You have probably seen in some churches where the women cover their heads, usually with a scarf.  The reason for this is their understanding of one passage of Scripture in the New Testament.  That passage is the first half of 1 Corinthians 11, where it talks about head coverings for women and none for men.

When you read this passage in most English translations there does seem to be some confusion over the word “covering” and what it means.  The confusion arises from the translations which translate three different Greek words into the same word “cover” or “covered”.

Let’s have a closer look at this passage on head coverings.

1 Cor 11:2  Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you.
1 Cor 11:3  But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.

Here Paul reminds us of the hierarchy that God has set in place, which is foundational to what he writes a little later regarding head coverings.

1 Cor 11:4  Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered [katah], dishonors his head.

The way this verse is translated in most translations is somewhat misleading.  The Greek literally reads:

1 Cor 11:4  Every man praying or prophesying, having anything down over his head, dishonors his head.

The Greek word translated “covered”, katah means “down”.  Most translations interpret “having anything down over his head” as “having his head covered”, which is unfortunate because the former can more readily be understood as hair, and so some meaning is lost.  The word “prophesying” can mean “inspired speaking”, or in more modern parlance “preaching”; it doesn’t necessarily mean “foretelling”.  So, this verse is saying if a man comes before God praying, or speaking explaining God’s word, and he has anything down over his head, then he dishonours his head.

1 Cor 11:5  But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered [akatakaluptos] dishonors her head, for that is one and the same as if her head were shaved.

The Greek word translated “uncovered” is akatakaluptos which means “uncovered”, “unhidden”, “unveiled”.  If a woman prays or teaches God word with her head uncovered, it is as if she was doing it with her head shaved, in other words it is shameful.  Paul is not saying here that women should pray or teach in a church service.  He is simply stating that when women pray and teach, they should have their heads covered.  Women can pray and can teach their children and other women outside the church service.

1 Cor 11:6  For if a woman is not covered [katakalupto], let her also be shorn. But if it is shameful for a woman to be shorn or shaved, let her be covered [katakalupto].

The Greek word translated “covered” is katakalupto which means “to cover”, “to hide”, “to veil”.  Paul is saying that if a woman fails to cover her head she may as well have a shaved head.  But a shaved head is shameful, so that’s why women should cover their heads.  The shaved head of a woman was shameful because it was a punishment for adultery.

1 Cor 11:7  For a man indeed ought not to cover [katakalupto] his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man.
1 Cor 11:8  For man is not from woman, but woman from man.
1 Cor 11:9  Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man.
1 Cor 11:10  For this reason the woman ought to have [a symbol of] authority on [her] head, because of the angels.

The Greek word translated “cover” is katakalupto, the same word Paul used in verse 6.  It means “to cover”, “to hide”, “to veil”.  Paul goes into the reason why men should not cover their heads.  The reason goes back to the way in which God created mankind.  God created man first (from the dust) and then He created woman from man and for man.  For this reason, the man should not cover his head.  And for the same reason, the woman should cover her head as a symbol of being under authority of the man.

The phrase, “because of the angels”, is one of the most enigmatic in the Bible.  It could be a reference to the angels who rebelled against God and thus a warning.

Jud 1:6  And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day;

It could also be a reference to what is indicated in Isaiah 6:2, that angels come before God with their faces and feet covered, presumably as a symbol of being under God’s authority.

Isa 6:2  Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.

Whatever the meaning, it does not change that the woman should cover her head.  Although, at this point Paul has still not made clear what he means by a covering.

1 Cor 11:11  Nevertheless, neither is man independent of woman, nor woman independent of man, in the Lord.
1 Cor 11:12  For as woman came from man, even so man also comes through woman; but all things are from God.

Men and women are dependent on each other.  Although Adam was made from the dust of the earth, and Eve from the rib of Adam, all others since then have been born of woman.  This dependency, like everything else, is ordained of God.  Both men and women are heirs together of eternal life.

1 Cor 11:13  Judge among yourselves. Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered [akatakaluptos]?

The Greek word translated “uncovered”, is again akatakaluptos which means “uncovered”, “unhidden”, “unveiled”.  Some kind of head covering for women is appropriate.  Paul has still not yet made it clear what it is, but he is about to in the next verse.

1 Cor 11:14  Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him?

It is now clear that Paul is talking about hair length.  Verse 4 now makes sense.  The “anything down over his head” can be understood as long hair.

1 Cor 11:15  But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given to her for a covering [peribolaion].

The Greek word translated “covering” is peribolaion which means “a covering thrown around”, “a veil”; it is an article of clothing.  Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament translates peribolaion as, “a covering thrown around, a wrapper, a mantle, a veil.”  In the previous verses of this passage Paul used general words meaning cover or uncover.  These general words do not have to refer to an article of clothing.  However, in concluding his discussion Paul uses a very different Greek word, peribolaion, which specifically is an article of clothing.  Paul is saying that a woman’s hair is her covering, her veil.  Therefore, a woman doesn’t need a scarf or some other article of clothing covering her head, because her long hair is her covering.

1 Cor 11:16  But if anyone seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor do the churches of God.

There is no need for arguments about it, because this is how it’s done in God’s churches everywhere.

On might ask, why did Paul use the word “covered” instead of “hair”?  The passage would have been so much clearer.  The answer is that in the Old Testament “to uncover the head” means to shave off the hair.  An example of this is when Nadab and Abihu sinned, God commanded Aaron not to “uncover his head” in mourning at their death; and this meant not to cut off his hair (the customary sign of mourning).

Lev 10:1  Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them.
Lev 10:2  So fire went out from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.

Lev 10:6  And Moses said to Aaron, and to Eleazar and Ithamar, his sons, “Do not uncover your heads nor tear your clothes, lest you die, and wrath come upon all the people. But let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the LORD has kindled.

In conclusion, when you look at the Greek words for cover and uncover it becomes clear that the covering Pauls talks about refers to hair length, and that women should have long hair and men short hair.