Topical Encyclopedia
In biblical times, the beard was a significant aspect of a man's appearance and often held cultural and religious importance. The presence of a beard was commonly associated with maturity, wisdom, and dignity. Throughout the Scriptures, the beard is mentioned in various contexts, reflecting its significance in ancient Near Eastern culture and Israelite society.
Cultural Significance:The beard was a symbol of manhood and honor in ancient Israel. It was customary for men to grow beards, and shaving the beard was often seen as a sign of disgrace or mourning. In
2 Samuel 10:4-5, we read about an incident where Hanun, the king of the Ammonites, humiliated David's servants by shaving off half of their beards. This act was considered a great insult, and David instructed his men to stay in Jericho until their beards had grown back, indicating the importance of the beard to their dignity.
Religious Observance:The Law of Moses included specific instructions regarding the treatment of the beard.
Leviticus 19:27 states, "You must not cut off the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard." This command was part of a broader set of laws that distinguished the Israelites from surrounding nations and emphasized their unique identity as God's chosen people. The prohibition against altering the beard's natural growth was likely intended to prevent the Israelites from adopting pagan grooming practices.
Symbol of Mourning:In times of grief and mourning, the beard could be neglected or altered as an expression of sorrow.
Isaiah 15:2 describes the Moabites shaving their heads and beards as a sign of lamentation: "Dibon goes up to its temple, to its high places to weep; Moab wails over Nebo and Medeba. Every head is shaved, every beard is cut off." This practice of shaving the beard during mourning was not unique to Israel but was common in the ancient Near East.
Prophetic Imagery:The beard also appears in prophetic imagery, symbolizing judgment and humiliation. In
Isaiah 7:20, the prophet uses the metaphor of shaving to describe the coming judgment on Judah: "On that day the Lord will use a razor hired from beyond the Euphrates—the king of Assyria—to shave your head and the hair of your legs, and to remove your beard as well." This vivid imagery conveyed the totality of the impending devastation.
New Testament Context:While the New Testament does not explicitly address the topic of beards, the cultural context of the time suggests that Jewish men, including Jesus and His disciples, likely wore beards in accordance with Jewish customs. The beard continued to be a mark of Jewish identity and tradition during the time of Christ.
In summary, the beard in biblical times was more than just facial hair; it was a significant cultural and religious symbol. It represented honor, identity, and adherence to God's commandments, while also serving as a means of expressing emotions such as grief and humiliation. The biblical references to beards provide insight into the values and customs of ancient Israel and the surrounding cultures.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
imp. & p. p.) of Beard.
2. (a.) Having a beard.
Strong's Hebrew
6538. peres -- (a bird of prey) perhapsbearded vulture... 6537b, 6538. peres. 6539 . (a bird of prey) perhaps
bearded vulture.
Transliteration: peres Phonetic Spelling: (peh'-res) Short Definition: vulture.
...Library
Of those who Maintain that they Worship the Gods not for the Sake...
... her despisers should either die within the years of youth, or should, during that
period, grow cold as with the torpor of old age; ifbearded Fortuna should...
Argument: Octavius Attests the Fact that Men were Adopted as Gods...
... [1787] Vulcan is a lame god, and crippled; Apollo, smooth-faced after so many ages;
??sculapius wellbearded, notwithstanding that he is the son of the ever...
Chapter thirty
... A silence followed, broken by a fierce voice from a large, black-haired,
heavily-bearded man who sat three seats from the Bishop....
The Hebrew Sages and their Proverbs
... light. In the East, sages are still to be found, usually gray-bearded elders,
honored and influential in the tribe or town. [Sidenote...
Those for whom Christ Prayed --"Sanctify Them. "
... "Farewell! friends; farewell! memory-haunted synagogues; farewell! sacred
temple; farewell! long-bearded priests; farewell all!...
But, Passing Over in the Mean While the Depth of Knowledge...
... For what, if word were brought to me, concerning some one whom I loved, that, when
now he was ofbearded age, he had said, in the hearing of many, that he was...
The Release of Saint George.
... Seven times had frosty-bearded winter covered the ground with snow, and behung the
trees with crystal icicles, since the Champion Saint George, and the...
It was Near the Middle Hour of the Night. ...
... Abearded Jew, in a scarlet cloak embroidered with gold, rose to greet them.
"To John ben Joreb I present the noble Manius," said Antipater....
Conversion.
... Wherefore, if God will bend and buckle the spirit of such a one, he must shoot an
arrow at him, abearded arrow, such as may not be plucked out of the wound...
The Romans Provided Gods for Birth, Nay, Even Before Birth, to...
... them counsel. Juventa is their guide on assuming the manly gown, and
"bearded Fortune" when they come to full manhood. [972] If...
Thesaurus
Bearded (2 Occurrences)... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (imp. & pp) of Beard. 2. (a.) Having a beard.
Multi-Version Concordance
Bearded (2 Occurrences). Leviticus
...Ossifrage (2 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Hebrews peres = to "break" or "crush", the lammer-geier,
orbearded vulture, the largest of the whole vulture tribe....
Tares (9 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Thebearded darnel, mentioned only in Matthew
13:25-30. It is the Lolium temulentum, a species of rye-grass...
Beards (6 Occurrences)
Hittites (39 Occurrences)
... relief found by Koldewey at Babylon, and representing a Hittite thunder-god with
a long pigtail and (at the back) a Hittite inscription, isbearded, but the...
Osprey (4 Occurrences)
... And these ye shall have in detestation among the fowls; they shall not be eaten,
they are a detestable thing: the great vulture, and thebearded vulture, and...
Wheat (56 Occurrences)
... 16:7; Luke 22:31, etc.) (for other words translated occasionally "wheat" in the
King James Version see CORN; FOOD)): Wheat, usually thebearded variety, is...
Darnel (9 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (n.) Any grass of the genus Lolium, esp. the Lolium
temulentum (bearded darnel), the grains of which have been reputed poisonous....
Beard (23 Occurrences)
Goat (92 Occurrences)
... absent in both sexes. A very constant feature in both wild and domestic goats
is thebearded chin of the male. The goats of Palestine...
Resources
Bearded: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
Bible Dictionary •
Bible Encyclopedia •
Topical Bible •
Bible Thesuarus
