Why do men have beards?

Question

Hormones obviously is the cause of men having Beards"

but why ? ....... Women don't , so what in nature decided we needed them and women don't

Answer 1

It's a nature-boon for women who have been given many attractive features to attract a mate, ie the absense of facial hair.  If Darwin was right, we're close relatives of the apes who, incidently, seem to do just fine not shaving.

Answer 2

I don't know but think it was a d**n dirty trick of mother nature.  I've missed a lot of sleep because of this vile growth from h**l.

Answer 3

the scriptures actually have much to say about the beard and Paul told Timothy that “ALL scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching... and instruction in righteousness” (II Timothy 3:16). the beard is representative of a man of maturity and full stature and its symbolism is coming back into light at this hour.Although it is rarely preached upon, God gave Moses specific instructions regarding the beard of man and how it was to be worn. As with many of the instructions given to Israel, great symbolism was bound up in this matter. Even as the observances of the feasts pointed to spiritual truths and future fulfillment of the will of God, so does the matter of the beard.Consider the Hebrew meaning for the word beard and its significance begins to be shown. The Hebrew word for beard is zaqan (zaw-kawn'). This is Strongs’ word 2206 and we are told in Strongs’ dictionary of Hebrew and Greek words that the word for beard comes from the related word zaqen (zaw-kane'), which is a primitive root meaning "to be old." The correlation to this second word for age is so clear that Strongs dictionary defines the Hebrew word for beard as “the beard (as indicating age).”

To the Hebrew mind the beard was clearly a symbol of maturity and age. This was not a cultural viewpoint, rather it was an understanding of God’s design in placing a beard on mature males. A boy cannot grow a beard. A boy is one who is not mature. When a young male passes through the time in his life defined as puberty some distinct outward signs accompany this advancement to maturity. One of the signs is that the voice takes on a deeper timber, it becomes more commanding. Another obvious sign is the growth of body hair and, for a male who is modestly arrayed, the only part of this growth that is seen is that which is on the face.It is interesting to note that the Webster’s 1933 Dictionary, (the one I often refer to, preferring the older and more conventional definitions), defines puberty in this way: “the age of maturity; manhood, adult; the time a plant comes into flower.” Did you note that puberty also refers to the time that a plant comes into flower? Is not the beard of a man a sign of the flowering of his manhood? Even as the flower is the beauty and adornment of many plants, so is the beard the beauty and adornment of a man as he crosses the line of puberty and comes into the age of maturity.God gave the beard to man for beauty and glory. Older men whose beards had turned grey were to be accorded special honor because the grey beard was a sign of even greater maturity. We find this understanding in the following verse.

Leviticus 19:32

Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am [Yahweh].

(KJV)

The phrase “Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head” and the phrase “and honour the face of the old man” are actually parallel expressions denoting the same truth. The hoary, or grey head directly corresponds to the phrase “the face of the old man.” The hoary head certainly could include the grey hair found on top of the head, but it most specifically refers to the grey hair of the face which is the beard.An amazing truth is found as one begins to link certain words found here to other scriptures. The word ‘face’ in the above verse is the Hebrew word ‘paniym’ (paw-neem'). It literally means face, but is often interpreted as ‘presence.’ One such place this word is interpreted ‘presence’ is in the scriptures that talk about the Tabernacle of God. In the middle court of the Tabernacle was found the bread of the presence that was placed on the table of shewbread. The word ‘presence’ here is the same word ‘paniym’ which literally means face. The bread that was placed on the Table of shewbread was actually the “bread of faces.”Why then do so many men, especially Christian men, shave off the beard? Certainly part of the reason is that Western society has adopted the pattern of the clean shaven male, and the church invariably follows the pattern of the world in a myriad of matters that they never give a second thought to. A few years ago it was a trend for men to wear short stubbly beards that looked about like a five o'clock shadow, and many in the church followed suit. For a time goatees were somewhat prevalent in society, and they were found in the church as well. The church often mindlessly mimics the world, but this should not be. The saints are not to be conformed to the world, but to seek the will of Christ in all matters, even matters of personal adornment and grooming. Paul spoke in this way to the saints:

The teaching of the apostles was that outward appearance was not irrelevant, though many churches teach that anything is acceptable today. There is a large number of church leaders, and especially youth workers, that proclaim that anything is acceptable, from body piercing to tattoos to gothic apparel to punk hairdos. The saints are warned to not speak against such things lest some youth, or adult members, be offended and choose to not come to church anymore.

