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ξυράω

xyráō

G3587 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To shave or remove hair using a blade, particularly to cut off hair from the head or beard. In extended contexts, may refer to the act of shaving as part of a ritual, personal grooming, or an imposed sign of humiliation or mourning. The primary sense is to remove hair closely, usually with a sharp instrument.

Semantic Range

to shave hair (from the head or beard), to remove hair with a razor, to shear (human hair), to shave for ritual or symbolic purposes; to have one's hair shaved as part of a rite or discipline

Root / Etymology

From a derivative of ξύλον (wood; by extension, something made of wood, such as a razor). The verb ξυράω is built from this root, with its meaning likely emerging from the wooden handle or construction of early razors.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, ξυράω is found in authors such as Herodotus and Plato, typically referring to shaving the hair, beard, or even the head, whether for personal grooming, ritual purity, or as a sign of mourning or subjugation. In the Septuagint and New Testament, the verb is rare, appearing in contexts like Acts 21:24, associated with ritual purification or Nazirite vows (cf. Numbers 6 in LXX), where shaving the head marks the fulfillment of a vow or entry into a new state. Later Greek usage continues the literal sense but with occasional metaphorical extensions. English translations like "shave" generally convey the core sense but often do not express any ritual, cultural, or social nuances attached to the act in ancient contexts. The term differs from θρίξ, which designates the hair itself, or κείρω, which more broadly means to shear (hair or wool), typically of animals.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from a derivative of the same as ξύλον (meaning a razor); to shave or "shear" the hair:--shave.

Root Family

ξυράω (xyráō) — to shave, to shear, to cut hair closely

Root ξυρ- to shave, to shear, to cut hair closely

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G3587-02 ξυρᾶσθαι xurasthai V AOR MID INF to be shaven to shave oneself to shave herself 1
G3587-01 ἐξυρημένῃ exuremene V PRF PASS PTCP DAT F SG shaven to the one having been shaved shaven 1
G3587-03 ξυρήσονται xuresontai V FUT MID IND 3P PL they may shave they will shave themselves they may shave themselves 1

Occurrences in Scripture

3 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G3587-03 Acts 21:24 ξυρήσονται xuresontai V FUT MID IND 3P PL they may shave they will shave themselves they may shave themselves
G3587-01 1 Corinthians 11:5 ἐξυρημένῃ exuremene V PRF PASS PTCP DAT F SG shaven to the one having been shaved shaven
G3587-02 1 Corinthians 11:6 ξυρᾶσθαι xurasthai V AOR MID INF to be shaven to shave oneself to shave herself
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