Ezekiel 44 · Verse 20

Ezekiel 44:20

Neither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long; they shall only poll their heads.
Ezekiel 44:20, King James Version

Ezekiel 44:20 in other translations

BSBThey must not shave their heads or let their hair grow long, but must carefully trim their hair.
WEB“‘“They shall not shave their heads, or allow their locks to grow long. They shall only cut off the hair of their heads.
ASVNeither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long; they shall only cut off the hair of their heads.
YLTAnd their head they do not shave, and the lock they do not send forth; they certainly poll their heads.
DARBYNeither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long: they shall duly poll their heads.
BBEThey are not to have all the hair cut off their heads, and they are not to let their hair get long, but they are to have the ends of their hair cut.
WebsterNeither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long; they shall only poll their heads.

What does Ezekiel 44:20 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
20. Neither ... shave ... heads--as mourners do (Le 21:1-5). The worshippers of the Egyptian idols Serapis and Isis shaved their heads; another reason why Jehovah's priests are not to do so. nor suffer ... locks to grow long--as the luxurious, barbarians, and soldiers in warfare did [Jerome].

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 20 Neither shall they shave their heads - The priests of Isis shaved their heads close to the skin; the priests of Budhoo do so still, their ordinances oblige them to shave their heads every tenth day. To let the hair grow long would have been improper; therefore the Lord commands them to poll - cut the hair short, but not to shave.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Ezekiel 44:20 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְרֹאשָׁם֙ve.ro.Shamand head theirH7218
לֹ֣אlo'notH3808
יְגַלֵּ֔חוּye.ga.Le.chuthey will shaveH1548
וּפֶ֖רַעu.Fe.ra'and hairH6545
לֹ֣אlo'notH3808
יְשַׁלֵּ֑חוּye.sha.Le.chuthey will let looseH7971
כָּס֥וֹםka.Somsurely <trim>H3697
יִכְסְמ֖וּyikh.se.Muthey will trimH3697
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
רָאשֵׁיהֶֽם\׃ra.shei.Hemheads theirH7218

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Ezekiel 44:20

  • 1 Corinthians 11:14

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

  • Numbers 6:5

    All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor 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.

  • Leviticus 21:5-24

    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. They shall be holy unto their God, and not profane the name of their God: for the offerings of the Lord made by fire, and the bread of their God, they do offer: therefore they shall be holy. They shall not take a wife that is a whore, or profane; neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband: for he is holy unto his God. Thou shalt sanctify him therefore; for he offereth the bread of thy God: he shall be holy unto thee: for I the Lord, which sanctify you, am holy. …

  • 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.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
shave.
Le 21:5-24; De 14:1
nor suffer.
Nu 6:5; 1Co 11:14

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Ezekiel 44:19

    And when they go forth into the utter court, even into the utter court to the people, they shall put off their garments wherein they ministered, and lay them in the holy chambers, and they shall put on other garments; and they shall not sanctify the people with their garments.

  • Ezekiel 44:20

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

  • Ezekiel 44:21

    Neither shall any priest drink wine, when they enter into the inner court.

Read all of Ezekiel 44

Ezekiel 44:20 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y no raparán su cabeza, ni dejarán crecer el cabello; sino que lo recortarán trasquilando sus cabezas.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et ils ne se raseront pas la tête, et ne laisseront pas croître librement leurs cheveux; ils auront soin de couper les cheveux de leurs têtes.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und sie sollen weder ihr Haupt kahl scheren, noch auch das Haar frei wachsen lassen; sie sollen ihr Haupthaar schneiden.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Caput autem suum non radent, neque comam nutrient: sed tondentes attondent capita sua.