Ezekiel 44:20 Meaning: Why Priests Trimmed Their Hair

The key phrase in this verse is “poll their heads.” The English word “poll” here is an old term for cutting the hair short, not shaving it completely. The Hebrew verb qāṣaṣ (used in other passages) means to clip or cut off, like trimming a hedge. So the priests are told to do none of the extremes: they must not shave bald, nor let their hair grow long and unkempt. Instead, they keep it at a moderate length. The word “locks” (Hebrew pera‘) pictures hair that is loose, flowing, or uncut, like a Nazirite’s or a mourner’s. God is protecting His priests from imitating those around them, whether pagan worshippers who shaved for their gods, or people in grief who let everything hang wild.

Christians across traditions have consistently seen this verse as part of the ceremonial law given to Israel’s priests, not as a direct command for today. Reformed commentators like Matthew Henry note that the principle behind it, distinctiveness and moderation, still speaks to us. Wesley and Gill draw out the contrast with pagan priests who shaved for idols like Isis, and with the Nazirite vow that allowed hair to grow long. Catholics and Orthodox have understood such purity laws as fulfilled in Christ and now expressed through a life of holiness rather than specific grooming rules. All see the heart of the verse: a servant of God should be set apart, neither looking like the world nor drawing attention to himself.

Some readers assume that “poll their heads” means the priests must shave themselves completely, a kind of religious baldness. In fact, the word “poll” in older English meant to trim or cut short, not to shave. The verse specifically forbids both shaving (the pagan practice) and letting the hair grow long (the mourner’s or Nazirite’s practice). The command is for a neat, moderate appearance, not an extreme of any kind.

You probably aren’t a priest in Ezekiel’s temple. But this verse still asks a quiet question: what marks you as set apart for God? It’s not about a specific hairstyle today. It’s about whether your life has a noticeable “middle path”, distinct from the world’s extremes, but not aloof or self-important. This week, look at one area where you tend to blend in or go to an unnecessary extreme. Ask God for the simple courage to be different in the way that matters: a life trimmed by His Word, not pulled to one side or the other.