Deuteronomy 14:1

The Holy and the Profane

14:1 You are children ¹  of the Lord your God. Do not cut yourselves or shave your forehead bald ²  for the sake of the dead.

Deuteronomy 25:6

25:6 Then ³  the first son ⁴  she bears will continue the name of the dead brother, thus preventing his name from being blotted out of Israel.

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¹ tn Heb “sons” (so NASB); TEV, NLT “people.”

² 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.

³ tn Heb “and it will be that.”

⁴ tn Heb “the firstborn.” This refers to the oldest male child.