Does the Bible condone or condemn
the wearing of earrings?

Q. What does the Bible say about earrings? Are the OK to wear? I see great women of God wearing earrings and I see God doing miracles through them. I strongly believe that we need to be holy and I want to do what is right.

I worked in a Pediatrician's office for nearly four years as a registered nurse and saw some horrendous piercing on the body on even babies where only the diaper goes. One little girl came in with a completely severed ear lobe because her little brother grabbed her hoops and tore the tissue. Ear lobe tissue does not heal well because it lacks blood and nerve tissue. Under these circumstances I dread telling any one that it is a good thing. We are the temple of God and we are told to take care of our bodies properly which includes all kinds of things. It does not make sense to me to do damage to the body that God graciously has given us to take care of, but my daughter says I am too strict.

But the Bible does show that people in those days did wear earrings (actually the word nexem means nose ring or jewel or earring in Strong's Concordance #5141) and bracelets and neck ware and other adornments. It does not tell us except in the statutes of the Law to pierce an ear. In that case it was to designate a permanent slave from an indentured servant who would be released in seven years. (Deuteronomy 15:16-7). These were usually men (but sometimes female servants too) who did not want to leave their wives and children behind when he was released. It was not for an adornment. I would deduce that if they used this kind of demarcation for slaves why would they want to use the same kind of piercing for adornment? They would not be able to tell the difference. So if this particular law was obeyed properly the only women or men who had ears pierced would be permanent slaves and no others.

How the women attached an earring to their ears for adornment alone the Bible does not actually say. Perhaps they just made them to encircle the ears and dangle from behind. No one was there so we do not know. They wore nose rings as well and until just recently that was considered detestable in our culture. I think from some of the archaeology finds they were spring loaded hoops that fit into each nostril. Again they do not have to be pierced in order to do that. I am still unable to figure out how they attach a single jewel to a forehead as they do in India. What holds it on?

The book of 1Peter admonishes us to wear our adornment in our hearts rather than on our person, and we are to be modest in all things:

If you have already gotten your ears pierced and you do not have an allergy or something that would cause more harm and you continue to be modest I do not think God is going to judge you on this. We have much bigger fish to fry. We need to be more concerned about mercy and justice and loving each other as well as following the Law and Will of God in our lives.

But to be sure of his will ask Him if he feels it is appropriate for you to wear earrings. He will tell you and you will know when you feel comfortable about it.