1 Corinthians 11:6

1 Corinthians 11:6 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)For if a woman does not cover her head, she might as well have her hair cut off; but if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should cover her head.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For if a woman is not covered, let her also be shorn. But if it is shameful for a woman to be shorn or shaved, let her be covered.

Context of 1 Corinthians 11:6

4So, when you meet together to worship God, remember this. When a man prays to God, or he speaks a message from God, he should not cover his head. If he does that, he does not respect the one who is his head. 5But when a woman prays or she speaks a message from God, she should cover her head. If she does not cover her head, she does not respect the one who is her head. It would be as bad as if she cut off all her hair. If a woman refuses to cover her head, she should cut off her hair. But, if a woman has no hair, or she has very short hair, she becomes very ashamed. So it is better that she should cover her head in your meetings. 7Men show what God is like and they show how great God is. So a man should not cover his head in your meetings. But a woman shows how great men are. 8When God made people, he did not use part of the woman to make a man. God made the man first. Then he made the woman from part of the man.

1 Corinthians 11:6 word by word

εἰ γὰρ οὐ κατακαλύπτεται γυνή, καὶ κειράσθω· εἰ δὲ αἰσχρὸν γυναικὶ τὸ κείρασθαι ἢ ξυρᾶσθαι, κατακαλυπτέσθω.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• ifεἰei · ifG1487
• the womanγυνήgunē · woman: wifeG1135
• beκατακαλύπτωkatakaluptō · to coverG2619
• notοὐou · noG3756
• let herκείρωkeirō · to shearG2751
• alsoκαίkai · andG2532
• butδέde · thenG1161
• it be a shameαἰσχρόςaischros · shamefulG150
• orἤē · orG2228
• shavenξυράωxuraō · to shaveG3587

Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 11:6

• Numbers 5:18Then the priest must bring the woman in front of the Lord. The priest must make the woman's hair free. He must put into her hands the grain offering. That is the offering because the man does not trust his wife. The priest must hold the bowl that contains the bitter water. The bitter water brings a curse.
• Deuteronomy 22:5A woman must not wear the same clothes that men wear. A man must not wear clothes that make him look like a woman. The Lord your God hates people who do this.

Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 11:6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6For if the woman be not covered - If she will not wear a veil in the public assemblies, let her be shorn - let her carry a public badge of infamy: but if it be a shame - if to be shorn or shaven would appear, as it must, a badge of infamy, then let her be covered - let her by all means wear a veil. Even in mourning it was considered disgraceful to be obliged to shear off the hair; and lest they should lose this ornament of their heads, the women contrived…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6For if the woman be not covered - If her head be not covered with a veil. Let her also be shorn - Let her long hair be cut off. Let her lay aside all the usual and proper indications of her sex and rank in life. If it is done in one respect, it may with the same propriety be done in all. But if it be a shame … - If custom, nature, and habit; if the common and usual feelings and views among people would pronounce this to be a shame, the other would be…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 2-16Verses 2-16 Here begin particulars respecting the public assemblies, ch. 1Co 14. In the abundance of spiritual gifts bestowed on the Corinthians, some abuses had crept in; but as Christ did the will, and sought the honour of God, so the Christian should avow his subjection to Christ, doing his will and seeking his glory. We should, even in our dress and habit, avoid every thing that may dishonour Christ. The woman was made subject to man, because made for…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4-6In this passage, head is used both literally and figuratively. A man who covers his physical head while praying dishonors his spiritual head, Christ. A woman who prays or prophesies without covering her physical head dishonors her spiritual head, her husband. The spiritual gift of prophesying is the God-given ability to speak a specific message from God, not just to predict the future (see 12:10; 14:1–5; 1 Thessalonians 5:20). every woman who prays or…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. A woman would not like to be "shorn" or (what is worse) "shaven"; but if she chooses to be uncovered (unveiled) in front, let her be so also behind, that is, "shorn." a shame--an unbecoming thing (compare 1Co 11:13-15). Thus the shaving of nuns is "a shame."Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Corinthians 11:6

• Wife
• Women

In the dictionaries

• Comely
• Cover
• Cup
• Custom
• Guilty
• Hair
• Hear
• Judge
• Set
• Beard

Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 11

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings