Leviticus 19:27Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The law also protected the Hebrews from adopting a pagan practice where the Gentiles would grow their hair as a sign of devotion and later cut it at holy springs or within the temples of their deities. In contrast, the law prohibited hair cutting, stating, “lest ye put baldness upon your heads” (Deuteronomy 14:1).

What is the significance of the phrase, “Ye shall not make a circumcision of the heads of your heads, below the shaving of your breasts”? And “thou shalt not create a sprinkling on your body of the soul; neither shall ye create sores of incitement in you”? Some interpret the term tö σισόην as referring to grooming hair into curls, but I believe the law addresses a different matter. Among the Hellenes, it was customary not to cut the hair of children's heads but to allow it to grow until it was dedicated to idols. Additionally, they would shave their beards during periods of mourning and would make cuts on their cheeks in remembrance of the deceased, sometimes employing sharp objects to pierce their skin, which they would then paint black to appease the demons. The Divine law explicitly prohibits such practices.