Ancient of Days are likened to "pure wool." Dan 7:9. Samson had seven plaits in his hair, Jdg 16:13; Jdg 16:19; and these must have been fastened with a fillet. Eze 24:17. Of course greater pains were taken by females in thus adorning themselves; so that we read in many passages of both scripture and the apocrypha of tiling the head and braiding the hair. 2Ki 9:30; 1Ti 2:9; 1Pe 3:3; Jdt 10:3. It was also worn in curls: the "well-set hair," Isa 3:24, probably implied the artistical arrangement of these. There are several references to the curls in the descriptions of Solomon’s Song. Thus "the chain of the neck," Son 4:9, might be a long lock or curl falling down upon the neck; and the "galleries," R. V., "tresses," 7:5, were the curls in orderly array. The hair was commonly anointed with fragrant oil or perfume. Psa 23:5; Psa 133:2; Mat 6:17; Luk 7:46.
Given by God as an ornament and a protection for the head. The Israelites were not to "round the corners of their heads," doubtless in allusion to some heathen practice, one of which has been described as "cutting the hair in a ring away from the temples." Lev 19:27. Neither were they to make any baldness between their eyes for the dead. Deu 14:1. Baldness should come as a judgement. Isa 15:2; Jer 9:26, margin ; Jer 48:37.
Long hair is referred to in the N.T. as the natural covering of a woman, as owning her subjection to the man, and is a glory to her; but nature teaches that if a man have long hair, it is a shame to him. His head must not thus be covered, for "he is the image and glory of God." 1Co 11:6-15. "Hair as the hair of women" is a symbol of subjection to a head, and effeminacy. Rev 9:8.
HAIR.—The Jews seem to have shared with other peoples the belief that the hair is really ‘a living and important part of the body’ (W. R. Smith, RS [Note: S Religion of the Semites.] 2 [Note: designates the particular edition of the work referred] 324; Frazer, Golden Bough2 [Note: designates the particular edition of the work referred] , iii. 390). This lent importance to the oath by the head which was common among them (Mat 5:36), and it accounts for the attention given to the hair in connexion with vows (Act 18:18; Josephus BJ ii. xv. 1; on hair as offering and in vows see W. R. Smith, l.c. 323 ff.; Frazer, l.c. i. 370 ff.). In NT times long hair was regarded as a glory of women, but a disgrace to men (1Co 11:14-15). Opinion had changed since the days of Absalom.
Among the Arabs the ancient sentiment survives. Many stalwart men, not merely ‘immature lads’ (RS [Note: S Religion of the Semites.] 2 [Note: designates the particular edition of the work referred] 326), take pride in their long glossy locks. It is interesting also to note a change From the NT attitude to women’s hair. The Jews in Poland permit no married woman to wear her own hair; it must be cropped close before the wedding, and replaced by a high head-dress of wool or silk. It is a terrible sin to neglect this rule (Hosmer, ‘The Jews,’ p. 363, in Story of the Nations).
It was customary to dress the hair with ointment (Mat 6:17), and women bestowed much care upon the eoiffure (1Ti 2:9; 1Pe 3:3). It was a shame for a woman to appear with locks unbound and hair dishevelled.
Lightfoot (Works, ed. 1823, xii. 361) gives two Rabbinic quotations in point. ‘Kamitha had seven sons who all performed the office of high priests; they asked of her how she came to this honour? She answered, “The rafters of my house never saw the hair of my head” ’ (Vayyikra Rabba, fol. 188, 2). ‘The priest unloosed the hair’ of the suspected woman, about to be tried by the bitter water, ‘for greater disgrace’ (Sota, fol. 5. 1).
When Mary (Joh 12:3) wiped the feet of Jesus with her hair, she thus ‘testified that, as no sacrifice was too costly for her purse, so no service was too mean for her person’ (Godet, in loc.).
Abundant hair on head and chin has always been regarded by Easterns as lending dignity to manhood, and the beard is an object of special reverence. ‘I smooth my beard,’ says Doughty, ‘toward one to admonish him in his wrongful dealing with me, and have put him in mind of his honour. If I touch his beard, I put him in remembrance of our common humanity, and of the witness of God above us. The beard is taken in Arabia for human honour, and to pluck it is the highest indignity. Of an honest man they say, “His is a good beard”; of a vile, covetous heart, “He has no beard” ’ (Arabia Deserta, i. 268). What indignity then He suffered of whom the prophet wrote, ‘I gave … my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair’! (Isa 50:6).
Single hairs are taken to illustrate the minuteness of God’s care (Mat 10:30, Luk 12:7; Luk 21:18). White hairs are a symbol of reverend and glorious majesty (Rev 1:14). The long hair, as of women, adds to the grotesque and terrible appearance of the locust monsters (Rev 9:8).
The Baptist’s garment of camel’s hair (
Goats’ hair is not named in NT, but most likely this was the material in which the Apostle Paul wrought at his trade (Act 18:3), his native province supplying it in great quantities.
