Beards

Scriptures:

Leviticus 19:27 – You will not shave around the sides of your head, nor will you disfigure the edges of your beard.

Leviticus 21:5 – 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.

2 Samuel 10:4-5 – So Hanun took David’s servants and shaved off half the beard of each and cut off their garments in the middle, at their hips, and sent them away. When it was told David, he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, “Remain at Jericho until your beards have grown and then return.”

Jeremiah 48:37 – For every head shall be bald, and every beard cut: upon all the hands shall be cuttings, and upon the loins sackcloth.

Deuteronomy 22:5 – The apparel of a man shall not be on a woman, neither shall a man put on a woman’s dress; for every one that does these things is an abomination to the Lord thy God.

Leviticus 20:13 – And whoever shall lie with a male as with a woman, they have both wrought abomination; let them die the death, they are guilty.

1 Timothy 1:8-11 – They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm. But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.

1 Corinthians 6:9 – Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.

Romans 12:2 – And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Romans 1:26-17 – For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.

Church Fathers:

The philosophers perform no useful service. Yet, they are not even willing to wear a long beard without being paid for it! – Tatian the Syrian (c. 160, E), 2.73.

The hair of the chin showed him to be a man. – Clement of Alexandria (c. 195, E), 2.271.

“A true man must have no mark of effeminacy visible on his face, or any other part of his body. Let no blot on his manliness, then, ever be found either in his movements or habits.” – Clement of Alexandria (c. 195, E), 2.289.

“How womanly it is for one who is a man to comb himself and shave himself with a razor, for the sake of fine effect, and to arrange his hair at the mirror, shave his cheeks, pluck hairs out of them, and smooth them! … For God wished women to be smooth and to rejoice in their locks alone growing spontaneously, as a horse in his mane. But He has adorned man, like the lions, with a beard, and endowed him as an attribute of manhood, with a hairy chest, a sign of strength and rule.” – Clement of Alexandria (vol. 2, p. 275)

“This, then, is the mark of the man, the beard. By this, he is seen to be a man. It is older than Eve. It is the token of the superior nature…. It is therefore unholy to desecrate the symbol of manhood, hairiness.” – Clement of Alexandria (vol. 2, p. 276)

“It is not lawful to pluck out the beard, man’s natural and noble adornment.” – Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor, Book 3, Chap. 1; “On the True Beauty”)

But let the chin have the hair… For an ample beard suffices for men. And if one, too, shave a part of his beard, it must not be made entirely bare, for this is a disgraceful sight. The shaving of the chin to the skin is reprehensible, approaching to plucking out the hair and smoothing. For instance, thus the Psalmist, delighted with the hair of the beard, says, “As the ointment that descends on the beard, the beard of Aaron.” Having celebrated the beauty of the beard by a repetition, he made the face to shine with the ointment of the Lord. – Clement of Alexandria (A.D. 195) Ante-Nicene Fathers vol.2 pg.286

The moustache similarly, which is dirtied in eating, is to be cut round, not by the razor, for that were not well-bred, but by a pair of cropping scissors. But the hair on the chin is not to be disturbed, as it gives no trouble, and lends to the face dignity and paternal terror. – Clement of Alexandria (A.D. 195) Ante-Nicene Fathers vol.2 pg.286

“Are there, in our case too, some things which, in respect of the sobriety we are to maintain on account of the fear due to God, are disallowed? If it is true, (as it is,) that in men, for the sake of women (just as in women for the sake of men), there is implanted, by a defect of nature, the will to please; and if this sex of ours acknowledges to itself deceptive trickeries of form peculiarly its own—(such as) to cut the beard too sharply; to pluck it out here and there; to shave round about (the mouth); to arrange the hair, and disguise its hoariness by dyes; to remove all the incipient down all over the body; to fix (each particular hair) in its place with (some) womanly pigment; to smooth all the rest of the body by the aid of some rough powder or other: then, further, to take every opportunity for consulting the mirror; to gaze anxiously into it:— while yet, when (once) the knowledge of God has put an end to all wish to please by means of voluptuous attraction, all these things are rejected as frivolous, as hostile to modesty. For where God is, there modesty is; there is sobriety her assistant and ally. How, then, shall we practice modesty without her instrumental mean, that is, without sobriety? How, moreover, shall we bring sobriety to bear on the discharge of (the functions of) modesty, unless seriousness in appearance and in countenance, and in the general aspect of the entire man, mark our carriage?” – Tertullian, On The Apparel of Women, Book 2, chapter 8

