| Deuteronomy 14:1
| Be *ye children of the Lord your God: you shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness for the dead;
| Year of the World 2553. Be ye. Hebrew, "you are," etc. It may be connected with the preceding chapter. --- Cut, as the barbarians and infidels do, who have no hope, 1 Thessalonians 4:12., and Leviticus 19:29. --- Dead idols, Adonis, etc. The Arabs and Saracens cut the hair on the forepart of the head only, and so did the ancient Scotch monks, in imitation, as they pretended, of St. John. The Egyptians cut off the hair of their head and eye-brows, when they were initiated in the mysteries of Isis, (St. Ambrose, ep. 58,) to testify that they partook in her sorrow for the death of her husband, Osiris. Hence, it is probable, that Moses forbids any conformity in such superstitious practices; particularly as the Israelites were consecrated to the service of the living God. (Calmet)
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