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What does this verse mean? Is God telling not to shave the beard? Or does is this related to something cultural or some practice among the heathen?

Lev 19:27 Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard.

bach
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One Face
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2 Answers2

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What does it mean to “mar the corners of thy beard”?

Lev 19:27 Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard.

This law was given to the Israelites to prevent them from following and imitating pagan practices in trimming their beards ,facial and head hair. This did not necessarilly mean that the Israelites could not trim their beards or hair at all. (2 Sam.19:24)

Jeremiah 49:32 (NET Bible)

32 "Their camels will be taken as plunder. Their vast herds will be taken as spoil. I will scatter to the four winds those desert peoples who cut their hair short at the temples. I will bring disaster against them from every direction,” says the Lord."

2 Samuel 19:24 (NET Bible)

24 "Now Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson,[a] came down to meet the king. From the day the king had left until the day he safely[b] returned, Mephibosheth[c] had not cared for his feet[d] nor trimmed[e] his mustache nor washed his clothes."

Ozzie Ozzie
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    There is, of course, a spiritual meaning to all of this regarding Headship and, specifically, the Headship of priesthood. It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; Psalm 133:2 - noting especially 'head' and 'beard' and, specifically Aaron's beard. (+1). – Nigel J Feb 02 '20 at 10:40
  • @ Nigel J: Very correct your with the anointing of Aaron and their Kings :He then poured some of the anointing oil on the head of Aaron and anointed him to consecrate him.(Lev.8:12, 1 Samuel 10:1 king Saul. Nigel. what is the situation when the OP accepts an answer as correct , and is entirely incorrect. Also many up voted answers are also incorrect? – Ozzie Ozzie Feb 02 '20 at 13:50
  • Well, it is entirely at the discretion of the OP. It is their question. And votes are not publicised. It's how the system works. Everything ought to work on a purely academic and logical and dispassionate basis. But we are human and we often have reasons for not doing things that way. – Nigel J Feb 02 '20 at 13:56
  • But what sort of trimming of the beard is acceptable? Where are the corners of a beard? – Patrick Brinich-Langlois Jun 03 '20 at 14:20
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This is “Marring” of the corners of the beard. And the stone carving also shows the rounding of the corners of the head (hair).

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Steve Genoway
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