Beard.
The Israelites always cultivated the beard, and highly valued it. The law forbade them to 'mar the corners of their beards,' Leviticus 19:27, and a priest must not shave off the corner of his beard as a sign of mourning. Leviticus 21:5. King Hanun inflicted a sore indignity when he marred the beards of David's ambassadors. 2 Samuel 10:4. Ezra in great grief at the sin of the people plucked off the hair of his head and of his beard. Ezra 9:3: cf. Jeremiah 41:5. God's judgement on Israel is compared to the beard being consumed by a razor, Isaiah 7:20; and they were to be scattered as hair that is cut off. Ezekiel 5:1, Ezekiel 1:5, Ezekiel 1:5. Of Moab it was said, every beard should be cut off. Isaiah 15:2; Jeremiah 48:37.