Hairdo's and Don'ts in the Bible

Have a scriptural question? Write to Ben Witherington III at columnists@staff.Beliefnet.com.

In this column, Ben Witherington answers questions about the Bible and:

Hair
Witchcraft
Jesus' economic status
The role of the prophetess
The Word alone
Differing creation stories
Jesus' race
Mithraism

Ever since I read in St. James that women should not braid their hair, I haven't done it. Is it OK or not? And why?

There is actually nothing in the epistle of James about hair at all, but when in the New Testament there are instructions to women about hair, the function of those instructions is to make certain that only God's glory is reflected in worship (see 1 Corinthians 11). Since in Paul's culture a highly adorned hairdo was considered a woman's glory, Paul said it ought to be covered in worship. Perhaps you have 1 Timothy 2:9 in mind, but the point of that text is not so much to forbid braiding of the hair but to encourage wearing your hair in a way that does not distract from worship by drawing attention to yourself.

Does the Bible directly oppose witchcraft? Does it make any difference if it is white or black?

The Bible is unequivocal about prohibiting witchcraft in any and all forms. For example, Leviticus 19:26-28 makes evident that witchcraft was prohibited for God's people even in Old Testament times. Furthermore, in 1 Samuel 28 we have the story of how King Saul expelled all mediums and wizards from the Holy Land and then himself consulted a medium, which the narrator of the story makes clear is a very grave sin. In the New Testament, Paul lists sorcery as one of the sins that can keep a person out of the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:20).

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