The cultural tattoo fad shows no signs of slowing down. If anything, tattoos are becoming more popular each year. I'm pushing up against forty, which means I remember when tattoos were rare in law-abiding circles. Most Christians were united in their stance against tattoos. It certainly wasn't a controversial subject or a topic of hot debate among professing Christians. I don't claim to understand exactly when, why, or how the shift towards accepting tats began. I have a specific memory of seeing a reasonably well-known "prophet" on YouTube with tattoo sleeves coiling down his arms and ringing up his neck and onto parts of his face. I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I was still naïve enough at the time to be shocked.
Since then, a slew of "name brand" preachers have given cheeky pro-tat arguments on social media. Typically, their statements are flippant, funny, theologically thin, and arrogant. What they lack in character, they make up for in charisma, making them popular and convincing to many people. So, with the ever-increasing popularity of tattoos and all the theological misinformation floating around, I felt it was time to weigh in with why I (and many others) remain firmly against tats. However, I want to be clear for those who already have tattoos — that sin and all other sins can be placed under the blood of Jesus. And, while I'm all for conviction, this article is not intended to instigate condemnation against the forgiven. That said, the following are biblical reasons why tattoos violate God's standards of holiness for men and women, and then I'll answer several common questions relating to tattoos.
God's Clear Command in Leviticus 19:28
Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the Lord (Leviticus 19:28).
Never slash (cut) your body to mourn the dead, and never get a tattoo. I am the Lord [God's Word Translation] (Leviticus 19:28).
I consider tattoos to be a watershed issue of holiness. And by that, I mean it's challenging to find a holiness standard more clearly articulated than "…never get a tattoo. I am the Lord." We don't have any Scriptures against meth or cocaine, yet we understand the principles of God's Word to be in opposition to illicit drugs. But here, we have a clear command directly from the Lord, and still, people find a way to wriggle around it. I've found that if someone can read this command and still not care about tattoos, there is very little else they will take seriously regarding holiness of lifestyle. If you can ignore one Scripture, you can easily ignore others.
Perhaps it would help to examine why God gave this command. First, "Both cutting and tattooing the body were done by the heathen."[1] And secondly, "Tattooing was probably practiced in ancient Egypt… Any voluntary disfigurement of the person was in itself an outrage upon God's workmanship and might well form the subject of a law."[2] We are God's workmanship (Ephesians 2:10) and significantly altering His design is an affront to His artistry. The Holman Old Testament Commentary clarifies the principles of holiness outlined in Leviticus 19:28 even further: "They were not to disfigure their bodies in any manner or adorn their bodies with tattoos."[3] So, here we see that any bodily disfigurement and vanity of adornment are connected to this holiness standard. The IVP Old Testament Commentary agrees: "The Israelite law may prohibit this practice since it involves a self-imposed alteration of God's creation, unlike circumcision, which is commanded by God."[4]
Usually, pro-tat preachers argue that the Old Testament moratorium against tattoos is exclusively about getting a specific kind of tattoo. For example, they might say something like, "As long as you don't get a tattoo of a false god, you're fine." While it is true that pagans often used tattoos to express allegiance to a particular false god, it's far from the only reason pagans tattooed themselves. If that's the only reason God forbids tattoos, He could and would have made that clear. Also, using that logic, God should have said something like, "If you do get a tattoo, make sure it shows allegiance to Me." God's previous and often repeated commands from Exodus 20:3-5 already forbid anything associated with idolatry or false gods:
Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God…
I think God covered it thoroughly in the above Scriptures. No Hebrew in their right mind would read that and think, "Ah, but surely a Baal tat would be ok." No. Leviticus 19:28 means something more profound than that. This leads us to the second and more misleading claim people typically use to justify tattoos. Because the context of the first portion of Leviticus 19:28 deals with mourning the dead, pro-tat folks might say, "Tattoos are fine; just don't get a tattoo to mourn dead friends or family members." The King James Version does make this exegetical error easy to make. However, even the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible (hardly a shining bastion of conservative theology) states, "Unlike the first part of the verse, tattoos are not associated with mourning rites."[5] Ironically, scores of Christians tattoo the names of dead friends and family members on their bodies in mourning and remembrance — which further illustrates the sad pervasiveness of biblical ignorance or blatant disregard for biblical authority over modern lifestyles.
To review a few reasons God forbids tattoos: "Holiness requires Israel not to act like the pagans in any areas of life."[6] In other words, we are to be inwardly and outwardly separate, distinct, and different from the world's people. Furthermore, "Leviticus 19:28 forbids the marking of the flesh."[7] In the end, God doesn't need a reason that makes sense to us. If God says don't get a tattoo, the question should be settled regardless of our opinions. If God can't tell a person how to live, then He is no God at all to that person. Tattoos violate several other holiness principles, which I will take a closer look at below. However, God's clear command in Leviticus 19:28 is by far the only reason any Christian should need to abstain from tattoos.
