κείρω (keirō)
keirō
to shear
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb keirō means to cut off hair, whether by shearing a sheep or shaving a person’s head. In the New Testament, it appears in only three verses, linking two very different contexts: an animal and a human.
In Acts 8:32, the word describes the sheep led like lambs to slaughter, echoing Isaiah’s prophecy about the suffering servant. Here, the action is passive for the animal but violent in implication. In Acts 18:18, Paul cuts his hair at Cenchreae, likely fulfilling a Nazirite vow. This use shows keirō as a deliberate act of personal grooming or religious observance.
The word itself is straightforward: it simply denotes the physical removal of hair. It does not carry metaphorical weight beyond what the context provides. Its rarity in Scripture means each occurrence stands out, drawing attention to the specific moment—whether an animal’s fate or a man’s vow.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word keirō describes the simple act of cutting hair, whether shearing a sheep or shaving a head. In Acts 8:32, it paints a quiet picture of a lamb before its shearer, silent and still. This image helps us understand the suffering servant’s patience in the face of injustice. It reminds us that silence can be a form of strength, not just weakness.
In other passages, like Acts 18:18, Paul uses this same word to mark the end of a personal vow. Cutting hair was a visible sign of dedication or completion. For believers today, these moments show how physical acts can reflect inner spiritual realities. We do not need grand gestures to show our faith; even small, deliberate actions carry meaning.
Whether in the quiet submission of an animal or the intentional act of a follower, keirō points to surrender. It invites us to consider what we are willing to let go of for God’s purposes. Our lives, like hair, can be trimmed and shaped by divine hands.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- to be shorn1×
- shearing1×
- she should be shorn;1×
- having shaved1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- κείρασθαι1×
- κείραντος1×
- κειράσθω·1×
- κειράμενος1×
Key Verses
-
Acts 8:32
Now the passage of the Scripture which he was reading was this, “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter. As a lamb before his shearer is silent, so he doesn’t open his mouth.
This verse uses keirō to describe the silent lamb, highlighting the suffering servant’s voluntary submission to injustice without protest.
-
Acts 18:18
Paul, having stayed after this many more days, took his leave of the brothers, and sailed from there for Syria, together with Priscilla and Aquila. He shaved his head in Cenchreae, for he had a vow.
Here Paul shaves his head to fulfill a Nazirite vow, showing how the word marks a specific moment of religious completion and dedication.
-
I Corinthians 11:6
For if a woman is not covered, let her hair also be cut off. But if it is shameful for a woman to have her hair cut off or be shaved, let her be covered.
Paul references cutting hair in the context of cultural norms for women, using the word to discuss modesty and social order rather than spiritual status.