A Brighter Day Begins with His Word.

BIBLE QUESTION DOSSIER

Does the Bible forbid tattoos?

Short answer

Leviticus 19:28 prohibits certain cuttings and an “imprint/mark” on the body in an ancient Israelite context connected with mourning for the dead. Whether that command directly prohibits all modern tattoos for Christians is debated.

The Hebrew term occurs only here, so claims about its exact ancient practice should be made cautiously. Christians also ask broader questions about motive, imagery, stewardship, conscience and cultural meaning.

1. What do the English translations actually say?

The five translations below are stored locally on Born Again Daily, so you can see the wording before anyone tells you what to think about it.

Leviticus 19:27-28

The only biblical verse that explicitly mentions an imprint/tattoo-like mark.

KJV

27 Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard. 28 Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I [am] the LORD.

BSB

27 You must not cut off the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard. 28 You must not make any cuts in your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.

WEB

27 “‘You shall not cut the hair on the sides of your heads, neither shall you clip off the edge of your beard. 28 “‘You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you. I am Yahweh.

ASV

27 Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard. 28 Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am Jehovah.

YLT

27 ‘Ye do not round the corner of your head, nor destroy the corner of thy beard. 28 And a cutting for the soul ye do not put in your flesh; and a writing, a cross-mark, ye do not put on you; I am Jehovah.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

The body-as-temple text is often applied to body modification, though its immediate context is sexual immorality.

KJV

19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

BSB

19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body.

WEB

19 Or don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

ASV

19 Or know ye not that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have from God? and ye are not your own; 20 for ye were bought with a price: glorify God therefore in your body.

YLT

19 Have ye not known that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit in you, which ye have from God? and ye are not your own, 20 for ye were bought with a price; glorify, then, God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Romans 14:13-23

Principles of conscience and not causing another to stumble.

KJV

13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in [his] brother’s way. 14 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that [there is] nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him [it is] unclean. 15 But if thy brother be grieved with [thy] meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. 16 Let not then your good be evil spoken of: 17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. 18 For he that in these things serveth Christ [is] acceptable to God, and approved of men. 19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. 20 For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed [are] pure; but [it is] evil for that man who eateth with offence. 21 [It is] good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor [any thing] whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak. 22 Hast thou faith? have [it] to thyself before God. Happy [is] he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. 23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because [he eateth] not of faith: for whatsoever [is] not of faith is sin.

BSB

13 Therefore let us stop judging one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way. 14 I am convinced and fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. 15 If your brother is distressed by what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother, for whom Christ died. 16 Do not allow what you consider good, then, to be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 For whoever serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men. 19 So then, let us pursue what leads to peace and to mutual edification. 20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to let his eating be a stumbling block. 21 It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything to cause your brother to stumble. 22 Keep your belief about such matters between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23 But the one who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that is not from faith is sin.

WEB

13 Therefore let’s not judge one another any more, but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block in his brother’s way, or an occasion for falling. 14 I know, and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean of itself; except that to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 15 Yet if because of food your brother is grieved, you walk no longer in love. Don’t destroy with your food him for whom Christ died. 16 Then don’t let your good be slandered, 17 for the Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then, let us follow after things which make for peace, and things by which we may build one another up. 20 Don’t overthrow God’s work for food’s sake. All things indeed are clean, however it is evil for that man who creates a stumbling block by eating. 21 It is good to not eat meat, drink wine, nor do anything by which your brother stumbles, is offended, or is made weak. 22 Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who doesn’t judge himself in that which he approves. 23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because it isn’t of faith; and whatever is not of faith is sin. (14:24) Now to him who is able to establish you according to my Good News and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret through long ages, (14:25) but now is revealed, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, is made known for obedience of faith to all the nations; (14:26) to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever! Amen.

ASV

13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge ye this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock in his brother’s way, or an occasion of falling. 14 I know, and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean of itself: save that to him who accounteth anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 15 For if because of meat thy brother is grieved, thou walkest no longer in love. Destroy not with thy meat him for whom Christ died. 16 Let not then your good be evil spoken of: 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 For he that herein serveth Christ is well-pleasing to God, and approved of men. 19 So then let us follow after things which make for peace, and things whereby we may edify one another. 20 Overthrow not for meat’s sake the work of God. All things indeed are clean; howbeit it is evil for that man who eateth with offence. 21 It is good not to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor to do anything whereby thy brother stumbleth. 22 The faith which thou hast, have thou to thyself before God. Happy is he that judgeth not himself in that which he approveth. 23 But he that doubteth is condemned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith; and whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

YLT

13 no longer, therefore, may we judge one another, but this judge ye rather, not to put a stumbling-stone before the brother, or an offence. 14 I have known, and am persuaded, in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean of itself, except to him who is reckoning anything to be unclean—to that one it is unclean; 15 and if through victuals thy brother is grieved, no more dost thou walk according to love; do not with thy victuals destroy that one for whom Christ died. 16 Let not, then, your good be evil spoken of, 17 for the reign of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit; 18 for he who in these things is serving the Christ, is acceptable to God and approved of men. 19 So, then, the things of peace may we pursue, and the things of building up one another; 20 for the sake of victuals cast not down the work of God; all things, indeed, are pure, but evil is to the man who is eating through stumbling. 21 Right it is not to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor to do anything in which thy brother doth stumble, or is made to fall, or is weak. 22 Thou hast faith! to thyself have it before God; happy is he who is not judging himself in what he doth approve, 23 and he who is making a difference, if he may eat, hath been condemned, because it is not of faith; and all that is not of faith is sin.

2. What do the Hebrew and Greek words say?

Important: a lexicon gives a word’s possible senses and usage; it does not magically choose the correct sense without context. “The true meaning” of a biblical word is the meaning it carries in its actual sentence and historical usage.

קַעֲקַע (qaʿaqaʿ)

A rare Hebrew noun meaning incision/imprint/tattoo/mark; it occurs in Leviticus 19:28.

H7085 • קַעֲקַעqa.a.qa — incision

incision, imprintment, tattoo, mark

כְּתֹבֶת (ketovet)

Writing/imprint; part of the phrase in Leviticus 19:28.

H3793 • כְּתֹ֫בֶתke.to.vet — imprint

1) impression, inscription, mark 1a) in the flesh, perhaps a tattoo

3. Where interpretation begins

Direct-prohibition reading

Some Christians apply Leviticus 19:28 straightforwardly as a continuing prohibition on tattoos.

Covenant/context reading

Others see the verse as part of Israel’s holiness code, likely tied to pagan mourning/body-marking practices, and do not treat it as a universal Christian ban.

Wisdom/conscience approach

Many evaluate modern tattoos by content, motive, permanence, social consequences, health, conscience and whether the imagery honors God.

4. A careful conclusion

The Bible contains one explicit ancient prohibition involving body marks, but it does not discuss modern tattoo culture in its present forms. Applying Leviticus 19:28 to Christians today requires a covenant and context judgment, not just finding the English word “tattoo.”

Further study

Compare historical commentaries on Leviticus 19:27-28 →

Search the Early Church Fathers for this subject →