Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 44:20
Neither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long; they shall only poll their heads.
20. The priests shall poll or cut the hair of their heads, and neither shave their heads bald nor let the hair flow loose. Shaving the head bald was a sign of mourning (Lev 21:5; Lev 21:10, cf. Eze 24:17), and forbidden both to priests and people as a practice of the heathen (Deu 14:1); though the prophets frequently refer to it as a token of disaster and mourning; Isa 3:24; Isa 22:12; Jer 16:6; Amo 8:10; Mic 1:16. Lev 10:6 indicates that letting the hair flow loose and dishevelled was also a sign of grief. The phrase appears used both of this practice and of the Nazirite custom of allowing the hair to remain uncut (Num 6:5, cf. Num 5:18).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
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.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
To shave their heads was forbidden, Lev 19:27; 21:5. Hair is given for an ornament, and the priests should not disfigure themselves, nor imitate idolatrous heathens.
Nor suffer their locks to grow long; priding themselves in it, as Absalom, giving ill example by such excess. Shall only poll their heads; when the hair is grown somewhat, they shall trim, cut the ends of their hair, and keep it in moderate size; beside, long hair was a token of a Nazarites vow, and God would have all holy things and persons kept unmixed and distinguished from other common things.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
20. Neither . . . shave . . .headsas mourners do (Le21:1-5). The worshippers of the Egyptian idols Serapis and Isisshaved their heads; another reason why Jehovah’s priests are not todo so.
nor suffer . . . locks togrow longas the luxurious, barbarians, and soldiers in warfaredid [JEROME].
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Neither shall they shave their heads,…. As the priests and worshippers of Isis and Serapis did, as Jerom on the text observes; and as the Romish priests now do, from whom the Lord’s faithful ministers must be distinguished:
nor suffer their locks to grow long; as the Nazarites, that a distinction might be preserved between those who were and were not such; or rather, after the manner of women, their locks hanging down, and flowing about their shoulders, as a token of levity, wantonness, effeminacy, pride, and vanity; see 1Co 11:14:
they shall only poll their heads; observe a medium between both; neither shave their heads close, nor let their hair grow long, but keep it in an even moderate length; for which reason godly men of the last age among us were called “round heads”.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(20) Their locks to grow long.The law forbade the shaving of the head (Lev. 21:5), but only condemned letting the hair grow long by implication, providing for it in the exceptional case of the vow of the Nazarite. The prohibition of Eze. 44:21 is given in Lev. 10:9.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
20. The hair was regarded as the seat of life by every ancient nation (note Eze 5:14), and very probably when the hair was shaved off it was offered to the deity (compare Num 6:18), involving, as Toy suggests, temporary uncleanness, or taboo, and therefore to be avoided by priests. (Compare Eze 44:25.) Letting the hair grow without polling (cutting) was also often connected with a vow (compare Num 6:5; Act 18:18), and entailed the same inconvenience. It may be added that certainly the shaved head (Lev 21:5; Lev 21:10), and probably the flowing hair (Lev 10:6, R.V.), was a sign of mourning among the Jews, and therefore to be prohibited in those who lived constantly in the joy of Jehovah’s presence.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“Nor shall they shave their heads, nor allow their locks to grow long. They shall only cut the hair of their heads. Nor shall any priest drink wine when they enter into the inner court. Nor shall they take for their wives a widow, nor one who has been divorced. But they shall take virgins of the seed of the house of Israel, or of a widow who is a widow of a priest.”
For some of these restrictions compare Lev 21:5-8; Lev 21:14. The shaving of the head was probably referring to practises in relation to idolatrous religion, the restriction on long hair differentiated them from the Nazirites (Num 1:1-6). But the aim may well have been so as to ensure that the hair was fully covered (Lev 10:6; Lev 21:10), so that when they went into the sanctuary no earthly defilement would drop from it. The restriction on wine was to ensure that none went to their sacred duties in a drunken or merry mood, unbefitting worship. The restriction on women was so that those dedicated to Yahweh and made holy might not share one, and be made one with one, who had previously been given to the mundane. The code for priests was now stricter than previously. All again stressed Yahweh’s distinctiveness and holiness.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Eze 44:20. Neither shall they shave, &c. The Jews understand this as an expression of mourning for the dead. The words in the original contain a general prohibition, including the times of mourning, as well as other seasons. St. Jerome supposes, that the Jewish priests were forbidden to shave their heads, in order to distinguish them from several of the heathen priests; particularly the Egyptian priests of Isis and Serapis, who had their heads shaved and uncovered, see Calmet, and Leviticus 10.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Eze 44:20 Neither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long; they shall only poll their heads.
Ver. 20. Neither shall they shave their heads. ] What can the Popish shavelings say to this, qui ne pilum ullum viri bona habere videntur, as Cicero a saith of Fannins Chaereas? noting it to be a sign of crafty malice to be shaven. And indeed is so bald and heathenish a ceremony that some priests in France are ashamed of the mark, and few of them have it that can handsomely avoid it. b
Nor suffer their locks to grow long.
They shall only poll their heads.
a In Orat. pro Rosc. Comaedo.
b Spec. Eur.
c Mr Burroughs.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Neither shall they, &c. Reference to Pentateuch (Lev 21:5). App-92.
only poll = surely clip.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
shave: Lev 21:5-24, Deu 14:1
nor suffer: Num 6:5, 1Co 11:14
Reciprocal: Lev 19:27 – General Eze 5:1 – take
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Eze 44:20. Neither shave , , . nor grow long may seem to be a contradiction but it is not. The first refers to a practice of shaving the hair down to the skin in certain places about the head, It was a heathenish custom and Gods people were forbidden to follow it (Lev 21:1-5). The second part of the citation means they were not to neglect the hair altogether but were to poll it which means to trim it off so that it would not be regarded as long hair. (See 1Co 11:14.)
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
44:20 Neither shall they {f} shave their heads, nor allow their locks to grow long; they shall only cut [the hair of] their heads.
(f) As did the infidels and heathen.