In OT times it was very customary for young women to have pierced ears and pierced noses.

A jeweled nose ring was a highly prized adornment. The hole was bored through the nostril in order that the jewel in the nose ring would lie against the cheek (Eze.16:12)

Because of their costliness, a new nose ring would make a young woman the envy of all her friends.

Sometimes they were given to a girl by a properous suitor as a part of his bride-price. When Abraham sent Eliezer to find a wife for Isaac, he found Rebekah and gave her gifts- a ring and 2 golden bracelets. Rebekah would have immediately recognized their presentation as a marriage proposal, and a good one at that! (Gen.24:22)

So the ring would have been a nose ring?

hi Gail,

the only kind of ring a Christian should have is a Suff

Norman

Abraham was in the line of the patriarchs. Evidently, they had settled in Ur of the Chaldees. In the process, they had acquired some idolatrous customs. It got so bad that God had to call Abraham and his household out of Ur of the Chaldees. They carried with them, no doubt, the customs they had learned while there, and Abraham and Sarah evidently still practiced some of them, for example, the common practice of the husband having concubines. (The Bible records that Abraham had concubines.) Scripture faithfully tells both the good and the bad about the great characters of the Bible. In doing so, the bad is not recommended to us. It is simply the story of what happened, and of how, by the grace of God, the righteous eventually learned better ways.

Polycarp held up his arms with chains dangling from them. "These are the only fitting ornaments for believers.." (Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna).

Just read this post ... and the memories it evoked! In anger, my step-daughter left home for a couple of weeks and came back with a nose ring. Her father was not happy. She very carefully pointed out the Biblical references which you have used.

She concluded with, "And, you didn't think I studied the Bible." He shook his head and went to the workshop.

My advice to parents is "choose your battles".

Don't try to control the things in your child's life that really don't matter. My middle daughter wanted to have her nose pierced, so when she had her next checkup we asked the doctor what kinds of problems he saw with them - the answer, practically none. He saw a lot more problems with ears and belly button piercing.

It was something that she wanted to do, that we did not want her to do, that would not have severe consequences. Since there was no rational reason to forbid it, we gave our consent but not our approval.

She was very responsible in searching for a hygienic place to do the job. She paid for it herself and took good care of it.

She still has it, it causes almost no problems, it is cute. And she is our most communicative kid.

/Bevin

Actually that's good advice in most situations.

Theressa, my step daughter, finally gave up her nose percing but it was several years later. Now she wears a suit and drives a BMW ... living the life of a up and coming young executive.

Suit + BMW = mom really shocked :-)

/Bevin