Cutting and Marking: Scripture's Inseparable Pair
Before examining the priestly prohibition, we need to address something most readers miss about Leviticus 19:28. The verse contains two prohibitions, not one: "Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you." Cutting the flesh and marking the flesh are listed side by side — and that pairing is not accidental. It appears repeatedly throughout Scripture. Leviticus 19:28, Leviticus 21:5, and Deuteronomy 14:1 all prohibit cutting the body. In each case, God treats the violation of bodily integrity — whether by lacerating the skin or permanently marking it — as belonging to the same category of offense.
Why would God pair these two things together? Because, at a fundamental level, they are the same act. The Hebrew word seret, translated "cuttings" in Leviticus 19:28, means to incise, slash, or lacerate the flesh.[25] What many readers don't realize is that the ancient tattoo process described in the second half of that same verse was also a form of cutting. Ancient commentators confirm that tattooing was accomplished by puncturing or pricking the skin with a sharp instrument and then filling the wound with ink, dye, or another coloring agent.[26] In other words, the tattoo prohibition in the second half of Leviticus 19:28 is not a random add-on to the cutting prohibition in the first half. They are two expressions of the same principle: Do not break open your skin for ungodly purposes.
Modern tattooing has not changed this fundamental reality. A tattoo machine drives needles into the skin between fifty and three thousand times per minute, puncturing through the outer layer of skin (epidermis) and into the deeper layer (dermis), where the ink is deposited into what the body treats as an open wound.[27] That's not an exaggeration — it's the clinical description of the process. Tattooing is, by definition, the repeated cutting and puncturing of human flesh. Scripture's consistent pairing of cutting and marking isn't a coincidence. It reflects the nature of the act itself.
This pairing also carries deeply troubling spiritual associations throughout the Bible. When the prophets of Baal desperately tried to get their false god to answer, they "cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them" (1 Kings 18:28). Cutting the flesh was a hallmark of pagan worship — a way of offering one's body to a false deity. Deuteronomy 14:1 prohibited the same behavior, grounding the prohibition in Israel's identity: "Ye are the children of the LORD your God: ye shall not cut yourselves." The logic is clear: if you belong to God, your body is not yours to lacerate, puncture, or mark at will.
Even in the New Testament, the connection between flesh-cutting and demonic influence is unmistakable. The Gadarene demoniac — the man possessed by a legion of evil spirits — was found among the tombs "crying, and cutting himself with stones" (Mark 5:5). No one forced him to do it. The demons drove him to mutilate his own body. I am not suggesting that everyone who gets a tattoo is demon-possessed. But I am saying that Scripture consistently associates the cutting and marking of the flesh with paganism, idolatry, and demonic activity. That pattern should give every sincere believer pause.
The Priestly Prohibition
With that context in mind, consider that God gave the priesthood a separate, even stricter prohibition against body markings in Leviticus 21:5: They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh. The word translated "cuttings" here is, again, the Hebrew seret — the same word used in Leviticus 19:28. Leviticus 19 applied to all Israelites. Leviticus 21 applied specifically to the priesthood. God repeated the command for His priests with additional emphasis, making it clear that those who served in His presence were held to the highest possible standard regarding their bodies.
Here's why that matters to you and me. The Apostle Peter called every born-again believer "a holy priesthood" and "a royal priesthood" (1 Peter 2:5, 9). That's not a metaphor for how nice Christians are — it's a declaration of identity and responsibility. Just as the ancient priests were set apart to serve in God's presence, New Testament believers are set apart because God's presence literally dwells inside us through the Holy Ghost (1 Corinthians 6:19). We aren't occasional visitors to the temple — we are the temple. And if the priests who merely served near God's presence were forbidden from cutting or marking their bodies, how much more should those of us who carry His presence within us take that standard seriously?
The logic is simple: greater privilege means greater responsibility. Jesus said it plainly: "To whom much is given, much will be required" (Luke 12:48). The ancient priests received the extraordinary privilege of serving near the presence of God, and God required them to treat their bodies accordingly. We have received an even greater privilege — His Spirit living inside us — and it stands to reason that our responsibility is at least as great as theirs, if not greater. The priestly prohibition against body markings wasn't relaxed for the New Testament Church. If anything, the standard was raised. (For a much deeper treatment of this topic, see my article on the royal priesthood of believers.)
Wisdom and Cultural Associations
Even setting Scripture aside for a moment, wisdom alone argues against tattoos. A 2018 research paper in The Journal of Social Psychology found that tattooed individuals are broadly perceived as possessing negative character attributes — including being less competent, less inhibited, and more promiscuous — and that these perceptions create real consequences in hiring, workplace credibility, and social trust.[8] Now, I want to be careful here. Christians aren't in the business of making life decisions based on cultural opinion polls. We're frequently called to be countercultural, and we should embrace that calling without apology. But there's a difference between being countercultural for the sake of righteousness and being countercultural for the sake of self-expression. One costs something for the Kingdom. The other just costs something.
