Ezekiel 44:20 → Leviticus 21:5

Ezekiel 44:20 regulates priestly hair: "they shall neither shave their heads nor let their hair grow long" (רֹאשָׁם לֹא יְגַלֵּחוּ וּפֶרַע לֹא יְשַׁלֵּחוּ), echoing Leviticus 21:5 which prohibits priests from making bald spots (קָרְחָה, qorchah) on their heads. Both texts govern priestly appearance as an expression of holiness, but Ezekiel adds the positive instruction to "keep their hair trimmed" (כָּסוֹם יִכְסְמוּ, kasom yikhsemu), striking a middle path between the extremes of shaving (associated with pagan mourning rituals) and uncut hair (associated with the Nazirite vow). This balanced regulation ensures that priestly appearance reflects the ordered, dignified holiness appropriate to those who minister before God's presence. Leviticus 21:5 itself extends this holiness standard beyond the head, also forbidding priests to shave the edges of their beards or cut their flesh — mourning practices tied to pagan cults that Ezekiel's temple code likewise guards against.