Ezekiel 5:1 - "And you, O son of man, take a sharp sword; use it as a barber’s razor and pass it over your head and your beard; then take balances for weighing, and divide the hair."

According to the dictionary, a barber is one who shaves or trims the beard and dresses the hair. And that’s about the extent of what barbers did in ancient times. This is a very ancient occupation, dating back to early Egyptian times. Hair, of course, had great significance for the Hebrews, as much as for any other ancient peoples.

We recall the children who were dedicated as Nazirites, and so forbidden to cut their hair. We certainly recall what happened to Samson when he violated this injunction! There is a mysterious force that is connected with hair, perhaps because the ancients were aware that it kept g…