The broader biblical principle is what really matters. Paul wrote, "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not" (1 Corinthians 10:23). He also wrote, "Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God" (1 Corinthians 10:32). The Christian's calling is to edify, not to express. Even if tattoos weren't explicitly forbidden — and they are — the believer's obligation to maintain a credible witness, to avoid unnecessary offense, and to prioritize the Kingdom over personal aesthetics would still argue powerfully against them.
Modesty and Vanity
By their nature, tattoos violate the holiness principles of modesty and vanity. Both subjects are worth a long discussion. However, for this conversation, I'm going to assume we already agree that Scripture emphatically opposes vanity and requires modesty of dress and conduct. The entire purpose of a tattoo is to draw attention to a particular portion of the body. Often, tattoos are exhibited on areas of the body that should be covered for modesty's sake. Furthermore, the desire and willingness to use the body as an attention-grabbing canvas violates the biblical imperatives of meekness, shamefacedness, and humility (Colossians 3:2, 1 Timothy 2:9, Philippians 2:3, James 4:6).
Consider the Apostle Peter's instruction that a believer's adornment should be "the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price" (1 Peter 3:4). The entire thrust of the New Testament's teaching on personal appearance moves in one direction: inward, not outward. It moves toward hiddenness, not display. It moves toward meekness, not self-expression. Tattoos move in precisely the opposite direction. They externalize, they display, and they demand attention. A tattoo is, by definition, an outward adornment designed to be seen. That fundamental orientation puts tattoos squarely at odds with the spirit of New Testament holiness.
The Apostle John further warned: "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world" (1 John 2:15-16). Tattoos appeal to the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. They are visual displays designed to project identity, attract attention, and communicate status. John's categorical declaration — that such things are "not of the Father, but is of the world" — should settle the issue for any sincere believer.
Health Concerns
It amazes me that people have no problem covering their bodies with carcinogen-laced inks in a culture obsessed with finding things that cause cancer. I bought a guitar strap the other day, and the tag had a warning that said, "Some of these materials may cause cancer." We're worried about cloth guitar straps but not inking our skin! Many of the same people who ink their bodies are busy making their own "safe" soaps and worrying about the effects of pest control chemicals. There's a disconcerting mental disconnect on display here.
Penn Medicine released an article called Think Before You Ink: Tattoo Health Risks which raises safety concerns that go largely unreported. Essentially, the ink in tattoos contains definite cancer-causing ingredients. But what I found most interesting was this concern:
In addition to the fear of carcinogens contained in the ink, individuals are also concerned about how these tattoos cover the body. A change in skin pigmentation is one of the earliest signs of skin cancer, particularly melanoma. When the body is "blacked out" with tattoo ink, individuals may not be able to notice these changes right away.[9]
An article in the Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery catalogs an alarming list of potential infections caused by tattooing, including bacterial infections from Streptococcus pyogenes and Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA, syphilis, and even leprosy.[10]
The health concerns have only intensified with recent research. A 2024 peer-reviewed study published in Oxford University Press found that tattoo inks contain heavy metals including cadmium, lead, mercury, antimony, beryllium, and arsenic — substances known to cause cancer, degenerative brain diseases, and cardiovascular abnormalities.[28] More alarmingly, a 2025 study of Danish twins published in BMC Public Health found that tattooed individuals had significantly higher rates of both skin cancer and lymphoma. People with large tattoos had 2.73 times the rate of lymphoma and 2.37 times the rate of skin cancer compared to those without tattoos.[29] Why? Because tattoo ink doesn't stay where it's injected. Ink particles migrate through the bloodstream and accumulate in the lymph nodes — a crucial part of the immune system — where they trigger chronic inflammation that may lead to abnormal cell growth.[30] A separate study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in late 2025 confirmed that tattoo ink accumulating in the lymph nodes induces a prolonged inflammatory response and even alters the body's immune response to vaccines.[31]
Perhaps most disturbing is how poorly regulated tattoo inks remain. The FDA reported eighteen voluntary recalls of contaminated tattoo inks between 2003 and 2024 — contaminated with bacteria harmful to human health.[32] Many pigments used in tattoo ink are not approved for skin contact at all. Some are industrial-grade colors originally designed for printer's ink or automobile paint.[33] We sterilize surgical instruments and regulate food dye, but the ink that gets injected into human skin by the millions of doses annually has operated in a regulatory void for decades.
Scripture teaches that our bodies belong to God, and with that ownership comes a responsibility to care for what He has entrusted to us. The Apostle John prayed, "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth" (3 John 1:2). Physical health is not a peripheral concern for believers — it's connected to our spiritual vitality and our ability to serve God effectively. Voluntarily injecting known carcinogens and heavy metals into the skin God gave us is poor stewardship at best and reckless defiance at worst.
