The famous artist Michelangelo carved a statue of Moses out of pure white marble.
He is presented with a flowing beard and billowing robes, and two tablets cradled in his arms. He also has two horns coming out of his head.
Barbara Brown Taylor writes that the horns can be unsettling and come from the Hebrew word for “shining,” as in the shining face, is the same except for one vowel as the word for “horns.”
So, early interpreters of scripture have Moses’ forehead sprouting horns instead of shining in the presence of God.
We all know some people who we feel must be walking around with horns. They are irritable, always disgruntled, and challenging to be around.
Proverbs 22:24 warns, “Don’t hang out with angry people; don’t keep company with hotheads. Bad temper is contagious— don’t get infected.”
In other words, be careful who you hang out with; the horns are contagious.