W. Ewing.
By: Emil G. Hirsch, Immanuel Benzinger, Solomon Schechter, Isaac Broydé, Joseph Jacobs, Maurice Fishberg
—Biblical Data:
The hair of the ancient Hebrews was generally black (comp. Cant. iv. 1, v. 11). In Eccl. xi. 10 black hair is designated as a sign of youth in contrast with the white hair of age. Josephus narrates ("Ant." xvi. 8, § 1) that Herod dyed his gray hair black in order to appear younger. Black hair was in any case considered beautiful, black being the general color, while light or blond hair was exceptional. David is designated as "admoni" = "ruddy" (I Sam. xvi. 12, xvii. 42), this expression being also applied to Esau's hair (Gen. xxv. 25). The Hebrews had thick hair (Ezek. viii. 3). Long, heavy hair was considered as a sign of vitality. In the case of Samson, traced back to religious reasons (he having been dedicated to God), the connection of long hair and bodily strength was based on the current views. Absalom's famous hair (II Sam. xiv. 25 et seq.) was considered not only as an ornament, but as a token of strength. A bald head, therefore, was an object of mockery (II Kings ii. 23; comp. Isa. iii. 17, 24).
Fashion Among Men.
From the Old Testament it may be gathered that it was customary for the men to have their hair cut from time to time. The Nazarites allowed theirs to grow uncut for religious reasons. Absalom, proud of his thick head of hair, had it cut once a year only. But generally the hair was cut oftener. It was never shaved save on special occasions; the high priests and the priests in general were expressly forbidden to have theirs shaved. They were neither to shave their hair according to heathen custom, nor to allow it to grow uncut like that of the Nazarites (comp. Ezek. xliv. 20). There is no other information in the Bible concerning the care of the hair.
As the ancient Egyptians had combs, and as the Assyrians, also, were very careful in dressing their hair, it may be due to mere chance that combs are not mentioned in the Old Testament. The Hebrews, however, did not follow the Egyptian custom of wearing wigs. The Assyrians wore their hair in several braids reaching down to the nape of theneck. Samson's seven braids ("maḥlefot"; Judges xvi. 13, 19) indicate that this fashion obtained, for a time at least, in Israel.
Fashions Among Women.
Among women long hair is extolled as a mark of beauty (Cant. iv. 1, vii. 6). A woman's hair was never cut except as a sign of deep mourning or of degradation (Jer. vii. 29; comp. Deut. xxi. 12). Women gave much thought to the care and decoration of their hair (II Kings ix. 30; Cant. iv. 1, vi. 4, vii. 5; Judith x. 3). The prophet Isaiah derides the many aids used by the women in curling and tending their hair (Isaiah iii.). Josephus mentions the custom—still obtaining in the East—of sprinkling gold-dust on the hair in order to produce a golden shimmer ("Ant." viii. 7, § 3).
Religious Customs.
As a sign of mourning, part of the head, especially in front, was shaved. Although this was forbidden by the Law as a heathen superstition (Deut. xiv. 1; Lev. xxi. 5), the words of the Prophets indicate that it was customary among the people (Isa. xii. 12; comp. ib. iii. 24; Jer. vii. 29, xvi. 6; Ezek. vii. 18; Amos viii. 10; Micah i. 16; compare also the same custom among Arab women). The practise can not be interpreted as indicating a renunciation of everything considered in ordinary life to be a mere ornament (comp. Jer. vii. 29).
The Law regards it in an entirely different light, as it forbids shaving of the head on the ground that Israel belongs to Yhwh only (Deut. xiv. 1). Originally, shaving in times of mourning indicated that the hair was sacrificed to the dead (comp. Lucian, "De Dea Syria," 60). The Law also regarded as a heathen custom the shaving of the head in a circle, so that only a strand remained in the center (comp. Jer. ix. 26, xxv. 23, xlix. 32), and forbade it as such to the Israelites (Lev. xix. 27). Herodotus (iii. 8) says expressly that the Arabs intended to imitate thereby the fashion of their god Orotal-Dionysus, and he correctly ascribes to the custom a religious reason. The ancient conception, mentioned above, that the continuously growing hair, like the blood, is a sign of vitality sufficiently explains the sacrifice of the hair.
—In Rabbinical Literature:
The hair was regarded by the Rabbis as so powerful an augmentation of beauty that married women were recommended to hide it. In connection with this recommendation the Talmud relates the following: Ḳimḥit, the mother of seven sons who successively held the office of high priest, was once asked by what merit of hers she was so blessed in her sons. "Because," said she, "the beams of my house have never seen my hair" (Yoma 47a). In Talmudical times it was the custom for women to plait their hair. "Because she [the wife accused of adultery] plaited her hair to please him [her alleged paramour] the priest loosened her hair" (Num. R. ix.). A man who curled his hair was regarded as a vain person. At the age of seventeen Joseph was still termed "lad" ("na'ar"), because he was childish enough to curl his hair (Gen. R. xxxiv.). Elijah had naturally curly hair; his enemies, however, mocked him, declaring that he curled it (Pesiḳ. R. 26 [ed. Friedmann, p. 129a]). While Samson was filled by the Holy Spirit his hair made a noise like bells, and the sound was heard from Zorah to Eshtaol (Yer. Soṭah 17b). The Midrash finds in the name "Joel ben Petuel" an indication that the prophet who bore it curled his hair like a maiden (Midr. Teh. lxxx.). Absalom was very vain of his hair, and therefore he was hanged by his hair (Soṭah 9b). One who does not wash his hands after shaving his hair has spells of anxiety for three days (Pes. 112a). In enumerating the wonders of Creation, God pointed out to Job the wisdom shown even in the making of human hair. Each hair (
) has a separate follicle, for should two hairs derive their nourishment from one follicle, the human eye would be dimmed (B. B. 16a).
Because such was the custom of the heathen the Rabbis forbade the Jews to trim the hair over the forehead, but let it hang down over the temples in curls (Sifre, Aḥare Mot, xiii. 9). A certain Abṭalion ben Reuben, however, was allowed to wear his hair in that fashion (
) because he associated with the court (B. Ḳ. 83a). David had four hundred children who wore their front hair in that fashion, while their back hair was in long locks, as in a wig (
; Ḳid. 76b). This way of wearing the back hair is disapproved by the Rabbis. "He who grows his back hair in the form of a wig [
] does so for an idolatrous purpose" (Deut. R. ii.). The king had his hair cut every day; the high priest, every week; an ordinary priest, once a month. The high priest had his hair cut in the "Lulian" (= "Julian") style (
), which consisted in having the top of one row of hairs touching the root of the other (Sanh. 22b; Ned. 51a). A penalty of one hundred "sela'im" is imposed by the Rabbis for pulling an antagonist's hair (Shulḥan 'Aruk, Ḥoshen Mishpaṭ, 420, 41). The washing of the dead (
) begins with the hair, because human hair is associated with the thoughts ("Sifte Renanot" to "Ma'abar Yabboḳ," ch. xi.). The number of the hairs of the human head is one billion and seven thousand; according to another statement the human head has a billion locks, each lock containing 410 hairs, equivalent to the numerical value of 
("holy"); and each hair has 410 worlds (ib.).
—Superstitions:
The hair of children is not cut till they are at least three years old. In Palestine this is done on the grave of some saint, as on the "Iṭilula" of Rabbi Simson ben Yoḥai (Reischer, "Sha'are Yerushalayim," p. 24). Among the Beni-Israel, if the child comes as the result of a vow, its hair is not cut till its sixth or seventh year. It is usual in all these cases to weigh the hair cut off against coins which are given by the parents to charitable purposes. If a person's body is very hairy, it is a sign that he will be very lucky. The hair cut from the head should be burned, or hidden in a crevice where it can be found; if thrown away it will cause a headache. Red-haired persons are supposed to be very passionate and traitorous; hence, perhaps, the red hair attributed to Judas in early Christian art. Albinos can never become great.
In Talmudic times, when a man was to be buried, his hair was cut (M. Ḳ. 8b). This custom seems to be no longer followed.
—Anthropology:
Among Jews the color of the hair has attracted special attention because, while the majority have dark hair, there is found a considerable proportion with blond and red hair, as shown by the appended table (No. 1):
Table No. 1: Color of Hair Among 145,380 Jewish School Children.
|
Country. |
Number. |
Percentage. |
Observer. |
|||
|
__________________________ |
||||||
|
Blond. |
Brown. |
Black. |
Red. |
|||
|
Austria |
59,808 |
27.0 |
55.4 |
16.9 |
0.6 |
Schimmer. |
|
Bavaria |
7,054 |
30.0 |
50.0 |
20.0 |
... |
Major |
|
Germany |
75,377 |
32.03 |
54.39 |
11.46 |
0.42 |
Virchow. |
|
Hungary |
3,141 |
23.7 |
57.0 |
19.3 |
... |
Körösi. |
From these figures it is seen that the proportion of dark hair (black and brown) is quite high—66 per cent in Germany, and reaching 76.3 per cent in Hungary. The proportion of fair hair is lowest in Hungary (23.7 per cent) and highest in Germany (32 per cent). In a fair proportion of blond-haired children the hair becomes darker as age advances; it is therefore essential to take observations upon adults. In the appended table (No. 2) are given the results of investigations upon Jews of both sexes and in various parts of the world:
Table No. 2: Color of Hair Among 7,505 Jews.
