Deuteronomy 14:1

The Holy and the Profane

14:1 You are children of the Lord your God. Do not cut yourselves or shave your forehead bald for the sake of the dead.


tn Heb “sons” (so NASB); TEV, NLT “people.”

sn Do not cut yourselves or shave your forehead bald. These were pagan practices associated with mourning the dead; they were not be imitated by God’s people (though they frequently were; cf. 1 Kgs 18:28; Jer 16:6; 41:5; 47:5; Hos 7:14 [LXX]; Mic 5:1). For other warnings against such practices see Lev 21:5; Jer 16:5.