Permanent Life Impact
Everyone knows someone these days stuck with an embarrassing tattoo of their ex's name. Tattoo regret is common and creates a lot of anxiety, humiliation, and distress. That unicorn on a cloud might seem super silly as maturity sets in. That phrase that seemed so profound a few years ago might sound stupid now. Wisdom should inform us that permanently marking our bodies could lead to frustration and mortification later in life. No matter how sure you are now, you can't be sure that you'll be sure in the future.
According to Pew Research Center, approximately one in four tattooed Americans — 24% — regret at least one of their tattoos, a rate that has nearly doubled from 14% in 2012.[34] Among those who regret their ink, 75% got their tattoos before age twenty-one, and 48% say the tattoo they regret most was a spontaneous decision.[35] That's nearly half of all regretted tattoos resulting from an impulse. The permanence of the act combined with the impulsiveness of the decision should concern anyone thinking clearly about it.
You might say, "But they have tattoo removal procedures now." Out of curiosity, I investigated that and found a lot of conflicting information. For one thing, it's not a completely sure thing that every tattoo can be removed entirely. And even if you can remove one, it's an awful process. Lauren Chan talks about it in a fascinating Glamour article, Tattoo Removal: 14 Things I Wish I Had Known Before Getting It. Lauren writes, "A complete tattoo removal takes a minimum of two and a half years."[11] By all accounts, the process hurts and costs thousands of dollars to remove a single tattoo. And if that isn't discouraging enough, the process usually leaves permanent scarring and possibly discoloration. And the common side effects are terrible, according to Lauren Chan.[12] In other words, it's unrealistic to assume you can wipe away a tattoo later if you decide you don't like it. I wish you could, but it just doesn't work that way.
There's a principle embedded in this practical reality that deserves more attention. Proverbs 22:3 says, "A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished." The hallmark of wisdom is foresight — the ability to anticipate consequences before they arrive. The hallmark of foolishness is impulsivity — acting on the desire of the moment without counting the cost. Tattoos, by their very nature, require a person to make a permanent decision based on a present feeling. How many feelings that seemed overwhelming at twenty-five proved embarrassingly shallow at forty-five? Wisdom demands that we exercise extreme caution before making irreversible alterations to our bodies, and holiness demands that we not make them at all.
The Body Is God's Temple, Not Ours
The Bible teaches that we have been "bought with a price," therefore, we must "glorify God with our bodies" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). We are God's temple because His Spirit dwells inside us (1 Corinthians 3:16-17). Our bodies are meant to be the temple and a sacrifice. We are instructed to "present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God" (Romans 12:1-2). I'm emphasizing this because I hear things like "it's my body and my choice," even in Christian circles. But the reality for a believer is that it's God's body, and He makes the choices. I don't get to do anything I want to do with this body I've been given. I've given my life to Christ, and that includes my body. Tattoos defile our temple with rebellion and render our sacrifice unacceptable to God.
Paul's language in 1 Corinthians 3:17 is stunningly severe: "If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are." That word "defile" is the Greek phtheirō, meaning to corrupt, to ruin, or to destroy.[13] Paul isn't issuing a gentle suggestion. He's delivering a warning with eternal consequences. The temple of God is holy. We are that temple. And any deliberate corruption of what God has sanctified invites His displeasure.
Consider the Old Testament parallel. When Belshazzar drank from the sacred vessels taken from the Jerusalem temple, using them for a drunken feast with his concubines, God's judgment was immediate and fatal (Daniel 5:1-6, 23-30). Those vessels were set apart for holy use. How much more seriously does God regard the vessels of human bodies, sanctified by His indwelling Spirit? We wouldn't graffiti the walls of a church building — how much less should we graffiti the living temple of the Holy Ghost?
Associations with the Occult, Death, and Paganism
Throughout recorded history, tattoos have been intricately associated with occultism, death, mysticism, and paganism. Modern Christians either don't know this, don't care, or both. Many Christians no longer believe in the supernatural. To them, demons, witchcraft, and all things associated with it are biblical metaphors for something else. Just like Harry Potter, it isn't to be taken seriously. They aren't worried about the dark implications and associations shrouding tattoos. While researching, I noticed a testimonial on a blog by a woman identified as EB. Her real-life experience brings insight into the issue of tattooing that I couldn't possibly give. Here's what she had to say:
Prior to becoming a believer, I worked as a tattoo artist and am covered in ink. I spent years in that industry and have more tattoos than you'd care to count. Let me start by saying that the world of tattooing is absolutely and utterly demonic in every conceivable way. While its cultural roots are in paganism, its present life source is pride. I've tattooed hundreds, if not thousands, of people, and, without exception, each one of them (including my own and including the "Christian" pieces) were conceived of and carried out for purposes of self-exaltation and boastful individualism.
