Language Studies

Difficult Sayings

Tattoos taboo?
Leviticus 19:28

"You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you" (Leviticus 19:28)

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 (16:6; 41:5; 47:5) against it.

Cutting the flesh, was a sign of intense mourning for the dead or religious devotion in the ancient world, particularly amongst the Amorites and Babylonians, and even the Persians, Scythians and Romans. Some have suggested that there was an element of drawing lifeblood for the deceased to help them in their passage to the next life. A familiar biblical passage deals with Elijah facing off the prophets of Ba’al who were "cutting themselves" (1 Kings 18:28) in order to encourage their god to answer.

The phrase "tattoo any marks" is made up of three words. The first, כְּת^·בֶת kethôbheth (Strong's #3793), is a simple word meaning inscription or writing and is used only here in Scripture, but does seem to imply some legible text being written, rather than a decorative pattern. The second word, קַאֲקַא qa‘aqa‘ (Strong's #7085), is also a hapax legomena (unique word only occurring once) probably deriving from a verb to brand or sear, or perhaps onomatopoeically, "to cut". The last word is the very common verb נָתַן nâthan (Strong's #5414) “to give, put, set, make”. So clearly the translation "tattoo" is a modern idiom as the correct Hebrew would be "and branded-writings not you-will-give".

This leads us on to the fact that the main condemnation was of being branded with the name of another god on your skin. Indeed, the Jewish Mishnah (Maccot, 3.5-6; cf. Babylonian Talmud, Maccot, 21a) comments on this verse that the cuttings were concerning the dead and were wrong and that the doer was liable. Regarding the tattoos it was more lenient explaining that making a mark on the skin that was not a tattoo, or making a tattoo that did not result in a mark was not wrong. This would make temporary removable tattoos fine (depending upon the content of the tattoo). Rabbi Simeon elucidated further that only if the tattoo contained the name of a god was it wrong.

The question, therefore, as to whether a non-idolatrous tattoo may be worn is then, perhaps, acceptable. Indeed, God himself is a tattoo artist according to Revelation 14:1 where believers will be marked by the name of the Father on their foreheads! God also marks those that are his with a sign on their foreheads elsewhere in the Old Testament (Cain, Genesis 4:15; righteous believers sighing over sin, Ezekiel 9:4—6).

Marking a person was also considered acceptable in the Mosaic Law if it was a freewill decision, for example, of a slave-servant to extend his service to his master. In Exodus 21:5-6, the willing slave would end up having his ear pierced as a sign of service and love of his master.

Christ was branded, admittedly by others, and carried in his flesh the marks of his suffering on our behalf. These self-same marks are now almost worshipped and revered around the world in several expressions of the Christian Church.

But in all our doings we are reminded by the New Testament statement that our, "body is the temple of the Holy Ghost ... therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Whatever we do to our bodies, does it glorify God? Paul was actually talking about sexual immorality rather than surface changes that are only on the skin. Nonetheless, tattooing "Jesus rocks" on your bum would likely be less glorifying than perhaps "Jesus saves" on your forearm.

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