Leviticus 19:27 (WEB)

Passage

“‘You shall not cut the hair on the sides of your head or clip off the edge of your beard.

Nearby Context

Leviticus 19:25 In the fifth year you shall eat its fruit, that it may yield its increase to you. I am Yahweh your God.

Leviticus 19:26 “‘You shall not eat any meat with the blood still in it. You shall not use enchantments, nor practice sorcery.

Leviticus 19:27 “‘You shall not cut the hair on the sides of your head or clip off the edge of your beard.

Leviticus 19:28 “‘You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you. I am Yahweh.

Leviticus 19:29 “‘Don’t profane your daughter, to make her a prostitute; lest the land fall to prostitution, and the land become full of wickedness.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "shall", "hair", "sides", "head", "clip", "edge", and "beard". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "shall" and "hair", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 26's "You shall not eat any meat with..." into verse 28's "You shall not make any cuttings in...", so "shall" and "hair" belong inside that flow. In Leviticus context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "shall" and "hair" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.