Up to my conversion, you would never have found me in long sleeves. My tattoos were my identity; without them, I was just "normal." There is nothing the world hates more than normalcy. Almost immediately upon coming to Christ, my long sleeve shirt collection began to grow, and, at the present time, the only short sleeve shirts I have are undershirts that I wear… well, under other shirts. The only thing positive I can say about my tattoos is that they are a shameful and embarrassing reminder of how deep a pit I was pulled from and that it was not by my will but His that I was saved.[14]
That testimony is worth lingering over. A woman who spent years inside the tattoo industry described it as "absolutely and utterly demonic in every conceivable way." She said its "present life source is pride." And upon conversion, her instinct — without anyone telling her — was to cover up. That instinct mirrors what we see in Scripture: when people encounter the holiness of God, they become acutely aware of their nakedness and their need to be covered (Genesis 3:7-8, Isaiah 6:1-5). The impulse to cover our shame is God-given. The impulse to display it is not.
From the historical perspective, The Tattoo History Source Book speaks to the twisted religious heritage of tattoos:
The actual tattooing process, which involved complex ritual and taboos, could only be done by priests and was associated with beliefs which were secrets known only to members of the priestly caste… historically tattooing originated in connection with ancient rites of scarification and bloodletting which were associated with religious practices intended to put the human soul in harmony with supernatural forces and ensure continuity between this life and the next.[15]
According to Amy Krakow in her chronicle The Total Tattoo Book: "Tattooing has had well-defined roles: Marking a rite of passage at a stage of life, calling the spirits, proudly, defiantly or sneakily showing who you are via body art."[16]
Here's another disturbing quote for your consideration:
The reasons why puncturing the skin should be regarded with some degree of awe are not far to seek, for, in the first place, there is the drawing of blood, which to the savage world over is full of significance as a rejuvenating and immortalizing factor. There is, in addition to the opening of numerous inlets for evil to enter.[17]
If you think the spiritual aspect of tattooing is a thing of the past… think again. One quick Google search into tattoo insiders revealed the current tat trends include "astrology inspired ink, religious tribal art, spiritual tattoos, specifically mandala, hamza, and lotus designs that are deeply associated with healing, balance, growth, rebirth, and positive energies."[18] One popular tattooer described the hot new trend of abstract expression art "that allows us to free ourselves from the mental blocks placed around what we know to be right or wrong."[19] That last quote is telling. The tattoo industry isn't just offering aesthetic services — it's offering a philosophy. And that philosophy is the age-old lie of the serpent: "You shall be as gods, knowing good and evil" (Genesis 3:5). It's the promise that you can redefine right and wrong on your own terms, with your own body as the canvas. The past and current tattoo connections with humanistic, hedonistic, and demonist practices are so prevalent that it would take a large book to document all of it. I'm convinced that overlooking these things would take willful blindness or intentional complacency.
The Addictive Nature of Tattoos
An often-overlooked dimension of tattoos is their addictive quality. Tattoo artists and psychologists alike have noted that many people who get one tattoo describe an overwhelming urge to get more. The phrase "tattoos are addictive" has become a cultural cliché, but there's genuine substance behind it. Research has shown that the rush of endorphins released during the tattooing process can create a physiological craving for the experience.[20] Tattoo culture even has a term for it — "tattoo fever."
This should trouble Christians for several reasons. First, anything that creates compulsive behavior undermines the self-control that Scripture demands of believers. Paul wrote, "All things are lawful unto me, but I will not be brought under the power of any" (1 Corinthians 6:12). The Greek word translated "power" is exousiazō, meaning to be mastered or controlled by something. Paul refused to let anything besides Christ exercise authority over his body. When people describe tattoos as addictive — when one tattoo becomes five, and five becomes twenty — we're witnessing exactly the kind of mastery Paul warned against.
Second, the addictive progression of tattoos mirrors the pattern of all fleshly indulgence. What begins as a small compromise escalates into a consuming habit. James described this trajectory clearly: "But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death" (James 1:14-15). The first tattoo is rarely the last. And each subsequent one pushes the boundary further, desensitizing the conscience and normalizing what was once unthinkable. That is the hallmark of sin's progressive nature.
Common Questions and Objections Answered
The Divine Tattoo
Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me (Isaiah 49:16).
People often use this verse to argue that God has a cosmically divine tattoo. And so, the reasoning goes, if God can get a tattoo, I can too. But that kind of thinking is wrong on several levels. First, we don't get to do everything God gets to do. For example, we aren't allowed to seek revenge or vengeance. Yet, God said of Himself, "vengeance is mine" (Romans 12:19, Deuteronomy 32:35, Hebrews 10:30, Leviticus 19:18). Secondly, people citing this verse are assuming the word translated in the King James Version as "graven" literally means "tattoo." However, the Hebrew word used here is chaqaq, which means "to cut in."[21] The allusion of something being "graven" on God's palms is more closely connected to the symbolism of the divine engraving of the Ten Commandments into stone (Exodus 31:18). Or it might even be seen as a metaphor foreshadowing the nail-scarred hands of Jesus. But even if "graven" were meant to conjure up the image of tattoos on God's palms, it still wouldn't validate tattoos for us. Why? Because regardless of how you translate the verse, the imagery is a figurative illustration meant to drive a point home. God is a Spirit (John 4:24). He doesn't have physical arms or hands. Furthermore, God doesn't need a string around His finger or a post-it note reminding Him to love us.