|
Country. |
Number. |
Percentage. |
Observer. |
||
|
_____________________ |
|||||
|
Dark. |
Fair. |
Red. |
|||
|
Ashkenazim (Men). |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Baden |
86 |
84.9 |
12.8 |
2.3 |
Ammon. |
|
|
Caucasia |
251 |
96.0 |
2.0 |
2.0 |
Pantukhof. |
|
|
England |
372 |
73.8 |
25.5 |
0.7 |
Jacobs. |
|
|
Galicia |
943 |
74.54 |
21.10 |
4.36 |
Majer and Kopernicki. |
|
|
Poland |
200 |
96.81 |
0.53 |
2.66 |
Elkind. |
|
|
Russia |
100 |
68.0 |
32.0 |
.... |
Blechman. |
|
938 |
75.79 |
20.05 |
4.16 |
Talko-Hryncewicz. |
||
|
100 |
83.0 |
13.0 |
4.0 |
Weissenberg. |
||
|
245 |
87.29 |
12.70 |
.... |
Yakowenko. |
||
|
|
Various |
290 |
93.0 |
3.5 |
3.5 |
Beddoe. |
|
1,188 |
83.49 |
13.98 |
2.53 |
Fishberg. |
|
Ashkenazim (Women). |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Galicia |
25 |
76.0 |
20.0 |
.... |
Majer and Kopernicki. |
|
|
Poland |
125 |
86.4 |
8.0 |
5.6 |
Elkind. |
|
|
Russia |
799 |
83.1 |
14.0 |
2.9 |
Talko-Hryncewicz. |
|
41 |
83.0 |
14.6 |
2.4 |
Weissenberg. |
||
|
100 |
93.0 |
7.0 |
.... |
Yakowenko. |
||
|
|
Various |
1,084 |
80.17 |
16.14 |
3.69 |
Fishberg. |
|
Sephardim. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bosnia |
55 |
79.6 |
18.5 |
1.8 |
Glück. |
|
|
England |
51 |
88.1 |
11.9 |
.... |
Jacobs. |
|
|
Italy |
103 |
96.0 |
4.8 |
.... |
Lombroso. |
|
34 |
88.2 |
11.8 |
.... |
Livi. |
||
|
|
Various |
375 |
95.3 |
2.6 |
1.1 |
Beddoe. |
Red Hair.
The figures in this table show again that dark hair predominates. The percentage of blond Jews varies only slightly, but is greatest in those countries in which the non-Jewish population is blond. Thus in northern Russia (the Baltic Provinces) Blechman found 32 per cent of blonds; in England, according to Jacobs, 25.5 per cent have blond hair.
On the other hand, in Caucasia, where the natives are dark, the Jews show 96 per cent of dark hair. The proportion of red hair is also quite high, reaching 4 per cent in some observations. This has been considered characteristic of the Jews by some anthropologists. It appears to be not of recent origin, and was not unknown among the ancient Hebrews (Esau was "red, all over like a hairy garment"; Gen. xxv. 25).
Races are also differentiated, more or less, by straight, curly, or woolly hair. Among the Jews the distribution of these varieties of hair is shown in the following table (No. 3):
Table No. 3: Variety of Hair Among Jews.
|
Variety of Hair. |
Blechman. |
Weissenberg. |
Yakowenko. |
Elkind. |
Majer and Kopernicki. |
Fishberg. |
Glück. |
|
Straight |
36 |
84 |
64.90 |
97.0 |
96.56 |
66.97 |
52.9 |
|
Wavy |
36 |
14 |
25.71 |
1.0 |
2.6 |
25.66 |
|
|
Curly |
28 |
2 |
9.39 |
2.0 |
0.84 |
7.37 |
47.1 |
The next table (No. 4) shows that the beard is usually darker than the hair:
Table No. 4: Color of the Beard.
|
Color. |
Authority. |
|||
|
________________________________________ |
||||
|
Blechman. |
Weissenberg. |
Fishberg. |
Yakowenko. |
|
|
Dark |
61.0 |
73.0 |
63.72 |
74.97 |
|
Fair |
36.0 |
15.0 |
25.38 |
13.23 |
|
Red |
3.0 |
12.0 |
10.90 |
11.8 |
By comparing these figures with those in No. 2 it is found that in the beard the proportion of light to dark is much higher. The number of red beards also increases perceptibly.
Hair of Jewesses.
The differences in the color of the hair between the sexes have also been investigated. Jacobs shows that the Jewesses in England have darker hair. Similar observations have been made by Weissenberg in South Russia, by Talko-Hryncewicz in Little Russia, by Yakowenko in Lithuania, and by Majer and Kopernicki in Galicia. On the other hand, Elkind in Poland and Fishberg in America have found conditions different: the males have darker hair than the females.
Cause of Blond Hair.
The true explanation of the existence of Jewish blonds has been the subject of lively discussions among anthropologists. Some believe that it is due to climate and environment (Pruner, Bey, Pritchard, Jacobs), while others attribute it to racial intermixture, particularly to the admission of Aryan blood into modern Jewry (Broca, Virchow, Schimmer, Ripley, and others). Elkind shows that the color of the hair is independent of the cranial index. Virchow's investigations show that in the eastern or darkest provinces of Germany the proportion of blond types among Jews does not decrease; whereas in the Prussian provinces, which are predominantly blond, the Jews show the highestproportion of brunettes, and in Silesia, where the non-Jewish population is of very dark complexion, the Jews have a high percentage of blonds. The same has been shown by Schimmer to be the case in Austria. Andree ("Zur Volkskunde der Juden," pp. 34-40) points out that the fact that red and blond Jews are found in North Africa, Syria, Arabia, Persia, etc., is proof that intermarriage has had little to do with the production of the blond type in eastern Europe. He is of the opinion that there were blonds among the ancient Hebrews, and that the modern red and blond Jews are their descendants. Luschan agrees in this view. Jacobs attributes the erythrism of the Jews to defective nutrition, and shows that it is present not only among the European Jews, but also among those in Algiers, Tunis, Bosnia, Constantinople, Smyrna, and Bokhara, where the presence of Aryan blood could not be admitted.
