Bible Strands
1 Corinthians 11:6
If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off. And if it is shameful for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, she should cover her head.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Paul addresses the Corinthian believers regarding proper conduct during corporate worship, specifically concerning women who pray or prophesy. He establishes a cultural expectation for head coverings to preserve honor and maintain distinct gender roles within the assembly.
The words — The Greek verb κατακαλύπτεται (katakaluptetai) means covers her head, while κειράσθω (keirasthō) commands she should be shorn. These terms frame a conditional exchange between physical covering and the cultural shame of hair removal.
The thread — This instruction parallels the priestly practice of letting down a woman’s hair in Numbers 5:18 as a public sign of scrutiny, and aligns with Deuteronomy 22:5’s command against cross-dressing. Both passages treat gender distinction and hair presentation as markers of public order.
Why it lands — The text commands women to cover their heads during worship to avoid cultural shame, using the hypothetical of having hair cut off as a rhetorical boundary. Readers must recognize that the passage regulates outward appearance as a marker of honor within a specific first-century context.
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The Greek words
King James Version
For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.
Cross-references
- Deuteronomy 22:5 A woman must not wear men’s clothing, and a man must not wear women’s clothing, for whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD your God.
- Numbers 5:18 After the priest has the woman stand before the LORD, he is to let down her hair and place in her hands the grain offering of memorial, which is the grain offering for jealousy. The priest is to hold the bitter water that brings a curse.