Jesus' Cosmic Thigh Tattoo
And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King of Kings, And Lord of Lords (Revelation 19:16).
This objection is even less plausible than the last one. Not only would Jesus not have a tattoo because it is forbidden in God's Word (Leviticus 19:28), but neither would He immodestly expose His thigh (Isaiah 47:2-3). It's an untenable leap from the word "written" to "tattooed." There isn't one shred of evidence that Revelation 19:16 hints at a cosmic tattoo on Jesus' thigh. Admittedly, the King James' translation is a little clunky here, which might cause some to wonder if the name is written on Jesus' vesture and leg. Interestingly, out of the fifty or so English translations I checked, the Contemporary English Version was the most accurate (the CEV is not a paraphrase): "On the part of the robe that covered his thigh was written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords" (Revelation 19:16).
Paul's "Marks" in Galatians 6:17
From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus (Galatians 6:17).
This verse occasionally surfaces in pro-tattoo arguments. The reasoning goes something like this: "Paul had marks on his body for Jesus — so Christian tattoos are biblical." But this argument crumbles under the slightest scrutiny. The Greek word Paul used is stigmata, which in antiquity referred to brands or scars — the marks a slave bore from his master, or the wounds a soldier carried from battle.[22] Paul was referring to the literal scars on his body from beatings, stonings, and imprisonments for the sake of the Gospel (2 Corinthians 11:23-27). He was beaten with rods three times, stoned and left for dead, and shipwrecked three times. Those scars weren't chosen — they were endured. They weren't decorative — they were sacrificial. Comparing self-inflicted tattoos to scars earned through persecution for Christ's sake isn't just exegetically wrong; it's borderline offensive to the Apostle's suffering.
The Forbidden Haircut
Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard (Leviticus 19:27).
This objection sounds compelling at first: "God condemned certain haircuts in the verse right before He forbade tattoos. If we don't follow the haircut rule anymore, why follow the tattoo rule?" It's a fair question, and it deserves a thoughtful answer rather than a dismissive one. The key is understanding what God was actually forbidding in verse 27 — and why it's fundamentally different from what He forbade in verse 28.
God wasn't condemning ordinary haircuts or beard trims. He was forbidding specific grooming practices that were tied to pagan ritual. The IVP Bible Background Commentary provides essential context here. The command's placement immediately after the prohibition against divination (Leviticus 19:26) is not accidental — it signals that these grooming practices were connected to occult activity. In Canaanite religion, hair was considered a carrier of a person's life essence and was routinely used in divination and sympathetic magic. Shaving specific portions of the head was a ritual offering to the spirits of the dead (see Deuteronomy 14:1), and a ninth-century B.C. Phoenician inscription records the dedication of shaven hair to the goddess Astarte. In the ancient Near East, specific cuts of hair functioned like a spiritual uniform — they identified you with a particular deity or occult practice.[23]
That's the critical distinction. The haircut command targeted a specific cultural practice with direct ties to pagan worship. God wasn't regulating grooming — He was severing His people's participation in idolatrous rituals. Hair grows back. A haircut is temporary and morally neutral in itself. But Leviticus 19:28 is different in kind, not just in degree. Tattoos are permanent markings on the body. The command against them isn't tied to one specific pagan ritual — it's a comprehensive prohibition: "nor print any marks upon you." The scope of the language matters. God didn't say "don't get this kind of tattoo." He said don't print any marks. That's a categorical difference from the haircut command, and treating them as equivalent misreads both verses.
"This is the New Testament"
Many Christians confronted with Leviticus 19:28 are quick to point out that they aren't bound by Old Testament laws. This objection is understandable on the surface, but it reflects a misunderstanding of how the Old and New Testaments relate to one another. What did Jesus do when confronted by Lucifer's temptations in the wilderness? He quoted moral commandments from the Old Testament (Matthew 4:1-11). While it's true that the Old Testament's ceremonial laws don't bind New Testament Christians, we're still bound to every moral law of God. For example, did you know that bestiality is only forbidden in the Old Testament (Leviticus 18:23, Leviticus 20:15-16)? Does that mean that God now, under the New Covenant, approves of bestiality? It's also worth looking at Leviticus 19:29, which is the verse right after the tattoo verse:
Do not prostitute thy daughter, to cause her to be a whore; lest the land fall to whoredom, and the land become full of wickedness (Leviticus 19:29).
