1 Corinthians 11:5, commentary and pictures

Every woman who speaks to God in prayer or speaks for God in prophecy before others with her head uncovered puts public dishonor upon her husband who is her head. The covering called for is the veil modest women wore before men, with the later mention of hair illustrating the fitness of being covered, while those who held the other view teach that long hair itself is given as the covering so that no added veil is required. The verse does not forbid women to pray or prophesy but directs how they shall appear when they do, and women did so in public worship with divine approval. Prophesying here is speaking to people for edification and comfort as moved by the Spirit, including teaching, testimony and preaching, and its regulation proves the commands to keep silence in 1 Corinthians 14:34 and 1 Timothy 2:11-12 forbid disorderly questioning and grasping at authority, not Spirit-given prayer and testimony offered modestly without domineering. The enduring principle is womanly modesty and distinction between the sexes in dress and conduct, not an unchanging outward rule, since customs have so changed that going without a covering is no longer a disgrace.

Meaning of Terms

The head dishonored by a woman praying or prophesying uncovered is her husband, who is her head as man is under Christ. An uncovered head in that act is a public sign of submission withheld from her husband, and the setting places the woman under the man's headship. In apostolic custom women were to be veiled, and no woman but a bold woman appeared in public unveiled. Among Greeks and Romans modest women of virtuous character wore a veil and only women of the opposite character appeared without one. Refusing the veil made her as one shaven, because being shorn or shaven was then the punishment for adultery and a badge of infamy, as when a woman suspected of adultery was deprived of her veil and a woman who had yielded virtue was shaved under the instruction to Israel.

To pray or prophesy with the head uncovered is even all one as if she were shorn or shaven. The direction gives how she is to appear while doing so, with an uncovered head dishonoring her head and calling for that badge of infamy if she persists in immodest appearance. It is as shameful as having the hair shorn or shaved. The instruction regulates attire in the public congregation and in public assemblies, showing she may pray and prophesy there when modestly covered.

The covering in the argument is the veil customarily worn by women before men as the proper garment for modesty, not the hair itself. The later appeal to hair illustrates the argument about covering. The covered head was therefore a veil, and the uncovered head refers to removing the veil worn according to the custom and law of the time. The command about the veil was a matter of propriety and appearance, with long hair presented as becoming for women and short hair for men, and not a test of fellowship.

A woman's long hair is given by God as a covering, so long hair may itself be sufficient without an additional veil. She should distinguish herself from men in dress, with short hair unfitting for her and long hair becoming. A woman with short hair should wear a covering, while her long hair was given as a natural covering. Wearing an additional head covering was presented as a deliberate sign of submission, since long hair was regarded as a natural covering signifying maiden modesty and conjugal chastity, and uncovering could signal withdrawal from a husband's authority. The outward custom differed between places, concerning what was decent and reverent in its setting rather than an unchanging dress rule.

Prophesying means speaking to people for edification, exhortation, and comfort as impressed by the Spirit. It has precisely the same meaning and equal sense for a woman as for a man, speaking under God's influence when engaged in this ministry. It includes public teaching and preaching, bearing testimony to the Lord's work, speaking forth the Lord's message, and serving as public religious teachers, not only foretelling the future. Praying and prophesying in the gathered church and in public meetings was therefore done just as men did, with directions for attire while doing so rather than denial that women would do so.

Historical Cultural Setting

In apostolic times modest, respectable and virtuous women appeared veiled in worship and in public, while among Greeks and Romans only bold, immodest women of opposite character appeared uncovered. Disheveled hair and an uncovered appearance were associated with shamelessness and wanton conduct, and to appear uncovered was reprehensible boldness that could lead to the gravest misconceptions and dishonor by disregarding the Lord's order. Some women, inflated by the liberty the gospel conferred, were disposed to defy public opinion and appear uncovered, and the admonition to veil kept their good from being evil spoken of and from arraying prejudice against them even in little matters of dress, that they might be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. The covering signified maiden modesty and conjugal chastity, and uncovering could signal withdrawal from a husband's authority, with long hair regarded as a natural covering so that an additional covering was a deliberate sign of submission. The direction about the uncovered head did not end women's prophetic labors but gave directions for how they should appear when praying or prophesying publicly, with men to uncover and women to cover.

