Leviticus 21:5
Neither shall they shave their head, nor their beard, nor make incisions in their flesh.
Open Leviticus 21:5 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Non radent caput, nec barbam, neque in carnibus suis facient incisuras.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- καὶ φαλάκρωμα οὐ ξυρηθήσεσθε τὴν κεφαλὴν ἐπὶ νεκρῷ, καὶ τὴν ὄψιν τοῦ πώγωνος οὐ ξυρήσονται, καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς σάρκας αὐτῶν οὐ κατατεμοῦσιν ἐντομίδας.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- לֹֽא יקרחה קָרְחָה֙ בְּרֹאשָׁ֔ם וּפְאַ֥ת זְקָנָ֖ם לֹ֣א יְגַלֵּ֑חוּ וּבִ֨בְשָׂרָ֔ם לֹ֥א יִשְׂרְט֖וּ שָׂרָֽטֶת
Haydock's commentary
Flesh. This would indicate an impotent grief, and want of patience. (Haydock)
They were not allowed to put on the usual signs of mourning, as the common people were, provided they did it not in honour of an idol, chap. xix. 27.
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
The Apostolic Constitutions Book I. Concerning the Laity, Sec. II. Commandments to Men
Let the husband not be insolent nor arrogant towards his wife; but compassionate, bountiful, willing to please his own wife alone, and treat her honourably and obligingly, endeavouring to be agreeable to her; (III.) not adorning thyself in such a manner as may entice another woman to thee. For if thou art overcome by her, and sinnest with her, eternal death will overtake thee from God; and thou wilt be punished with sensible and bitter torments. Or if thou dost not perpetrate such a wicked act, but shakest her off, and refusest her, in this case thou art not wholly innocent, even though thou art not guilty of the crime itself, but only in so far as through thy adorning thou didst entice the woman to desire thee. …