Ezekiel 44:20

20 "'They must not shave their heads or let their hair grow long. They must keep the hair on their heads trimmed.

Ezekiel 44:20 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 44:20

Neither shall they shave their heads
As the priests and worshippers of Isis and Serapis did, as Jerom on the text observes; and as the Romish priests now do, from whom the Lord's faithful ministers must be distinguished: nor suffer their locks to grow long;
as the Nazarites, that a distinction might be preserved between those who were and were not such; or rather, after the manner of women, their locks hanging down, and flowing about their shoulders, as a token of levity, wantonness, effeminacy, pride, and vanity; see ( 1 Corinthians 11:14 1 Corinthians 11:15 ) : they shall only poll their heads;
observe a medium between both; neither shave their heads close, nor let their hair grow long, but keep it in an even moderate length; for which reason godly men of the last age among us were called "round heads".

Ezekiel 44:20 In-Context

18 They must wear linen turbans on their heads and linen undergarments. They must not wear anything that makes them sweat.

19 When they go out among the people in the outer courtyard, they must take off the clothes that they wore as they served. They must leave their clothes in the side rooms of the holy place and put on other clothes so that they do not transfer the holiness from their clothes to the people.

20 "'They must not shave their heads or let their hair grow long. They must keep the hair on their heads trimmed.

21 None of the priests may drink wine when they enter the inner courtyard.

22 They must not marry widows or women who have been divorced. They may marry only virgins from the nation of Israel or widows of priests.