Biblical Manhood

Article: Do You Shave by Scott Bushey

inflat beard

 

Do you shave?

St Clement of Alexandria:

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

“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 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.”
~St. Clement of Alexandria, 2.275

“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.” St. ~Clement of Alexandria, 2.276

“It is not lawful to pluck out the beard, man’s natural and noble adornment.”
~St. Clement of Alexandria, 2.277

St Cyprian:

“In their manners, there was no discipline. In men, their beards were defaced.”
~St Cyprian (c. 250, W), 5.438

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

Lactantius:

“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.”
~Lactantius (c. 304–314, W), 7.288

Apostolic Constitutions:

“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 women, but has determined that it is unsuitable for men.”
~Apostolic Constitutions (compiled c.390, E) 7.392. (1)

Augustine of Hippo:

“There are some details of the body which are there for simply aesthetic reasons, and for no practical purpose—for instance, the nipples on a man’s chest, and the beard on his face, the latter being clearly for a masculine ornament, not for protection. This is shown by the fact that women’s faces are hairless, and since women are the weaker sex, it would surely be more appropriate for them to be given such a protection.” ~City of God (c. 410) book 22, chapter 24

Charles Spurgeon:

“Growing a beard ‘is a habit most natural, scriptural, manly, and beneficial.’”

Dionysius of Alexandria, 3rd century A.D.

“The beard is a seemly ornament for the philosopher.”

 

beard1

Aaron had a beard: 

Psalm 133:2  It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments 

Samson had a beard:

Judges 16:17 That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazirite unto God from my mother’s womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.

King David had a beard:

1 Samuel 21:13 And he changed his behavior before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.

Ezekiel had a beard:

Ezekiel 5:1 Now, son of man, take a sharp sword and use it as a barber’s razor to shave your head and your beard. Then take a set of scales and divide up the hair.

Joseph had a beard-he had to shave according to the custom of the Egyptians

Gen 41:14 Pharaoh sent for Joseph at once, and he was quickly brought from the prison. After he shaved and changed his clothes, he went in and stood before Pharaoh. 

Jesus had a beard:

Isaiah 50:6 I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting. 

This may help if you cannot grow a beard:

Bobble-Crochet-Beard-Beanies

 

Directions on how to make a bearded cap