Numbers 8:6Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The guidelines regarding the priests and their roles remain with us. Furthermore, it is explicitly mentioned that the Levitical lineage must be consecrated, and that only individuals who have been properly purified are eligible to assume the priesthood assigned to them.

Question: Why did God command the Levites to be sanctified by declaring that no hair should remain on their bodies (Num. 8:6-7)? Hair symbolizes lifelessness, as it is associated with the dead and devoid of sensation. Thus, it signifies that those who serve as priests in God's presence must embody true life, free from anything decayed or foul. This principle is also echoed by the wise Apostle Paul, who states, “Christ, saith he, hath travelled with me: but I live not therefore, but Christ liveth in me” (Galatians 2:19-20); in other words, I have devoted myself to God's works.