Grayness and Baldness.
The color of the hair undergoes changes with the advance of the age of the individual. Up to the age of thirty-five or forty the hair remains the same color in the majority of people. If grayness occurs earlier it is considered premature. It has been stated that premature grayness is very frequent among Jews (Weissenberg); but investigations by Fishberg and Yakowenko show that it appears rather later—at about the age of forty-five.
Baldness also is considered premature before the age of forty-five, at which age other signs of decay, such as loosening of the teeth and weakening of sight, begin to appear. It occurs most often among brain-workers and among those exposed to prolonged mental worry and anxiety. Weissenberg found that among Jews between the ages of twenty-one and fifty 16 per cent are more or less bald. Others point out that normal baldness (that is, baldness not due to favus) is not more frequent among Jews than among others. Yakowenko shows that it is found only as an exception among Jews before forty-five, and that when it occurs before this age it is usually due to favus. Fishberg reports only 83 individuals wholly or partially bald among 1,188 Jews over the age of twenty. Only 12 Jews among those less than forty were thus affected.
Bibliography:
Jacobs, On the Racial Characteristics of Modern Jews, in Journal of the Anthropological Institute, xv. 23-62;
idem, On the Comparative Anthropometry of English Jews, ib. xix. 76-88;
Virchow, Gesamtbericht . . . über die Farbe der Haut, der Haare und der Augen der Schulkinder in Deutschland, in Archiv für Anthropologie, xvi. 275-475;
Schimmer, Erhebungen über die Farbe der Augen, der Haare und der Haut bei den Schulkindern Oesterreichs, in Mittheilungen der Anthropologischen Gesellschaft, Vienna, Supplement i., 1884;
Fishberg, Physical Anthropology of the Jews, in American Anthropologist, Jan.-March, 1903;
Elkind. Evrei Trudi Antropologitshes-kavo Amdilla, xxi., Moscow, 1903;
Majer and Kopernicki, Chakterystyka Fizyezna Ludnosci Galicyjskiej, in Zbior Viadam do Antrop. Kraj, Cracow, i. and ix., 1877-85;
J. Beddoe, On the Physical Characters of the Jews, in Transactions of the Ethnological Society of London, 1861, i. 222-237;
Pantukhof, Observations Anthropologiques au Caucase, Tiflis, 1893.
HAIR.—The usual word in OT is sç‘âr, in NT thrix. Black hair was greatly admired by the Hebrews (Son 4:1; Son 5:11; Son 7:5). Women have always worn the hair long, baldness or short hair being to them a disgrace (Isa 3:24, Eze 16:7, 1Co 11:15, Rev 9:8). Absalom’s hair was cut once a year (2Sa 14:26; cf. rules for priests, Eze 44:20), but men seem to have worn the hair longer than is seemly among us (Son 5:2; Son 5:11). In NT times it was a shame for a man to have long hair (1Co 11:6 ff.). This probably never applied to the Arabs, who still wear the hair in long plaits. The locks of the Nazirite were, of course, an exception (Jdg 16:13 etc.). The Israelites were forbidden to cut the corners of their hair (Lev 19:27; Lev 21:5). In neighbouring nations the locks on the temples, in front of the ears, were allowed to grow in youth, and their removal was part of certain idolatrous rites connected with puberty and initiation to manhood. These peoples are referred to as those that ‘have the corners polled’ (Jer 9:26 RV
The Assyrians wore the hair long (Herod. i. 195). In Egypt the women wore long hair. The men shaved both head and beard (Gen 41:14), but they wore imposing wigs and false heards, the shape of the latter indicating the rank and dignity of the wearer (Herod. ii. 36, iii. 12; Wilk. Anc. Egyp. ii. 324, etc.). Josephus says that young gallants among the horsemen of Solomon sprinkled gold dust on their long hair, ‘so that their heads sparkled with the reflexion of the sunbeams from the gold’ (Ant. VIII. vii. 3). Jezebel dressed her hair (2Ki 9:30). Judith arranged her hair and put on a head-dress (Jdt 10:3). St. Paul deprecates too much attention to ‘braided hair’ (1Ti 2:9, cf. 1Pe 3:3). Artificial curls are mentioned in Isa 3:24. The fillet of twisted silk or other material by which the hair was held in position stands for the hair itself in Jer 7:29. Combs are not mentioned in Scripture; but they were used in Egypt (Wilk. op. cit. ii. 349), and were doubtless well known in Palestine. The barber with his razor appears in Eze 5:1 (cf. Chagiga 4b, Shab, § 6). Herod the Great dyed his hair black, to make himself look younger (Jos.