The instruction was given because of local conditions in proud, rich, idolatrous Corinth with its games and shrines of polluting idolatry, where idolatrous women and heathen priestesses went to excesses in conduct, word and manner. Newly converted women imitated Gentile manners and harangued like heathen priestesses, treating the church like a heathen temple, and Christian women were in danger of doing the same by failing to act with proper decorum. The rule was therefore given so God's own people would not appear like the heathen, correcting abuses in a very wicked idolatrous city and calling women to do all things decently and in order in subjection to those placed over the churches. Its lesson is that Christian women and men should dress simply, modestly, seemly and commendably, with modesty, simplicity and unobtrusiveness in which the person dominates over the dress.

To pray or prophesy uncovered was even all one as if shorn or shaven, because being shorn or shaven was then the punishment for crime and adultery and a badge of infamy. A woman suspected of adultery was deprived of her veil, and a woman who had yielded virtue was shaved under the instruction to Israel. In the Eastern setting an uncovered woman was regarded as a prostitute, with long hair symbolizing virtue and short hair signifying the opposite. Persisting in immodest appearance called for wearing that badge of infamy, since refusing the veil made her as one shaven.

The setting places the woman under the man's headship, as man is under Christ's. That disparagement between husband and wife, with the husband ruling over the wife, came through sin under Genesis 3:16. Before the fall Adam and Eve were equal, both bearing God's moral image with no lack of harmony, the wife standing by his side as an equal helpmeet and the two becoming one flesh, which the marriage institution and the Sabbath given before the fall call back to mind.

Women Praying Prophesying

The verse shows that women in the gathered church prayed and prophesied just as men did, speaking before others in public assemblies and public worship with divine approval. Its subject and the surrounding discussion of public worship make clear that this was speaking in the assembly, not merely private prayer or speech. God confers the gift of prophecy on women as well as men and uses women in giving His messages and in the worship and gospel work of the church. In Paul's day it was the custom in the Christian church for women to pray in public and to serve as public religious teachers, and he approved the custom rather than ending it.

The verse does not forbid women to pray or prophesy but regulates a woman's appearance when she does so under God's influence, giving directions for how she is to be attired and to appear. The stated distinction is that men were to uncover their heads while women were to cover theirs according to the custom of society and the proper decorum of the meeting. A woman may therefore pray and prophesy in public assemblies, provided her head is covered, since to do so uncovered dishonors her head as if she were shaven.

Praying and prophesying has precisely the same meaning for a woman as for a man, namely speaking unto others for edification, exhortation, and comfort. A woman may pray and prophesy just as a man may, with equal power and authority. This public speaking in prophecy is distinct from teaching that usurps authority, for Spirit-inspired prophecy communicates divine instruction through women without placing them in authority over others.

The verse proves there were prophetesses as well as prophets in the church and that Christian women labored in the ministry of the word, since whoever prophesied for edification, exhortation, and comfort fulfilled the prime ends of the gospel ministry. God has honored women to work and speak for Him, as seen in Deborah, Miriam, Huldah, Phebe, Priscilla, and Anna who spoke in the temple itself. God's plan for daughters to prophesy continues from the Jewish dispensation into the Christian dispensation across fifteen hundred years and into the last days, when sons and daughters shall prophesy, so no Christian woman is commanded to keep silent when the spirit of praise and thanksgiving tells her to speak in meetings of praise or prayer.

Harmony With Silence Commands

Paul's regulation of how a woman should appear when praying or prophesying proves he did not forbid all public speaking and testimony by women, and the verse does not conflict with the restrictions in 1 Corinthians 14:34 and the directions in 1 Timothy 2:11-12. The verse gives instruction about dress and appearance for women who pray and prophesy in public meetings and public worship, showing that women may speak in a meeting and are not absolutely forbidden to speak in church. Prophesying there means speaking as impressed by the Spirit for God for edification, exhortation and comfort, including public teaching and bearing testimony to the Lord's work, and the command to keep silence cannot be read as prohibiting such Spirit-given testimony that builds up and comforts the church. The teaching in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 must therefore be read alongside this recognition of women praying and prophesying.