This is merely taking the doctrine that "God is love" to an extreme. Yes, God loves those in the world who have bizarrely altered their appearance. Yet He desires to transform all according to His vision of holiness and righteousness. The saints are to die to their independent and soulish ways, and be conformed to the image of Christ. Christ loved the woman who was caught in adultery, but He told her to "go and sin no more." Love does not demand that we coddle people and teach them to remain conformed to the ways of the world. Love instructs the saints to seek the mind and will of the Father for their life and to not love the world.

I know there are many men in the church who will scoff at this teaching, for they choose not to wear a beard, but these same men will often speak out against the abberrations mentioned above. What they have failed to discern is that according to Biblical example, it is a bizarre abberration for a man to shave the hair off of his face. These smooth faced men would appear as much as oddities to many of the saints found in scripture as those who wear spiked, purple hair.

I believe there is another reason that many Christian men fail to wear a beard today. I believe God has allowed the beard to be absent from the men of the body as an attesting sign to the overall lack of maturity among the saints today. When the body should have long ago progressed to eating meat, they have remained drinking only the milk of the word. When they should have advanced to the place of being teachers themselves, they have need for someone to teach them again. The body has failed to come to maturity, and as a testimony against them God has allowed them to fall under deception and delusion in this matter. They have cut off their beards which symbolize their advancement past childhood, and in an outward way they are agreeing with God that the body of Christ lacks maturity. God prophesied through Isaiah that He would send delusions upon the people of His choosing.

Isaiah 66:4

I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.

(KJV)

This is an awesome thing indeed. God said, “I also will choose their delusions...” A delusion has come upon the mind of man. Man has failed to press on to maturity as God has designed and as a judgment God has given them over to delusion. One of these delusions which God has chosen is that man should despise his beard which was given to him as a sign of maturity and a symbol of glory. Even as the body of Christ has failed to mature and to become worthy of glory, a delusion has come over them where they willingly shave and cast off that which God designed to proclaim maturity. Is this not a most fitting judgment and delusion for those who have not answered God, nor listened to Him when He spoke?

I feel I must interject here that I am not saying that if a man does not wear a beard that it is a testimony of his immaturity. I know of many men who are mature and godly who do not wear a beard. Some have simply never considered the testimony of the beard, and some have expressed other sincere reasons for not wearing a beard that they feel are valid. Such men are a small number, however, and I believe the overall absence of beards among the church is a sign of the general level of immaturity.

To those who would say that the beard is just an external matter and it holds no real value, I would ask “Why do you want to throw away that which God has ordained to cover the face of man?” Do you have a good reason for doing so? We teach that the spiritual realm takes precedence over the physical or natural realm, but it is in the natural realm that what is in our spirits is manifest. Is this not a reason why God created man in the first place, that He might have a way to manifest His person to all of creation?

Christ Yahshua had a beard and we know that He only did what He saw the Father doing. Yahshua did not wear a beard because it was a social standard of the time. The only standard Yahshua conformed Himself to was the standard of His Father. He did not see the Father cutting off the beard, so he did not cut off the beard. Yahshua not only had a beard, He had a substantial beard. We are told of Him “I gave My back to those who struck Me, and My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard...” (Isaiah 50:6). One cannot easily pluck out the beard of one who has cut his beard short. It is only a full beard that can be grasped and pulled in this manner. Furthermore, Yahshua said that He came to fulfill the Law and the Law has these commands concerning the beard:

Leviticus 19:2

Answer 4

Evolutionarily, to make them look manly so they will have mates--Also, hair = warmth, so men retained their beards for warmth as well.

Answer 5

To excite women for mating according to the laws of mother nature . when they kiss the hair of the beard brushes and rubs the woman soft un-protected skin . the man will press with his beard on her neck with a little rubbing . this will excite the woman .

Answer 6

testosterone, girls dont have as much, but we do have a little bit. estrogen and progesterone help us not get one. its just the way it works i guess,

Answer 7

It is one of Gods punishments for our disobedience in the Garden of Edan. That d**n apple.

It is a hormone thing. It makes us grow hair where we don't want it and fall out where we want it. It is figured now days that we should be clean of face like women, thus having to shave every day. It is a curse upon men.

Women are not exempt in parts of the world with having to shave legs and arm pits.

When I was forced into retirement by the sale of the company I quite shaving. My granddaughter refers to me as her "Santa Claus Grandpa." I have not shaved or gotten a haircut in over two years.

Old hippie and Viet Nam Vet. 30 year retiree from IBM.