Length of Hair

In Acts 18:18 it is reported that “at Cenchreae he cut his hair, for he had a vow.”  This refers presumably to Paul, but possibly to Aquila. The same practice is mentioned in Acts 21:23-26, where Paul is asked to associate himself with four men who are under a vow.  The vow is presumably the Nazirite vow mentioned in Numbers 6, where a vow of dedication to God either by a man or a woman was fulfilled by abstinence from wine, grape juice and grapes and by not cutting the hair.

“All the days of his vow of separation no razor shall come upon his head; until the time is completed for which he separates himself to the LORD, he shall be holy;  he shall let the locks of hair of his head grow long.”

                                                                                  (Numbers 6:5)

Whether done by Paul or Aquila in Acts 18, it seems to have been felt even under the New Covenant as an appropriate way of showing dedication to God. The Mishnah prescribed 30 days as a minimum time during which to allow the hair to grow long. Some like Samson were Nazirites all their lives. Though we have this one incident of the Nazirite vow being carried out in the New Testament, there is no suggestion that the Nazirite vow was binding on brothers and sisters under the New Covenant. The practice of growing one’s hair long and of shaving it off received approval or disapproval in different places at different times. As part of the Nazirite vow it was appropriate for both men and women to grow their hair long and then to shave it off completely when the period was expired (Numbers 6:18). Absalom was spoken of with approval and admired for the length of his hair which he cut only once a year (2 Samuel 14:26). Surrounding nations who “cut the corners of their hair” are mentioned with disapproval in Jeremiah 9:26. On the other hand, in the context of society in Corinth (1 Corinthians 11:6) disapproval seems to be expressed of long hair on a man, while for a woman it was regarded as a disgrace either to have her hair cut or shaved.

In the Corinthian context the background is presumably not the Nazirite vow but prevailing practice in some of the pagan religions at Corinth where sexual identities were reversed: men dressed as women, and women as men. Hence, perhaps, the comment in 1 Corinthians 11:14-15 approving of long hair in a woman, but short hair in a man. Hair length otherwise varies according to fashion and culture. In the 1920s sisters who cut their hair short (contrary to previous practice) were criticised in The Christadelphian for acting in a manner contrary to Bible teaching.[1]  Most sisters now, however, do cut their hair short and are thought none the worse because of it. 1 Timothy 2:9 warns against expensive and showy hair decoration. Attempts therefore to impress others unduly or extravagantly can justifiably be criticised. In itself, however, hair style and hair length, whether male or female, is not a matter of concern under the New Covenant unless the style gives a wrong impression of Christian standards.