But one must not give credence to those who do not understand the intention of the holy letters concerning these things. For if “self-control” was mentioned among the fruits “of the Spirit” with love, and joy, long-suffering, and the rest (cf. Gal 5.22-23), one must certainly produce the fruit of self-control, and one must preserve [intact] the male body which was given by God, rather than ever dare to do some other thing, in order that one may not transgress what is said with benefit even according to a literal reading: “You will not ruin the appearance of your beard.” (Lev 19.27). – Origen, Commentary on Matthew, Book 15, chapter 3

 “His head and beard shall be shaved.” Leviticus 14:9 The head is shaved according to the most important and foundational of doctrines; but the beard, which is a symbol of man, represents putting off the sins of man; and the eyebrows, every opinion, and so that I may speak in this way, putting off the eyebrows. These are symbols that have been added and blossomed to the soul, being called the hairs of death. – Origen, Selections on Leviticus [In PG]

“The beard must not be plucked. ‘You will not deface the figure of your beard.’” (Leviticus 19:27) – Cyprian, 5.553

Each one was desirous of increasing his estate; and forgetful of what believers had either done before in the times of the apostles, or always ought to do, they, with the insatiable ardour of covetousness, devoted themselves to the increase of their property. Among the priests there was no devotedness of religion; among the ministers there was no sound faith: in their works there was no mercy; in their manners there was no discipline. In men, their beards were defaced; in women, their complexion was dyed: the eyes were falsified from what God’s hand had made them; their hair was stained with a falsehood. Crafty frauds were used to deceive the hearts of the simple, subtle meanings for circumventing the brethren. They united in the bond of marriage with unbelievers; they prostituted the members of Christ to the Gentiles. – Cyprian, On the Lapsed, chapter 6

Do we believe that a man is lamenting with his whole heart, that he is entreating the Lord with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning, who from the first day of his sin daily frequents the bathing-places with women; who, feeding at rich banquets, and puffed out with fuller dainties, belches forth on the next day his indigestions, and does not dispense of his meat and drink so as to aid the necessity of the poor? How does he who walks with joyous and glad step mourn for his death? And although it is written, You shall not mar the figure of your beard, Leviticus 19:27 he plucks out his beard, and dresses his hair; and does he now study to please any one who displeases God? Or does she groan and lament who has time to put on the clothing of precious apparel, and not to consider the robe of Christ which she has lost; to receive valuable ornaments and richly wrought necklaces, and not to bewail the loss of divine and heavenly ornament? – Cyprian, On the Lapsed, chapter 30

“The nature of the beard contributes in an incredible degree to distinguish the maturity of bodies, or to distinguish the sex, or to contribute to the beauty of manliness and strength; so that it appears that the system of the whole work would not have been in agreement, if anything had been made otherwise than it is.” – Lactantius, On the Workmanship of God, chapter 7 (303 AD)

“Though in the form of men, they… curl their hair with curling pins, make the skin of the body smooth, and they walk with bare knees. In every other type of wantonness, they lay aside the strength of their masculinity and grow effeminate in women’s habits and luxury.” – Arnobius, Against the Heathen, book 2, paragraph 41 (circa 305 AD)

To make the face “smooth” means to shave it, as Arnobius clarifies repeatedly:

Lo, if some witty and cunning king were to remove the Sun from his place before the gate and transfer him to that of Mercury, and again were to carry off Mercury and make him migrate to the shrine of the Sun.— for both are made beardless by you, and with smooth faces.— and to give to this one rays of light to place a little cap on the Sun’s head, how will you be able to distinguish between them, whether this is the Sun, or that Mercury, since dress, not the peculiar appearance of the face, usually points out the gods to you? – Arnobius, Against the Heathen, book 6, chapter 12

For why should I mention that the dignity of Aesculapius was mocked by him? For when Dionysius was spoiling him of his very ample beard, which was of great weight and philosophic thickness, he said that it was not right that a son sprung from Apollo, a father smooth and beardless, and very like a mere boy, should be formed with such a beard that it was left uncertain which of them was father, which son, or rather whether they were of the same race and family. Now, when all these things were being done, and the robber was speaking with impious mockery, if the deity was concealed in the statue consecrated to his name and majesty, why did he not punish with just and merited vengeance the affront of stripping his face of its beard and disfiguring his countenance, and show by this, both that he was himself present, and that he kept watch over his temples and images without ceasing? – Arnobius, Against the Heathen, book 6, chapter 21

