I Corinthians 11:15 · Bible study
1 Corinthians 11:15 Commentary: Long Hair as Glory and Covering
Greek · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
What does Paul mean by saying a woman's long hair is given to her as a covering? Explore the Greek, context, and interpretive history.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Paul appeals to nature to show that a woman’s long hair is a glory and a natural covering that points toward the need for a head covering in worship.
- Key words: komē (long hair), doxa (glory), anti (instead of/in the nature of), peribolaion (wrapper, veil).
- Main debate: Whether the verse teaches that hair itself is the required covering or that it signals the need for an additional covering.
- Theological theme: Creation order, male-female distinction, modesty, and the appropriateness of visible symbols in worship.
- Best use: In a series on worship practices or gender roles, as an example of Paul’s “spirit and truth” approach to cultural traditions.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering.
WEB World English Bible 2000
But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her, for her hair is given to her for a covering.
KJV King James Version 1769
But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and a woman, if she have long hair, a glory it is to her, because the hair instead of a covering hath been given to her;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
But woman, if she have long hair, [it is] glory to her; for the long hair is given [to her] in lieu of a veil.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
But if a woman nourish her hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given to her for a covering.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Por el contrario, á la mujer criar el cabello le es honroso; porque en lugar de velo le es dado el cabello.
Mas a mulher ter cabelo longo, lhe é honra, porque os cabelos lhe são dados por cobertura?
mais que c’ est une gloire pour la femme d’ en porter, parce que la chevelure lui a été donnée comme voile?
und dem Weibe eine Ehre, so sie langes Haar hat? Das Haar ist ihr zur Decke gegeben.
Maar zo een vrouw lang haar draagt, dat het haar een eer is; omdat het lange haar voor een deksel haar is gegeven?
Mentre se una donna porta la chioma, ciò è per lei un onore; perché la chioma le è data a guisa di velo.
Ale niewiasta, jeźli zapuszcza włosy, jest jej ku poczciwości, przeto iż jej włosy dane są za przykrycie.
но если жена растит волосы, для нее это честь, так как волосы даны ей вместо покрывала?
但 女人 有長頭髮，乃是 她 的榮耀，因為 這頭髮 是給 她 作 蓋頭的。
But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given to her for a covering.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · I Corinthians 11:15
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Paul is appealing to nature to reinforce his argument about head coverings in worship. The Greek word komē (long hair) is called a woman's glory, and the phrase anti peribolaiou dedotai, “has been given instead of a covering”, is the crux. The preposition anti can mean “instead of” or “in the nature of.” Most commentators (Barnes, Gill, Bengel, the Cambridge Bible) read it as “in lieu of a veil” not in the sense that hair replaces a fabric covering, but that it serves as a natural, God-given signal of the need for a covering. Adam Clarke notes that hair “may in various cases serve as a veil,” yet he agrees that nature and the apostle speak the same language. Wesley adds that hair was given before the arts of dress existed. The consensus is clear: Paul points to the created order, women’s naturally longer hair, to teach that modesty and distinction between the sexes call for a head covering in worship, not that hair eliminates the need for one.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Hair as a sufficient covering: The Greek <em>anti</em> (instead of) and the statement that hair is given for a covering (v.15) can be read as meaning that a woman's long hair itself fulfills the requirement.
- Hair as indicating the need for an additional covering: The surrounding context (v.5–6, 10) argues for a head covering beyond hair; nature's teaching points to the need for a veil, with hair serving as a God-given sign.
What is clear: Paul affirms that a woman's long hair is a glory to her and functions as a natural covering, reinforcing the principle of male-female distinction and modesty in worship.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The function of “covering” in verse 15 | All traditions agree that Paul describes a woman's long hair as a God-given covering that is a glory to her. | Some interpret this as meaning hair is the sufficient covering, so no additional veil is required. Others argue that the natural covering points to the propriety of wearing a fabric veil in worship. |
| Appeal to nature | Christians across traditions agree that Paul makes an argument from the created order about male and female distinction. | Evangelicals and Catholics often see this as a permanent principle about gender roles; more progressive interpreters view it as a culturally bound appeal to first-century customs. |
| Application today | The underlying values of modesty, decency, and respect for God's order in worship are affirmed across traditions. | Liturgical churches (Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican) sometimes maintain head coverings as a practice; many Protestant congregations do not require them, emphasizing the heart attitude instead. |
| Meaning of “glory” | All agree that Paul uses “glory” positively: a woman's long hair is an ornament that reflects God's design. | Some traditions emphasize that glory includes honor and authority (she is the glory of man), while others focus on the aesthetic value and modesty it represents. |
Historical & Cultural Context
First-century Corinth was a cosmopolitan Roman colony with a mix of Greek, Roman, and Eastern customs. In that world, a woman's veil was a powerful marker of modesty, respectability, and marital status. For a married woman to appear in public with her head uncovered, or with her hair loose and flowing, was considered shameful, even a sign of sexual availability or religious ecstasy. The Jewish historian Josephus and rabbinic sources describe how respectable women kept their hair bound and covered; Gill cites the story of Kimchith, whose hair was never seen even inside her house.
In this passage, Paul builds his case step by step. He first grounds headship in creation (v.3), then argues from propriety (v.13), from nature (v.14-15), and finally from the universal custom of the churches (v.16). When he writes “does not even nature itself teach you,” he is not appealing to biology as modern science but to a widely shared intuition: long hair is natural for women, short hair for men. As Barnes notes, Eastern men often shaved their heads or wore hair very short, while women let their hair grow long and braided it with ornaments. The story of Queen Berenice vowing to cut off her long hair as a royal sacrifice shows how precious and valued women’s hair was.
In that cultural setting, a woman who prayed or prophesied with her hair unbound was effectively rejecting the social order and her own created identity. Paul’s argument does not impose an arbitrary rule; it appeals to what his readers could recognize as fitting and decent.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for 1 Corinthians 11:15. The manuscript tradition is stable, and the key words, komē, anti, peribolaion, appear consistently across the major witnesses. The only minor variation is in the punctuation of the verse (whether it ends with a question mark or a period), but that does not affect the meaning.
Reception History
Throughout church history, 1 Corinthians 11:15 has been read as a key text supporting the practice of head coverings for women in worship. Early Christian writers like Tertullian and Clement of Alexandria referenced the passage as a divine endorsement of the veil. In the Middle Ages, it was cited in canon law and church discipline. Reformation commentators such as John Calvin and John Wesley affirmed the principle, though they focused more on the heart attitude than the outward garment. In modern times, the verse is often discussed in debates over head coverings, with some churches (e.g., Mennonite, Orthodox) maintaining the practice and others seeing it as a first-century cultural expression that is not binding today. The verse remains a touchstone for discussions about gender, modesty, and worship order across traditions.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Nature as teacher. Paul appeals to the way God made us: men and women differ in hair length as a visible reminder of our roles. Long hair is a glory to a woman because it signals her distinctiveness and modesty.
- The God-given “covering.” A woman’s hair is given her as a natural covering, not as a replacement for a veil, but as a sign that she should cover her head in worship. The created order reinforces the practice.
- Glory and humility. What is glory for the woman (her hair) points to her willingness to honor God’s order. She does not hide her glory but uses it as a tool to express her devotion in the assembly.
Five-point outline
- Context: Paul addresses disruptions in worship, women praying or prophesying without head coverings (v.5).
- Appeal to nature: men with long hair dishonor themselves (v.14); women with long hair are adorned (v.15).
- Theological anchor: creation order, woman from man, woman for man, yet both interdependent in the Lord (v.11, 12).
- Practical application: the hair covering is a visible sign of the authority relationship under God.
- Unity in diversity: Paul closes with “we have no such custom” for those who are contentious, implying that the principle of decency, not a rigid law, is at stake.
Illustration hooks
- The subtle signals of dress in a job interview: we instinctively know that certain clothes say “professional” and others say “casual.” Paul taps into that same kind of deep, shared understanding about hair.
- An athlete who lets her hair grow long for a reason, some cultures see it as a mark of strength or identity. The difference between men and women in that context is not arbitrary.
- A bride on her wedding day: she takes extra care with her hair because it is part of her glory and modesty. That instinct comes from the same created order Paul points to.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does this passage require women to wear head coverings in church today, or is it cultural?
- What does “nature itself teach” mean? Are we supposed to base our practices on what feels natural?
- If a woman’s hair is her covering, why does Paul still tell her to cover her head in verses 5, 6?
Leading a Discussion
This passage invites us to think about how worship reflects the order God built into creation. Paul does not give a rule for all time about hair length, but he does appeal to what people in every culture can sense: there is a fitting, decent way for men and women to appear in worship.
Discussion questions
- Read 1 Corinthians 11:2, 16 as a group. What is Paul’s main concern in this passage?
- Why does Paul call a woman’s long hair her “glory”? What does that word suggest about how God values women?
- In verse 15, Paul says her hair is given “instead of a covering.” How would you explain the relationship between her hair and a head covering in worship?
- What does “nature itself teach” mean? Is Paul talking about biology, culture, or both?
- Verse 16 seems to end the discussion with a firm conclusion. Why might Paul have expected the Corinthians to follow the custom of the churches?
- How can we apply the principle of this passage in a culture where head coverings are not the norm? What principles of decency and modesty still apply?
- In what ways does this passage challenge or affirm your view of men’s and women’s roles in the church?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke argues that God intentionally gave women longer hair than men, making it a natural ornament that can serve as a veil. He sees the physical difference as nature and the apostle speaking the same language: long hair suits a woman but makes a man contemptible.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes argues that a woman's long hair is a natural veil given by God, pointing to the propriety of her wearing an actual veil. He notes that in Eastern custom, women grow their hair long while men keep theirs short, confirming nature's design that hair serves as a covering and ornament for women.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator appeals to natural human propriety: a man needs no covering because he is the highest creature in the world, but a woman, being under man's authority, receives her long hair from God as a covering to veil herself from those outside her natural protectors. Her hair, given as a mantle, is her glory because it helps her fulfill modesty.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note observes that a woman's long hair is itself a covering given to her by God. For this commentator, her hair is not merely decoration but a natural provision that brings her praise rather than shame.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill argues that a woman's long hair is not meant to serve as an actual head covering. Instead, its purpose is to indicate that she needs a separate covering, as Jewish custom considered it immodest for a woman's hair to be seen in public.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
her hair . . . for a covering —Not that she does not need additional covering. Nay, her long hair shows she ought to cover her head as much as possible. The will ought to accord with nature [BENGEL].
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry emphasizes that the head covering symbolizes woman's God-ordained subjection to man, rooted in creation order. Refusing it dishonors her head and blurs the distinction God established between the sexes in worship. This custom, he insists, is not optional but a matter of apostolic authority.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley reads the phrase as pointing back to humanity's original condition before clothing existed. His emphasis is that this detail refers to a time when the arts of dress had not yet been invented, highlighting the complete innocence and lack of covering in the earliest state.