Cross Reference DEUTERONOMY 21:12 THEN THOU SHALT BRING HER HOME TO THINE HOUSE AND SHE SHALL SHAVE HER HEAD AND PARE HER NAILS

{Deuteronomy 21:12} Then thou shalt bring 935 z8689 her home 8432 to thine house; 1004 and she shall shave 1548 z8765 x853 her head, 7218 and pare 6213 z8804 x853 her nails; 6856

and she shall:
This was in token of renouncing her religion, and becoming a proselyte to that of the Jews. This is still a custom in the East. When a Christian turns Mohammedan, his head is shaved, and he is carried through the city, crying, la eelah eela allah wemochammed resoolullahee, "There is no God but the God, and Mohammed is the prophet of God." "Forª ifª the¹ womanª be² ° notª covered,ª ° let her² ° alsoª be shorn:ª ° butª ifª it be a shameª for a womanª to be shornª ° or² ¹ shaven,ª ° let her be covered.ª °" {1Co 11:6} + "That yeª put offª ° concerningª the¹ formerª conversationª the¹ oldª man,ª which² is corruptª ° accordingª to the¹ deceitfulª lusts;ª" {Eph 4:22}

pare her nails:
or, suffer to grow, Heb. make, or dress, Weâsethah eth tzipparneyha, "and she shall make her nails;" i.e., probably neither paring nor letting them grow, but dressing or beautifying them as the Eastern women still do by tinging them with the leaves of an odoriferous plant called alhenna, which Hasselquist (p. 246) informs us, "grows in India and in upper and lower Egypt, flowering from May to August. The leaves are pulverized and made into a paste with water. They bind this paste on the nails of their hands and feet, and keep it on all night. This gives them a deep yellow, which is greatly admired by Eastern nations. The colour lasts for three or four weeks before there is occasion to renew it. The custom is so ancient in Egypt, that I have seen the nails of mummies dyed in this manner."

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