And if you would please God and not men, and look and hope for the life and rest everlasting, adorn not your natural beauty which is given you from God, but with humility of neglect make it mean before men. In like manner also you shall not nourish the hair of your head, but do you shear it off; and you shall not comb and adorn it, nor anoint it, lest you bring upon you such women as ensnare, or are ensnared, by lust. Neither shall you put on fine raiment, nor be shod on your feet with shoes which are fashioned according to the lust of folly; nor shall you put upon your fingers rings of gold device: for all these things are the wiles of harlotry, and every thing that you do apart from nature. For to you, a faithful man of God, it is not permitted to nourish the hair of your head and to comb and smooth it, which is a wantonness of lust; neither shall you arrange and adorn it, nor adjust it so that it may be beautiful. And you shall not destroy the hairs of your beard [Leviticus 19.27], nor alter the natural form of your face and change it to other than God created it, because that you desire to please men. But if you do these things, your soul shall be deprived of life, and you shall be rejected before the Lord God. As a man therefore who would please God, take heed you do no such things; and avoid all those things which the Lord hates.” – Ordinances of the Apostles, book 1, chapter 2

“Men may not destroy the hair of their beards and unnaturally change the form of a man. For the Law says, ‘You will not deface your beards.’ For God the Creator has made this decent for woman, but has determined that is unsuitable for men. But if you do these things to please men, in contradiction to the law, you will be abominable with God, who created you after His own image.” – Apostolic Constitutions (compiled A.D. 300)

“Just think now what a disgrace it would be for a man having a flowing beard, and with staff in hand, and cope on shoulders, to go to school with children, and be set the same tasks with them: would it not be above measure ridiculous?” – John Chrysostom (Homily 10 on the Acts of the Apostles)

Why would it be ridiculous? Because an old man ought to be the instructor, not the student alongside children. If this is obvious, then the antithesis should also be apparent. It would be disgraceful for anyone in a position of leadership in the church to have a shaved face.

But what is worse, and the opposite error, some cut off their beards, the mark of manhood, while often letting the hair of their heads grow long. And as to the beard, the sacred instruction and teaching in the Ordinances of the Apostles says not to “spoil,” that is, not to cut the beard, and not to deck oneself with meretricious ornaments or have the approach of pride as a copy of righteousness. – Epiphanius, Panarion, 7,1

“The beard signifies the courageous; the beard distinguishes the grown men, the earnest, the active, the vigorous. So that when we describe such, we say, he is a bearded man.” – Augustine (Exposition on Psalm 133, 6)

But what does the Apostle mean by exhorting to continence, if continence be contrary to nature? What does our Lord mean when He instructs us in the various kinds of eunuchs. Matthew 19:12 Surely 1 Corinthians 7:7 the Apostle who bids us emulate his own chastity, must be asked, if we are to be consistent, Why are you like other men, Paul? Why are you distinguished from the female sex by a beard, hair, and other peculiarities of person? How is it that you have not swelling bosoms, and are not broad at the hips, narrow at the chest? Your voice is rugged, your speech rough, your eyebrows more shaggy. To no purpose you have all these manly qualities, if you forego the embraces of women.  – Jerome, Against Jovinianus, Book 1, chapter 36

“But don’t think I’m only attacking women. Flee from those men as well—the ones you see wearing chains, sporting long hair like women (against the Apostle’s word), with beards like goats, black cloaks, and feet left bare as a fake display of ‘enduring the cold.’ These are all the devil’s props. Rome once groaned under Antimus; lately, it groaned under Sophronius. These men worm their way into the houses of the nobility and deceive silly little women burdened with sins—women who are always ‘learning’ but never reaching the truth. They fake a look of sorrow, pretending to undergo long fasts while they actually gorge themselves in secret all night. Shame forbids me from saying more, for my language might appear more like invective than admonition. — Jerome, Letter 22.28 (PL 22.414)

And it is for this reason, it seems, that the Creator has allowed some heads to be without hair, so that we may learn that the Creator fashioned the whole being with the same provident care with which He fashioned hair. Thus He also adorns with the beard, covering part of the cheeks and the lower chin, those who are coming to manhood after leaving their boyhood days behind. First the down sprouts, then a moderate amount of hair covers the cheeks to inculcate the difference of ages by the growth, and to persuade them by the change of appearance to abandon childish delights and to undertake serious pursuits. Since the pains of childbirth are sufficient to teach this lesson to women, He has bearded the cheeks of men alone. – Theodoret of Cyrus, On Divine Providence, Discourse 4

