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.
Cross-references
In Leviticus 10:6, Moses forbids Aaron’s sons from disheveling their hair in mourning — a specific instance of the priestly rule here.
Leviticus 19:27 gives the same prohibition against trimming the beard to all Israelites — the priestly rule here applies a general holiness standard.
Leviticus 19:28 prohibits cutting the body for the dead — the same practice restricted for priests here is a general law for Israel.
Deuteronomy 14:1 forbids all Israelites from cutting themselves or shaving for the dead — the priestly rule extends this national command.
Ezekiel 44:20 gives a similar regulation for priests — they must neither shave nor let hair grow long, directly paralleling this rule.
In Amos 8:10, God turns feasts into mourning and makes heads bald—the very mourning practice forbidden to priests here becomes a divine judgment.
In Ezra 9:3, the priest Ezra tears his hair and beard in mourning—directly contrary to the prohibition for priests here.
In Ezekiel 5:1, God commands the priest Ezekiel to shave his head and beard as a prophetic sign—contradicting the prohibition here.
In Jeremiah 47:5, baldness and gashes are described as mourning rites among the Philistines—practices forbidden to priests here.
In Ezekiel 27:31, making baldness is a mourning rite for Tyre—the same practice forbidden to priests here.
In Micah 1:16, the prophet commands the people to make themselves bald as a sign of mourning—the same practice priests are forbidden to perform here.
Isaiah 15:2 describes Moabites shaving heads and beards in mourning — showing the pagan custom that priests are forbidden to imitate.
Isaiah 22:12 mentions baldness and sackcloth as a response to judgment — the same mourning rituals priests may not perform.
Jeremiah 16:6 predicts no one will cut themselves or shave for the dead — highlighting these as standard mourning rites forbidden to priests.
Jeremiah 48:37 depicts Moabites with shaved heads and gashes — the same mourning customs that priests are prohibited from doing.