“…the Hebrews esteemed the beard as one of the greatest ornaments of manhood. Hence they suffered it to grow, anointed and cherished it with care… It was an extreme disgrace for any one to have his beard cut off in whole or in part (2 Samuel 10:4; Isaiah 7:20); only in cases of deep sorrow was it plucked out (Ezra 9:3), or shaved away (Isaiah 15:2; Jeremiah 41:5), or neglected (2 Samuel 19:24), or covered, as a mark of grief that seeks silence (Ezekiel 24:17, 22).”
Excerpt taken from: The Protestant Theological and Ecclesiastical Encyclopedia, Vol. 1, 338.