One sees strong men, no longer young, turn effeminate in their self-refinement, though the creator made their bodies rude and their limbs hard with bones to stiffen them ; but they are ashamed to be men. They seek after the greatest vanities to beautify them, so that in their light-mindedness they dissipate their native strength. They love to wear flowing robes not made from sheeps’ fleeces but of the spoils taken from branches of trees and fetched from the eastern world, and to overlay their hardy frames with lozenge broidery. Art is called in to make yarns soaked in decoctions of plants work diverse fancy patterns with threads of different colours. Beasts’ coats are chosen for carding for their softness to the touch. One man is seen chasing hot-foot after luxuriant tunics, and weaving downy garments with strange threads from many- coloured birds, another shaming himself by spreading womanish scents with perfumed paints and foreign powder. Indulgence is master of all the active powers of our life, which the creator made and established in our five senses. For ears and eyes, and for nostrils and palate we seek out employment which is tainted with vicious arts ; and even touch, which acts over our whole body, courts the tender caress of alluring comforts. What grief to think that nature’s native laws should go down, and her gifts be carried away captive by a tyrant passion ! – Prudentius, The Origin of Sin, chapter 1

Greek Writers:

Are you a man or a woman? — A man. — Very well then, adorn a man, not a woman. Woman is born smooth and dainty by nature, and if she is very hairy she is a prodigy, and is exhibited at Rome among the prodigies. But for a man not to be hairy is the same thing, and if by nature he has no hair he is a prodigy, but if he cuts it out and plucks it out of himself, what shall we make of him? Where shall we exhibit him and what notice shall we post? “I will show you,” we say to the audience, “a man who wishes to be a woman rather than a man.” What a dreadful spectacle! No one but will be amazed at the notice; by Zeus, I fancy that even the men who pluck out their own hairs do what they do without realizing what it means. Man, what reason have you to complain against your nature? Because it brought you into the world as a man? What then? Ought it to have brought all persons into the world as women? And if that had been the case, what good would you be getting of your self-adornment? For whom would you be adorning yourself, if all were women? Your paltry body doesn’t please you, eh? Make a clean sweep of the whole matter; eradicate your — what shall I call it? — the cause of your hairiness; make yourself a woman all over, so as not to deceive us, not half-man and half-woman. Whom do you wish to please? Frail womankind? Please them as a man. “Yes, but they like smooth men.” Oh, go hang! And if they liked sexual perverts, would you have become such a pervert? Is this your business in life, is this what you were born for, that licentious women should take pleasure in you? Shall we make a man like you a citizen of Corinth, and perchance a warden of the city, or superintendent of ephebi, or general, or superintendent of the games? Well, and when you have married are you going to pluck out your hairs? For whom and to what end? And when you have begotten boys, are you going to introduce them into the body of citizens as plucked creatures too? A fine citizen and senator and orator! Is this the kind of young men we ought to pray to have born and brought up for us? – Epictetus, Of Personal Adornment, chapter 1

He used to say that a man should cut the hair from the head for the same reason that we prune a vine, that is merely to remove what is useless. But just as the eyebrows or eyelashes which perform a service in protecting the eyes should not be cut, so neither should the beard be cut from the chin for it is not superfluous, but it too has been provided for us by nature as a kind of cover or protection. Moreover, the beard is nature’s symbol of the male just as is the crest of the cock and the mane of the lion; so one ought to remove the growth of hair that becomes burdensome, but nothing of the beard; for the beard is no burden so long as the body is healthy and not afflicted with any disease for which it is necessary to cut the hair from the chin. The remark of Zeno was well made that it is quite as natural to cut the hair as it is to let it grow long, in order not to be burdened by too much of it nor hampered for any activity. For nature plainly keeps a more careful guard against deficiency than against excess, in both plants and animals, since the removal of excess is much easier and simpler than the addition of what is lacking. In both cases man’s common sense ought to assist nature, so as to make up the deficiencies as much as possible and fill them out, and to lessen and eliminate the superfluous. Therefore the hair should be cut only to get rid of too much of it and not for looks, as some think they must, who shave their cheeks and imitate the beardless or, would you believe it, boys who are just beginning to grow a beard, and the hair on the head they do not cut all in the same way, but differently in front and behind. In fact that which seems to them good-looking is quite the opposite and does not differ from the efforts of women to make themselves beautiful. For they, you know, plait some parts of their hair, some they let fall free, and some they arrange in some other way in order to appear more beautiful. So men who cut their hair are obviously doing it out of a desire to appear handsome to those whom they wish to please, and so some of their hair they cut off completely, some they arrange so as to be most pleasing to the women and boys by whom they want to be admired. Nowadays there are even men who cut their hair to free themselves of the weight of it and they also shave their cheeks. Clearly such men have become slaves of luxurious living and are completely enervated, men who can endure being seen as womanish creatures, hermaphrodites, something which real men would avoid at all costs. How could hair be a burden to men? Unless, of course, one should say that feathers are a burden to birds also. – Musonius Rufus, STOIC FRAGMENTS 21