“You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you.” (Leviticus 19:28, NKJV)
This is an emotive subject for some. Christian and non-religious parents alike would mostly prefer to see their children minus tattoos, especially teenage ones. Yet, I receive almost weekly emails from many Christians wanting to put words of worship in Hebrew on their bodies, which might appear preferable to the name of an ex-girlfriend or the lead singer of some passing boy band. So what does the Bible say on this, and more importantly, what does the Bible mean when it discusses tattoos?
The main reference is Leviticus 19:28 although other passages mention the first prohibition against “cuttings” more often (Leviticus 21:5; Deuteronomy 14:1) and this was clearly something that the Israelites were prone to do because of the warnings of the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 16:6; 41:5; 47:5) against it.
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Author: K. J. Went
Keywords: Tattoo, Body marks, Cuttings in the flesh, Marked, Marked by God, About tattoos, Marks in the flesh, Body tattoo, Tattoos, markings in the flesh, markings for the dead, cuttings for the dead
Bible reference(s): Genesis 4:15, Leviticus 21:5, Deuteronomy 14:1, Leviticus 19:28, Jeremiah 16:6, Jeremiah 41:5, Jeremiah 47:5, Ezekiel 9:4-6, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Revelation 13:16, Revelation 14:1, Revelation 14:9
Source: Difficult Sayings.
Page indexed by: inWORD Bible Software.