Ezekiel 5:1

“As for you, son of man, take a sharp sword, use it as a barber’s razor, and shave your head and beard. Then take a set of scales and divide the hair.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — God addresses Ezekiel as "son of man" and commands him to shave his head and beard with a razor. This occurs during the prophetic enactment of Jerusalem’s impending siege.

The words — חֶרֶב (Che.rev) translates literally as "a sword," and תַּעַר (Ta.'ar) means "razor." The text commands Ezekiel to take a sharp sword and use it as a barber’s razor to shave his head and beard.

The thread — The razor motif appears in Leviticus 21:5 as a priestly prohibition, Isaiah 7:20 as a metaphor for Assyrian judgment, and Ezekiel 44:20 as a temple minister regulation. Ezekiel 5:1 repurposes the razor from ritual restriction to a prophetic symbol of siege.

Why it lands — The reader must recognize the commanded act as a concrete sign of coming destruction rather than a personal grooming choice. The text demands attention to how prophetic symbols invert normal ritual practice to announce divine judgment.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְאַתָּ֨הve./'a.Tahand/ you בֶן־ven-O son of אָדָ֜ם'a.Damhumankind קַח־kach-takeלְךָ֣׀le./Kha<for>/ yourselfחֶ֣רֶבChe.reva sword חַדָּ֗הcha.Dahsharp תַּ֤עַרTa.'ar<the> razor of הַגַּלָּבִים֙ha./ga.la.Vim<the>/ barbers תִּקָּחֶ֣נָּהti.ka.Che./nahyou will take/ itלָּ֔ךְLa/kh<for>/ yourselfוְהַעֲבַרְתָּ֥ve./ha.'a.var.Taand/ you will make [it] pass עַל־'al-over רֹאשְׁךָ֖ro.she./Khahead/ your וְעַל־ve./'al-and/ over זְקָנֶ֑ךָze.ka.Ne./chabeard/ your וְלָקַחְתָּ֥ve./la.kach.Taand/ you will takeלְךָ֛le./Kha<for>/ yourselfמֹאזְנֵ֥יmoz.Neiscales of מִשְׁקָ֖לmish.Kalweight וְחִלַּקְתָּֽם׃ve./chi.lak.Ta/mand/ you will divide/ them

King James Version

And thou, son of man, take thee a sharp knife, take thee a barber’s razor, and cause it to pass upon thine head and upon thy beard: then take thee balances to weigh, and divide the hair.

Cross-references

Leviticus 21:5 Priests must not make bald spots on their heads, shave off the edges of their beards, or make cuts in their bodies.
Isaiah 7:20 On that day the Lord will use a razor hired from beyond the Euphrates—the king of Assyria—to shave your head and the hair of your legs, and to remove your beard as well.
Ezekiel 44:20 They must not shave their heads or let their hair grow long, but must carefully trim their hair.
Daniel 5:27 TEKEL means that you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient.