Contradiction with Leviticus 19:27
Leviticus 21:5 prohibits priests from shaving their heads or beards, while Leviticus 19:27 forbids any Israelites from rounding the corners of their heads or marring the edges of their beards, suggesting similarities but different applications.
Leviticus 19:27: Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard.
Contradiction with Ezekiel 44:20
This verse instructs priests not to shave their heads or let their hair grow long, adding further stipulations and potentially conflicting with the more general prohibition in Leviticus 21:5.
Ezekiel 44:20: Neither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long; they shall only poll their heads.
Contradiction with Numbers 6:5
The Nazarite vow, involving letting hair grow (as prescribed in Numbers 6:5), contrasts with Leviticus 21:5’s restrictions on priests’ grooming practices.
Numbers 6:5: All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth [himself] unto the LORD, he shall be holy, [and] shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow.
Contradiction with 2 Samuel 10:4-5
When David’s men had their beards shaved, they were humiliated, suggesting social consequences and distinctions from the priests’ prescription in Leviticus 21:5.
2 Samuel 10:4-5: Wherefore Hanun took David's servants, and shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, [even] to their buttocks, and sent them away.
Contradiction with Judges 16:17
Samson’s Nazarite vow, which requires not cutting his hair, contradicts the specific grooming rules stipulated for priests in Leviticus 21:5.
Judges 16:17: That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I [have been] a Nazarite unto God from my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any [other] man.
Paradox #1
The verse in question restricts certain grooming practices for priests. A potential contradiction may arise when compared to other parts of the Bible where physical appearance is not emphasized as important, such as the teachings of the New Testament that focus more on internal qualities and virtues rather than external appearances. This might seem inconsistent with the focus on specific physical regulations in Leviticus.
Paradox #2
Some argue that the verse contains cultural and contradictions due to its rules about appearance, which were specific for priests in ancient Israel. These rules might conflict with modern practices and beliefs about personal grooming or tattoos in different cultures and religions, causing debate about their relevance or application today.
Paradox #3
The verse from Leviticus 21:5 talks about rules for priests regarding grooming practices. A potential scientific inconsistency might arise when considering modern understandings of human biology and the idea that such grooming practices do not have any tangible impact on one's health or spiritual state as suggested by the verse. Science typically does not associate physical appearance or grooming with moral or spiritual conditions.
Paradox #4
Leviticus 21:5 restricts certain physical appearances among priests, which might conflict with the idea that physical appearance should not affect one's role or worth in religious duties. This can be seen as inconsistent with the belief that inner qualities are more important than external ones.