What does the Bible say about nose rings / getting a nose ring?

These were rings, ornamented with jewels, and generally passed through the right side of the nostril, hanging down by the mouth. This mode of decoration is referred to in Prov. 11:22: "As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion." In Isa. 3:21 the nose jewels are mentioned among other adornments of women, which should be taken away in God's judgements; and in Ezek. 16:12, among the ornaments spoken of symbolically with which God adorned Jerusalem, is 'a jewel on thy forehead,' which should however read 'a ring upon thy nose.'

Mr. P.: But I am afraid, Mr. Grim, that the person who is occupied in dressing differently from the world is thinking as much about dress as the person who is engrossed with following its fashions. Christ has to take a secondary place in both hearts; whereas we are all agreed, I am sure, He should have the first place. There can be no doubt whatever that gay and gaudy apparel indicates pride of heart and a desire to attract looks of admiration from people around. We have an instance in Isaiah 3:16, etc. There Jehovah speaks very severely to the daughters of Zion, who were walking with stretched-forth necks and wanton eyes, mincing as they went, and making a tinkling with their feet. They desired others to take notice of their chains and bracelets, rings and nose-jewels, their bonnets and mantles, hoods and veils. All this showed plainly enough that their hearts were as empty of the fear of the Lord as their heads were of a due sense of womanly propriety; and therefore the Lord warns them that He will assuredly judge them for their worldly ways. This is one side. And, wrong as this side is, those that rush into the other extreme are none the less wrong. The Pharisees, when they fasted, put ashes on their head, dirtied and disfigured their faces, looking unutterably sad; but only that they might appear to men to fast (Matt. 6.) They made broad their phylacteries and enlarged the fringes of their garments for a similar reason (Matt. 23:5). Hypocrites as they were, they dressed only for human eyes; and, in spite of the apparent humility of their garb, their hearts were full of pride. Thomas a Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, who continually wore filthy sackcloth upon his flesh, is well known to have been the proudest and most overbearing man of his time. So also the “Friend” in his suit of sober grey, and the “Salvation” lassie in her poke-bonnet, may, after all, be as proud as a West-end belle in her diamonds and lace. Dress, we must remember, is only the external thing; and unless the heart is right, all else is wrong.

She was far more than repaid for her kindness, for the servant gave her a ring (evidently for her nose) and two bracelets for her wrists, all of gold. The Lord Himself loves to reward faithful diligence, and this is specially seen in the present dispensation of His grace. There is no suggestion of a bargaining arrangement, as there was later in the case of Jacob's desiring Rachel as a wife, and offering to pay Laban for her (Gen. 19:18). The results at the time were painful, but not so in this case.

She was far more than repaid for her kindness, for the servant gave her a ring (evidently for her nose) and two bracelets for her wrists, all of gold. The Lord Himself loves to reward faithful diligence, and this is specially seen in the present dispensation of His grace. There is no suggestion of a bargaining arrangement, as there was later in the case of Jacob's desiring Rachel as a wife, and offering to pay Laban for her (Gen.19:18). The results at the time were painful, but not so in this case.

This introduces to what is more simply ornament, for God is not satisfied with meeting the necessities of His people, but must enrich those whom He has delivered. Hands, neck, nose, ears, head, are all covered with them. The bracelet (tsamid) speaks of what is "joined together," and tsemed means a "yoke;" thus are the hands still ornamented that are used to labor in the service of Christ. The chain for the neck (rabhid, "collar for the throat") reminds us of that through which the high praises of God should sound, as expressed in psalm 149. In both of these last things the activities of the divine life are pointed out as the true ornament of God's people. The nose-ring seems to give us the effect for the whole life here: nezem al appaim means literally "the device for the nostrils," which in Scripture are connected with the human life which is as a vapor in the poor, weak creature which man is; but by God's "device," the wonderful plan which these things bring before us, the life is redeemed from vanity. It seems that we are here reminded of all this.

The well-known ornament worn by women and men in the East. Gen. 24:22, 30, 47; Job 42:11; Hosea 2:13; etc. In Isa. 3:20 the allusion is not to a ring for the ear, but to an amulet on which a charm could be written.

aph, 'nose.' Ezek. 16:12 is better translated 'ring upon thy nose.'

"In like manner also that women adorn themselves with modesty and sobriety." The Lord in no way ignores women as the Rabbis were apt to do; nor were they pushed into an unseemly or even shameless prominence as in heathenism. Public action was not their place. The word is that they should adorn themselves "in seemly deportment," which includes not dress only but bearing. And hence it is added, "with modesty and sobriety," that shamefastness which shrinks from the least semblance of impropriety, that self-restraint where all is inwardly ruled. The apostle does not hesitate to deal plainly and unsparingly with the common objects of female vanity in all ages: "not with braids (that is, of hair), and gold, or pearls, or costly array."

Next he turns to the external habits of a Christian wife, and urges the avoidance of frivolous and sumptuous ornaments. Some may deride this: but it is their carnality or worldliness which governs. Has not the Christian to please Christ and do all things in His name? Our bodies are to be presented a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God; and we are not to be conformed to this age with its changing fashions of luxury and splendour, whatever station may be ours naturally. Christ is dearer, nearer, and more than all. And the Christian wives are not exempt. Their adornment is not the outward one of dressing hair, or wearing gold things, or putting on dress, which are alien from Christ and a shame to saints. The real ornament is the hidden man of the heart which He sees, in the incorruption (for outside all is corruptible) of a meek and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is of much price. None of these showy objects is so, nor could all Ophir buy it.

(V. 9). The women are to be marked by “decent deportment and dress” (N.T.). This better translation clearly indicates that not only in dress but in their general bearing women should be marked by modesty that shrinks from all impropriety, and “discretion” that leads to care in their words and ways. They are to beware of using the hair that God has given as the woman's glory for an expression of the natural vanity of the human heart. Women are not to seek to call attention to themselves by arraying themselves in “gold, or pearls, or costly clothing”. Again, women do well to remember that they may obey this Scripture in the letter and yet miss the spirit of it by affecting some peculiar garb, thus calling attention to themselves.