What Does the Bible Say About Tattoos?

The most direct verse on tattoos is 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." The context is crucial — this command appears in a chapter addressing pagan mourning rituals of surrounding nations. Canaanite and Egyptian religions involved ritual self-cutting and inscribing the names of dead gods on the flesh. The prohibition targeted those specific practices, not body art in general. Christians today reach different conclusions: some argue the principle still applies to any permanent marking; others argue the cultural context (pagan idolatry) no longer applies to modern decorative tattoos; most agree that motivation matters more than ink — a tattoo honoring God is different from a tattoo identifying with what God forbids. The New Testament does not reopen the question. Wisdom literature adds: the body is a temple (1 Corinthians 6:19), and whatever you do, do it to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).