This is the only place in the entire Bible where God directly forbids someone to prostitute their daughter. Would that still be a sin, or is it just an outdated Old Testament rule? Many other moral laws are only forbidden in the Old Testament, such as the human sacrifice of children. Nowhere in the New Testament is this forbidden. It's only the moral laws we don't like that we write off as irrelevant and antiquated. The Matthew Henry Commentary sums up how Christians should view Leviticus 19 in general: "Some ceremonial precepts there are in this chapter, but most of them are moral. Most of these precepts are binding on us, for they are expositions of most of the ten commandments."[24]
Furthermore, it's worth noting that the "this is the New Testament" argument cuts its own throat. If the Old Testament prohibition against tattoos is dismissed because we live under a new covenant, then consistency would demand dismissing the surrounding moral commands in Leviticus 19 as well — commands against theft, lying, withholding wages, showing partiality, spreading slander, and hating your neighbor (Leviticus 19:11-18). No serious Christian would argue those commands are defunct. You can't selectively discard Leviticus 19:28 while clinging to the rest of the chapter. If we're being honest, the "Old Testament" objection is rarely applied consistently — it tends to surface only when a command conflicts with something we've already decided we want to do.
"My Tattoo Glorifies God"
This is one of the most common objections in charismatic and Pentecostal circles, and it sounds deeply sincere. The argument goes something like this: "My tattoo is a cross" or "My tattoo says 'Jesus Saves,' so it glorifies God." I don't doubt the sincerity behind that reasoning. But sincerity doesn't override Scripture. We don't get to glorify God by disobeying Him. Saul tried that. He spared the best of the Amalekite livestock, claiming he wanted to sacrifice them to God. Samuel's response was devastating: "Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice" (1 Samuel 15:22). You cannot honor God through an act He has expressly forbidden. A tattoo of a cross is still a tattoo. The content doesn't sanctify the disobedience. Would inscribing a Bible verse on a golden calf have made the golden calf acceptable? Obviously not. Obedience is the only worship God recognizes.
A Final Word
I'm painfully aware that modern Christendom doesn't think God cares about anything we wear or don't wear, anything we mark or don't mark on our bodies. Which is odd, because the Bible has a lot to say about our outward appearance, from the Garden of Eden to the book of Revelation. I also know people want the "why" for every biblical command. I'm sure the Israelites wanted good reasons why they couldn't eat bacon or shrimp. I would wrestle with that, too. God doesn't have to answer to us or give explanations. Sometimes, He does, and sometimes, He doesn't. There are a great many mysteries I plan to ask God about in Heaven.
But in this case, God has given us more than enough. He gave a clear command in Leviticus 19:28. He reinforced it with a priestly prohibition in Leviticus 21:5. He taught us that our bodies are temples of the Holy Ghost, bought with a price, and due to Him as living sacrifices. He warned us against the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. He taught us that wisdom foresees consequences and acts accordingly. He showed us that tattoos are rooted in paganism, occultism, and death. And He placed two Apostles on record commanding that outward adornment give way to the hidden beauty of a meek and quiet spirit.
I've laid out the case from Scripture, from history, from research, from wisdom, and from the testimony of those who lived inside the tattoo world. Even if we had no explanation at all, obedience would still be required. But we don't lack explanation — we lack willingness. And that's a problem that no article can solve. Only a heart willing to tremble at God's Word can overcome the stubborn gravitational pull of culture and self-will. I pray yours will.
Endnotes
[1] Charles Caldwell Ryrie, eds. The Ryrie Study Bible. Expanded, Accordance electronic ed. (Chicago: Moody Press, 1995), paragraph 2041.
[2] Albert Barnes, Barnes' Notes on the Old Testament, Accordance electronic ed. (Altamonte Springs: OakTree Software, 2006), paragraph 4789.
[3] Glen S. Martin, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, ed. Max Anders, vol. 2 of Holman Old Testament Commentary. Accordance electronic ed. (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2002), 224.
[4] John H. Walton, Victor H. Matthews, and Mark W. Chavalas, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament, Accordance electronic ed. (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2000), 134.
[5] John H. Walton and Craig S. Keener, eds. NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible. Accordance electronic ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2016), paragraph 2017.
[6] Lane T. Dennis and Wayne Grudem, eds. The ESV Study Bible. Accordance electronic ed. (Wheaton: Crossway Bibles, 2008), paragraph 2740.
[7] TDNT (Abridged), s.v. "στίγμα," 1086.
[8] Kristin A Broussard & Helen C Harton, Tattoo or taboo? Tattoo stigma and negative attitudes toward tattooed individuals, The Journal of Social Psychology, 2018.
[9] Think Before You Ink: Tattoo Health Risks, Penn Medicine, July 17, 2018, https://www.pennmedicine.org/updates/blogs/health-and-wellness/2018/july/tattoo-health-risks.
[10] "5 Dangerous Health Risks of Tattoos," News 24, May 4, 2018, https://www.news24.com/health24/medical/skin/about-skin/5-dangerous-health-risks-of-tattoos-20180504.
[11] Lauren Chan, "Tattoo Removal: 14 Things I Wish I Had Known Before Getting It," Glamour, September 7, 2022, https://www.glamour.com/story/tattoo-removal-cost-what-is-it-like.
[12] Lauren Chan, "Tattoo Removal," Glamour, 2022.
[13] Thayer, Joseph. Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Coded with the Numbering System from Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. OakTree Software, 2017.
[14] "Tattoos: Pagan Demonism, Shamanism, Baal Worship & Occult Mysticism," 5 Pt. Salt, Joel Taylor, October 29, 2011, https://5ptsalt.wordpress.com/2011/10/29/tattoos-pagan-demonism-shamanism-baal-worship-occult-mysticism/.
[15] Steve Gilbert, The Tattoo History Source Book (Juno Books, 2001).
[16] Amy Krakow, Total Tattoo Book (Grand Central Publishing, 1994).
[17] Wilfrid Dyson Hambly, The History of Tattooing (Dover Publications, 2009).
[18] "7 Major Tattoo Trends You're About to See Everywhere," Bustle, Carolyn Steber, February 2022, https://www.bustle.com/style/tattoo-trends-2022.
[19] "7 Major Tattoo Trends You're About to See Everywhere," Bustle, Carolyn Steber, February 2022.
[20] Cf. Viren Swami, "Marked for Life? A Prospective Study of Tattoos on Appearance Anxiety and Dissatisfaction, Perceptions of Uniqueness, and Self-Esteem," Body Image, vol. 8, no. 3, 2011, pp. 237-244; see also multiple psychological studies referenced in Broussard & Harton (2018) documenting compulsive tattooing behavior.
[21] Strong's Hebrew Concordance, 2710. חָקַק (chaqaq), Bible Hub, https://biblehub.com/hebrew/2710.htm.
[22] Thayer, Joseph. Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. OakTree Software, 2017. See entry for στίγμα (stigma): "a mark pricked in or branded upon the body."
[23] John H. Walton, Victor H. Matthews, and Mark W. Chavalas, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament, Accordance electronic ed. (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2000), 130.
[24] Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (Thomas Nelson, 2003).
[25] Baker, Warren, and Eugene E. Carpenter. The Complete Word Study Dictionary: Old Testament (AMG Publishers, 2003). See entry for שֶׂרֶט (seret): "an incision, a cutting, a slash in the flesh."
[26] Cf. Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers on Leviticus 19:28: "This was effected by making punctures in the skin to impress certain figures or words, and then filling the cut places with stibium, ink, or some other colour." See also Rashi on Leviticus 19:28 and Torah Temimah, which confirm the two methods: cutting first and then filling with ink, or placing ink on the flesh and then cutting.
[27] Cf. "How Do Tattoos Work?" Tattooing 101, https://tattooing101.com/learn/guides/how-do-tattoos-work/; International Dermal Institute, "Tattoos and Skin Health," https://dermalinstitute.com/article/tattoos-and-skin-health/. A tattoo is clinically classified as a puncture wound.
[28] S. Negi, L. Bala, S. Shukla & D. Chopra, "Tattoo Inks are Toxicological Risks to Human Health: A Systematic Review of their Ingredients, Fate Inside Skin, Toxicity due to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Primary Aromatic Amines, Metals, and Overview of Regulatory Frameworks," Toxicology and Industrial Health, vol. 38, no. 7, 2022, pp. 417-434. Cited and summarized in "The Pressing Need for FDA Regulation of Tattoo Ink," Journal of Law and the Biosciences, Oxford University Press, 2024.
[29] Signe Bedsted Clemmensen, Jonas Mengel-From, Jaakko Kaprio, Henrik Frederiksen, and Jacob von Bornemann Hjelmborg, "Tattoo ink exposure is associated with lymphoma and skin cancers – a Danish study of twins," BMC Public Health, vol. 25, article 170, 2025. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-025-21413-3.
[30] Clemmensen et al., BMC Public Health, 2025. See also Henrik Frederiksen, consultant in haematology at Odense University Hospital: "We can see that ink particles accumulate in the lymph nodes, and we suspect that the body perceives them as foreign substances."
[31] A. Cataldi, J. Ferreira, et al., "Tattoo ink induces inflammation in the draining lymph node and alters the immune response to vaccination," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), vol. 122, no. 48, December 2, 2025. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2510392122.
[32] U.S. Food and Drug Administration, "FDA Issues Final Guidance on Tattoo Inks," October 25, 2024. See also FDA, "Tattoos & Permanent Makeup: Fact Sheet," https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetic-products/tattoos-permanent-makeup-fact-sheet.
[33] FDA, "Tattoos & Permanent Makeup: Fact Sheet": "Many pigments used in tattoo inks are not approved for skin contact at all. Some are industrial grade colors that are suitable for printers' ink or automobile paint."
[34] Pew Research Center, "32% of Americans Have a Tattoo, Including 22% Who Have More Than One," August 15, 2023. Survey of 8,480 U.S. adults conducted July 10-16, 2023.
[35] Cf. Advanced Dermatology, "Americans' Tattoo Preferences and Regrets Data Study," 2023; Gitnux, "Tattoo Regret Statistics and Trends," December 2025.