The hair of the lifelong Nazirite might never be cut (Jdg 13:5, 1Sa 1:11). The Nazirite for a specified time cut his hair only when the vow was performed. If, after the period of separation had begun, he contracted defilement, his head was shaved and the period began anew (Num 6:5 ff.). An Arab who is under vow must neither cut, comb, nor cleanse his hair, until the vow is fulfilled and his offering made. Then cutting the hair marks his return from the consecrated to the common condition (Wellhausen, Skizzen, iii. 167). Offerings of hair were common among ancient peoples (W. R. Smith, RS
The colour of the hair was observed in the detection of leprosy (Lev 13:30 ff. etc.). Thorough disinfection involved removal of the hair (14:8, 9). The shaving of the head of the slave-girl to be married by her captor marked the change in her condition and prospects (Deu 21:12; W. R. Smith, Kinship 2, 209). Swearing by the hair (Mat 5:36) is now generally confined to the heard. The hoary head is held in honour (Pro 16:31, Wis 2:10 etc.), and white hair is associated with the appearance of Divine majesty (Dan 7:9, Rev 1:14).
W. Ewing.
1. Hair Fashions
Hair was worn in different fashions by the Orientals of Biblical times, and not always in the same way among the same people in different epochs. We know this clearly from Egyptian literature and monuments, as well as from the writings of Greek authors (especially Herodotus), that the dwellers on the Nile had their heads shaved in early youth, leaving but a side lock until maturity was attained, when this mark of childhood was taken away. Priests and warriors kept their heads closely shaved; nothing but the exigencies of arduous warfare were allowed to interfere with this custom. On the other hand, the Hebrew people, like their Babylonian neighbors (Herod. i.195), affected long and well-cared-for, bushy curls of hair as emblems of manly beauty. Proofs thereof are not infrequent in the Scriptures and elsewhere. Samson’s (Jdg 16:13, Jdg 16:19) and Absalom’s (2Sa 14:26) long luxuriant hair is specially mentioned, and the Shulammite sings of the locks of her beloved which are “bushy (the Revised Version, margin “curling”), and black as a raven” (Son 5:11). Josephus (Ant., VIII, vii, 3 (185)) reports that Solomon’s body-guard was distinguished by youthful beauty and “luxuriant heads of hair.” In the history of Samson we read of “the seven locks of his head” (Jdg 16:19). It is likely that the expression signifies the plaits of hair which are even now often worn by the young Bedouin warrior of the desert.
2. Hair in Idol Worship
It is well known that among the surrounding heathen nations the hair of childhood or youth was often shaved and consecrated at idolatrous shrines (compare Herod. ii.65 for Egypt). Frequently this custom marked an initiatory rite into the service of a divinity (e.g. that of Orotal (Bacchus) in Arabia, Herod. iii.8). It was therefore an abomination of the Gentiles in the eyes of the Jew, which is referred to in Lev 19:27; Jer 9:26; Jer 25:23; Jer 49:32. The Syriac version of the latter passage renders, “Ye shall not let your hair grow long” (i.e. in order to cut it as a religious rite in honor of an idol). It is, however, probable that among the Jews, as now among many classes of Mohammedans, the periodical cropping of the hair, when it had become too cumbersome, was connected with some small festivity, when the weight of the hair was ascertained, and its weight in silver was given in charity to the poor. At least, the weighing of Absalom’s hair (2Sa 14:26) may be referred to some such custom, which is not unparalleled in other countries. The use of balances in connection with the shaving-off of the hair in Eze 5:1 is certainly out of the common. See illustration, “Votive Offering,” on p. 1302.
3. The Nazirite Vow
We may also compare the shaving of the head of the Nazirite to these heathen practices, though the resemblance is merely superficial. The man who made a vow to God was responsible to Him with his whole body and being. Not even a hair was to be injured willfully during the whole period of the vow, for all belonged to God. The conclusion of the Nazirite vow was marked by sacrifices and the shaving of the head at the door of the sanctuary (Nu 6:1-21), indicative of a new beginning of life. The long untouched hair was therefore considered as the emblem of personal devotion (or devotedness) to the God of all strength. Thus it was an easy step to the thought that in the hair was the seat of strength of a Samson (Jdg 16:17, Jdg 16:20). God has numbered the very hairs of the head (Mat 10:30; Luk 12:7), which to human beings conveys the idea of the innumerableness (Psa 40:12; Psa 69:4). What God can number, He can also protect, so that not even a hair of the head might “fall to the earth” or “perish.” These phrases express complete safety (1Sa 14:45; 2Sa 14:11; 1Ki 1:52; Luk 21:18; Act 27:34).
4. Later Fashions
In New Testament times, especially in the Diaspora, the Jews frequently adopted the fashion of the Romans in cropping the hair closely (1Co 11:14); still the fear of being tainted by the idolatrous practice of the heathen, which is specially forbidden in Lev 21:5, was so great that the side locks remained untouched and were permitted to grow ad libitum. This is still the custom among the Jews of Eastern Europe and the Orient. See also HEAD.
5. Woman’s Hair
If Hebrew men paid much attention to their hair, it was even more so among Hebrew women. Long black tresses were the pride of the Jewish maiden and matron (Son 7:5; Joh 11:2; 1Co 11:5, 1Co 11:6, 1Co 11:15), but many of the expressions used in connection with the “coiffures” of women do not convey to us more than a vague idea. The “locks” of the King James Version in Son 4:1, Son 4:3; Son 6:7; Isa 47:2 (
6. Barbers
The care of the hair, especially the periodical cutting of the same, early necessitated the trade of the barber. The Hebrew word
7. Ointments
Numerous were the cosmetics and ointments applied to the hair (Ecc 9:8; Mat 6:17; perhaps Rth 3:3), but some, reserved for sacramental purposes, were prohibited for profane use (Exo 30:32; Psa 133:2). Such distinction we find also in Egypt, where the walls of temple laboratories were inscribed with extensive recipes of such holy oils, while the medical papyri (see especially Papyrus Ebers, plates 64-67) contain numerous ointments for the hair, the composition of some of which is ascribed to a renowned queen of antiquity. Even Greek and Roman medical authors have transmitted to us the knowledge of some such prescriptions compounded, it is said, by Queen Cleopatra VI of Egypt, the frivolous friend of Caesar and Antony (see my dissertation, Die über die medicinischen Kenntnisse der alten Aegypter berichtenden Papyri, ere, Leipzig, 1888, 121-32). We know from Josephus (Ant., XVI, viii, 1 (233)), that Herod the Great, in his old age, dyed his hair black, a custom, however, which does not appear to be specifically Jewish, as hair-dyes as well as means for bleaching the hair were well known in Greece and Rome. It is certain that the passage Mat 5:36 would not have been spoken, had this been a common custom in the days of the Lord. A special luxury is mentioned by Josephus (Ant., VIII, vii, 3 (185)), who states that the young men who formed the body-guard of King Solomon were in the habit, on festive occasions, of sprinkling their long hair with gold-dust (
For the Jews the anointing of the head was synonymous with joy and prosperity (compare Psa 23:5; Psa 92:10; Heb 1:9; compare also “oil of joy,” Isa 61:3, and “oil of gladness,” Psa 45:7). It was also, like the washing of feet, a token of hospitality (Psa 23:5; Luk 7:46).
On the contrary, it was the custom in times of personal or national affliction and mourning to wear the hair unanointed and disheveled, or to cover the head with dust and ashes (2Sa 14:2; Jos 7:6; Job 2:12), or to tear the hair or to cut it off (Ezr 9:3; Neh 13:25; Jer 7:29).
8. Symbolical Use of Word
We have referred to the thickness of hair which supplied the Hebrew with a suitable expression for the conception “innumerable.” Hair is also expressive of minuteness; thus the 700 left-handed men of Benjamin were able to “sling stones at a hairbreadth, and not miss” (Jdg 20:16). Gray hairs and the hoary white of old age were highly honored by the Jews (Pro 16:31; Pro 20:29; 2 Macc 6:23). Besides expressing old age (Isa 46:4), they stand for wisdom (The Wisdom of Solomon 4:9 (10)). Sometimes white hair is the emblem of a glorious, if not Divine, presence (Dan 7:9; 2 Macc 15:13; Rev 1:14). Calamity befalling the gray-headed was doubly terrible (Gen 42:38; Gen 44:29). The “hair of the flesh” is said to “stand up” (Job 4:15; Sirach 27:14) when sudden terror or fear takes hold of a person. The symbolical language of Isa 7:20 uses the “hair of the feet” (see FEET) and “the beard” as synonymous with “the humble” and the “mighty of the people.”
Camel’s hair (Mat 3:4; Mar 1:6) is mentioned in connection with the description of John the Baptist’s raiment. It represents, according to Jerome, a rough shirt worn under the coat or wrapper, though a rather soft fabric is produced in Arabia from the finer wool of the camel.
Goat’s hair was the material of a cloth used for wearing apparel and for a more or less waterproof covering of tents and bundles. It is the black tent-cloth of Kedar’ (Son 1:5; Exo 26:7; Exo 36:14). In New Testament times it was the special product of Paul’s native province, Cilicia, whence its name cilicium, and its manufacture formed the apostle’s own trade (Act 18:3). It is also mentioned as a material for stuffing pillows (1Sa 19:13). See also WEAVING.