The command to keep silence forbids ignorant questioning, objecting, altercating, contending with men over doctrine in public assemblies, and blameworthy disorders of women out of place assuming authority to teach and rule, not praying or prophesying under the Spirit. What is forbidden as usurping authority over men is different from praying or prophesying, and the verse is perfectly consistent with that silence because Paul does not command prophesying women to keep silence but gives counsels regulating personal appearance to promote decency, order and increased efficiency in their labors. The verse means the silence command does not forbid bearing testimony for Christ, helping in His work, and proclaiming His truth in womanly, Christian ways, while it was given to correct disorder and requires the head covered when thus employed. When a woman receives particular influence from God to enable her to teach, she is to obey it, and women may take a public part in meetings by praying or prophesying with direction about proper manner, hair, dress and head covering.

Spirit-inspired prophecy through women communicates divine instruction without placing them in authority over others, since public speaking in this sacred service is distinct from teaching that usurps authority. The verse recognizes women praying and prophesying in public assemblies and gives directions for conduct and appearance while performing it, requiring true Christian conduct that is modest and humble and respects the order between men and women. It therefore allows a woman to speak when the Lord bids her speak to His glory, to pray and teach or prophesy and witness for God in public in a proper manner, while condemning arbitrary authority, disorderly speech, immodesty, forwardness and work outside her proper line. This is consistent with barring a woman from serving as pastor or ruling elder, from roles that would place her in authority over men, even as any soul touched by the grace and love of Jesus Christ may tell of it in public. The same distinction bars the apostolate, ordination as elder, and ruling business meetings, while affirming the right and duty to take part in prayer and gospel work with respect for constituted authority and God's order.

If the silence command is taken to forbid public teaching, it was only a local and temporary rule grounded in expediency like abstaining from food offered to idols or practicing circumcision to avoid offense, while the permission for daughters to prophesy is the permanent rule continuing from the Jewish dispensation into the Christian dispensation. A woman who has a testimony for God may bear it on proper occasions in Christ's name with all assurance, and God has not barred any soul from confessing Him but demands it as a duty and grants it as a privilege. She is to do so modestly, humbly, sweetly and with tact and becoming modesty, without forwardness, disputing in public assemblies, domineering, arrogance, undue prominence, lording it over men, or usurping authority over man and the church.

Modesty and Present Application

The abiding principle is dignity and manliness for men and womanliness and modesty for women, expressed in simple, modest, seemly and unobtrusive dress and conduct in which the person dominates over the dress. The covering signified maiden modesty and conjugal chastity, and to uncover could signal withdrawal from a husband's authority and disregard for the Lord's order. In that setting respectable, virtuous women appeared veiled in worship and in public, while disheveled hair and an uncovered appearance were associated with shamelessness, wanton conduct and reprehensible boldness that could cause grave misconception and array prejudice against the hearers even in little matters of dress. The direction therefore recognizes women's praying, prophesying and teaching in public worship and gives how they should appear when they do so, not ending their labors but giving them increased efficiency so that modesty commends the gospel and they are wise as serpents and harmless as doves. It was given because proud, rich, idolatrous Corinth with its games and shrines fostered excesses in conduct, word and manner among idolatrous women, and Christian women were in danger of imitating them and defying public opinion in inflated liberty.

The instruction addresses that local setting rather than prescribing the same outward custom for every country and time, and it lays down no absolute fixed outward rule to be copied in precise fashions. Customs have so changed, especially in the New World, that it is no longer a disgrace for a woman to go without a head covering, though some still hold that a hat should be worn in public. The Eastern veil rule does not apply to contemporary fashions, and there is no exact rule for how to wear the hair today, though distinction between the sexes in dress remains. An uncovered woman was then regarded as even all one as if shorn or shaven, which marked prostitution and the woman who had yielded virtue, while long hair was given as a covering and may itself be sufficient.

The practical question of wearing hats in religious services is largely a matter of custom left to each individual rather than enforced. Women commonly wear them, though removing them might be more reverent. Making head-covering a required reform is an extreme return to Jewish and Roman customs that should not be pressed without ministerial counsel.

Ordinances must be kept according to the purpose in which they were delivered, and perverting an ordinance is blameworthy.