1 Corinthians 11:4

1 Corinthians 11:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head.
• New International Version (NIV)Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head,
• New King James Version (NKJV)Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonors his head.

Context of 1 Corinthians 11:4

2I am so glad that you always keep me in your thoughts, and that you are following the teachings I passed on to you. 3But there is one thing I want you to know: The head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. A man dishonors his head if he covers his head while praying or prophesying. 5But a woman dishonors her head if she prays or prophesies without a covering on her head, for this is the same as shaving her head. 6Yes, if she refuses to wear a head covering, she should cut off all her hair! But since it is shameful for a woman to have her hair cut or her head shaved, she should wear a covering.

1 Corinthians 11:4 word by word

Πᾶς ἀνὴρ προσευχόμενος ἢ προφητεύων κατὰ κεφαλῆς ἔχων καταισχύνει τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Everyπᾶςpas · allG3956
• manἀνήρanēr · manG435
• prayingπροσεύχομαιproseuchomai · to prayG4336
• orἤē · orG2228
• prophesyingπροφητεύωprophēteuō · to prophesyG4395
• havingἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• headκεφαλήkephalē · headG2776
• coveredκατάkata · according toG2596
• dishonourethκαταισχύνωkataischunō · to dishonorG2617
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• headὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588

Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 11:4

• 1 Corinthians 12:10He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said.
• 1 Corinthians 14:1Let love be your highest goal! But you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives—especially the ability to prophesy.
• 1 Corinthians 11:14Isn’t it obvious that it’s disgraceful for a man to have long hair?
• 2 Samuel 15:30David walked up the road to the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went. His head was covered and his feet were bare as a sign of mourning. And the people who were with him covered their heads and wept as they climbed the hill.
• 2 Samuel 19:4The king covered his face with his hands and kept on crying, “O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!”

Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 11:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Praying, or prophesying - Any person who engages in public acts in the worship of God, whether prayer, singing, or exhortation: for we learn, from the apostle himself, that , to prophesy, signifies to speak unto men to edification, exhortation, and comfort, 1 Corinthians 14:3. And this comprehends all that we understand by exhortation, or even preaching. Having his head covered - With his cap or turban on, dishonoreth his head; because the head being…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Every man praying or prophesying - The word “prophesying” here means, evidently, “teaching;” or publicly speaking to the people on the subject of religion; see the note at Acts 2:17. See also the subject considered more at length in the notes on 1 Corinthians 11:2; that is, he does not, in his presence and in his service, observe the usual and proper custom by which a subordinate station is recognized, and which indicates respect for a superior. In the…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. 44. praying--in public (1Co 11:17). prophesying--preaching in the Spirit (1Co 12:10). having--that is, if he were to have: a supposed case to illustrate the impropriety in the woman's case. It was the Greek custom (and so that at Corinth) for men in worship to be uncovered; whereas the Jews wore the Talith, or veil, to show reverence before God, and their unworthiness to look on Him (Is 6:2); however, Maimonides [Mishna] excepts cases where (as in Greece)…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Corinthians 11:4

• Wife
• Women

In the dictionaries

• Comely
• Cover
• Cup
• Custom
• Guilty
• Hear
• Judge
• Set
• Corinthians, First Epistle to the
• Paul, the Apostle

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