By primitive and ancient peoples in general, the hair (èñßî, ôñß÷åò) is regarded as a special centre of vitality, and to this belief the various forms of the hair-offering are ultimately due. The only examples of this practice in the literature under review are afforded by St. Paul’s vow, according to which he cut off his hair at Cenchreae (Act_18:18), and by the similar vows of the four men at Jerusalem, whose expenses St. Paul paid as an evidence of his Jewish piety (Act_21:24). These are to be explained from the Nazirite vow of the OT (Numbers 6). Josephus writes of his own times that ‘it is usual with those who had been afflicted either with a distemper, or with any other distresses, to make vows; and for thirty days before, they are to offer their sacrifices, to abstain from wine, and to shave the hair off their head’ (Bellum Judaicum (Josephus) ii. xv. 1). St. Paul would accordingly offer at Jerusalem the hair that had grown during the month since the vow began at Cenchreae. The same belief in the peculiar vitality of the hair may underlie the proverbial reference to it; ‘there shall not a hair perish from the head of any of you’ (Act_27:34; cf. 1Sa_14:45, 2Sa_14:11, 1Ki_1:52, Mat_10:30, Luk_21:18), though the number and minuteness of the separate hairs are also implied.
The elaborate arrangement and adornment of the hair are found in primitive as well as in advanced civilizations (e.g. see the illustrations of male Fijians in Lubbock’s Origin of Civilization5, 1902, pl. [Note: plural.] ii. p. 68). The art was highly developed amongst Greek and Roman women, as may be seen from coins, etc., belonging to this period (reproductions in Seyffert, Dict. of Classical Antiquities9, 1906, pp. 266, 267; J. E. Sandys, A Companion to Latin Studies, 1910, p. 198), Ovid, in his instructions to Roman ladies on the art of winning lovers, emphasizes the effect of an artistic and appropriate arrangement of the hair (de art. Am. iii. 136f.; cf. Bigg, St. Peter and St. Jude, 1901, p. 152). Judith ‘braided the hair of her head’ when she set out to fascinate Holofernes (Jdt_10:3), and there are Talmudic references to the art (Buxtorf’s Lexicon, 1639, col. 389; Cheyne, Encyclopaedia Biblica ii. col. 1941). Against such elaborate adornment and all that it might imply, the apostolic warnings (1Pe_3:3, 1Ti_2:9; see article Adorning) are directed.
The greater abundance of hair possessed by woman as compared with man is mentioned by St. Paul in an argument against the practice of unveiled women praying and prophesying (1Co_11:14-15, êüìç), Nature’s covering, he says, shows that the veil should be employed; to be unveiled is no better than to be shorn (vv. 5, 6). The same sexual difference is in view in the description of the Apocalyptic locusts: ‘they had hair as the hair of women’ (Rev_9:8). In the Apocalyptic vision of Christ, His hair is said to be ‘while as white wool, as snow’ (Rev_1:14), a detail of dignity borrowed from the OT picture of Jahweh, as ‘ancient of days’ (Dan_7:9).
H. Wheeler Robinson.
Jdg 16:22 (b) Samson’s long hair revealed his belief and trust in the commandment of GOD. As a Nazarite, he was wholly given over to GOD, and this included wearing long hair. He was really discarding his oath and his position as a Nazarite. When he permitted the hair to grow again, this was his testimony that he again was returning to the GOD of his youth, and was now to be obedient to GOD’s Word. (See chap. 13:5).
2Sa 14:26 (c) Since Absalom was GOD’s enemy, GOD could find little that was good to say about him. He had very beautiful long, heavy hair, and so the Lord records this fact. It was the only commendable thing that could be said about him, for he was very wicked in his character and conduct.
Son 4:1 (a) The mixture of white hair with dark hair as age progresses is compared to the white goats and dark goats mingled together on the hillside as seen from afar.
Son 5:11 (b) The black hair of our wonderful Lord JESUS was an indication of his youthful character, His power, vigor, vision and activity as a rich young king.
Son 7:5 (b) The purple hair of our Lord JESUS is a picture of His royal character, being the Son of GOD, in the royal family, and with all the royal prerogatives of the living GOD.
Isa 7:20 (a) This strange figure is used to describe the "trimming" that the King of Assyria would administer to Israel. He would not and he could not destroy them, but GOD would let him take away much of that which belonged to Israel, desecrating their land, and wrecking their homes.
Jer 7:29 (a) By this figure the Lord is describing the attitude of repentance and humbleness that Israel should take before Him. Jeremiah’s heart was fully set on seeing Israel break down in their spirits and humbly seek the GOD of their fathers.
Eze 5:1 (a) This strange picture represents GOD’s people in their weakness, insignificance and uselessness. They had wandered so far from GOD that they were no more important than a few hairs from the body. The hairs represent the people of Israel.
Hos 7:9 (a) This figure is used to describe the fact that GOD’s people may grow weak, old and helpless without recognizing the fact. Israel had drifted from the Lord, had forsaken the fountain of living waters, and had lost their power, but they were not aware of it. Samson too lost his power, and did not know it until he was overcome by the Philistines.
Joh 11:2 (b) Since the hair is given to a woman for her glory, this was a picture of Mary laying her glory at JESUS’ feet. (See also Luk 7:38; 1Co 11:15).
Rev 1:14 (b) The white hair of the Lord JESUS is a picture of His eternal character ever living with GOD, ever ruling and reigning through all the eternities. It indicates that the Lord JESUS is the ancient of days filled with wisdom, knowledge, understanding and discretion.