Baldness

The condition of having little or no hair on the scalp.

The Bible indirectly refers to natural baldness due to age, contrasting it with baldness caused by leprosy (Leviticus 13:40–42). The Israelites were forbidden from shaving their heads or shaping their beards in ways that mimicked pagan religious practices (Deuteronomy 14:1), with such restrictions particularly applying to Israelite priests (Leviticus 21:5). However, shaving off hair and offering it as a sacrifice to God was a prescribed act for those taking a Nazirite vow (Numbers 6:1–5, 18; Acts 18:18).

In ancient cultures like Egypt, shaving hair and eyebrows was a sign of respect for the dead. The Bible references this custom among non-Israelites as a sign of mourning or anguish (Jeremiah 16:6; 48:37; Ezekiel 27:31; Micah 1:16). This is often in the context of God's judgment against pagan cities or nations. Because baldness was associated with leprosy, venereal disease, idolatry, or death, prophetic warnings sometimes included predictions or threats of baldness (Isaiah 3:16–24).