Where Do the Scriptures Suggest That Men Should Be Clean Shaven?
1) Direct Answer
Scripture does not command men to be clean shaven. The Bible teaches men to keep a clear, masculine distinction and to avoid long hair, but it does not require shaving the beard.
2) Scriptural Explanation
- 1 Corinthians 11:14—“Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?” The emphasis is on hair length for men, not on shaving beards.
- Deuteronomy 22:5—God forbids blurring the male–female distinction. Appearance should clearly reflect manhood.
- Leviticus 19:27; 21:5—Israel was told not to mar the edges of the beard or shave the head in pagan ways. That shows beards themselves were normal and not condemned; the issue was pagan customs.
- Ezekiel 44:20—Priests were not to shave their heads nor let their hair grow long, but to “poll” (trim) their hair. The principle is modest, masculine trim—neither shaven bald as a ritual nor long and unkempt.
- 2 Samuel 10:4—Shaving off half the beard was used to shame David’s men, showing a beard was a sign of manly honor in Israel’s culture.
- Isaiah 50:6—“I gave my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair,” indicating hair on the cheeks (a beard) in the prophetic picture of Christ’s suffering.
- 1 Corinthians 6:9—“Nor effeminate…” God rejects soft, feminized presentation in men.
3) Simple Clarifying Logic
- The Bible never says, “Thou shalt be clean shaven.” It does say a man’s long hair is a shame and warns against effeminate appearance and pagan grooming rites.
- Therefore, the safe, biblical line is: keep a masculine look, keep hair short, keep grooming modest and clean. A beard, if worn, should not be unkempt or used to mimic worldly, effeminate, or rebellious styles.
4) Reinforcing Statement
So the standard is not “must shave,” but “look like a man,” keep it decent and orderly before God. The Word sets boundaries—short hair and masculine distinction—while leaving beard or no beard as a matter of liberty, testimony, and modest discipline.
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 1:E-16
As I have already said, this Book (Revelation) is the consummation of the Scriptures. It is even placed exactly right in the canon of Scripture; at the end. Now you can know why it says that anyone who reads or even hears it is blessed. It is the revelation of God that will give you authority over the devil. And you can see why they who would add or take from it would be cursed. It would have to be so, for who can add or take away from the perfect revelation of God and overcome the enemy? It is that simple. There i...
From that time
61-0415B §34
and..." Oh, of course that's all right, sure. And I don't blame any woman---look your best, and whatever be clean, and lady... That's all right, but I just hate to see somebody disfigure themselves. These women don't even look like a human, see. But look clean, be like a lady. And men, don't be sloppy. That's not humble; that's dirty, see. Be clean, but don't try to ... you know, just don't try to do things like that. Just be just an ordinary brother, see. Just be yourself. I hate to see anybody try to put on somet...
Why it had to be shepherds
64-1221 §28
And when these wise men came to Jerusalem... The star led them to the religious capitol of the world, Jerusalem. And as soon as they entered those gates, that star (the supernatural that had led them) refused to show them any more. Up and down the streets these fine men, rich men with fine draped camels, and so forth ... up and down the streets saying, "Where is He that's born King of the Jews. We saw His star in the east." And that great religious capitol, after two years of the shepherd's message, still didn't ha...
The mark of the beast
56-0715 §12
Now, sometimes in speaking in a mixed audience as we have today, both men and women... Sometimes using parables to get the point in, it would seem like that maybe I might say something that wouldn't be just appropriate among a mixed group of people. But, if you were sitting in a doctor's office, you would listen to him no matter if you're teenage girl or boy or whoever it was. And we're in the house of God, where we're to have clean minds and clean hearts. And if we haven't, it's our place at the altar. That's righ...
The Angel of the Lord
51-0502 §27
A harlot on the street, so immoral that hardly maybe a decent person would look at. The Holy Spirit can take that same woman and make a saint out of her, take the desire of sin from her. When the religions of the world met here some forty years ago, little Dr. Magney represented the Holiness religion of America. When all Buddha had their say and so forth, their beauty, the different isms put forth their beauty and their flowers, and all their different flowery speeches, our little brother stood up. He told a story...