1 Corinthians 11:6 Meaning: Why Uncovered Means Shorn
For if a woman is not covered, let her hair also be cut off. But if it is shameful for a woman to have her hair cut off or be shaved, let her be covered.
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.
For if a woman is not veiled, let her also be shorn: but if it is a shame to a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be veiled.
for if a woman is not covered--then let her be shorn, and if it is a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven--let her be covered;
For if a woman be not covered, let her hair also be cut off. But if [it be] shameful to a woman to have her hair cut off or to be shaved, let her be covered.
Meaning in one sentence
Paul equates a woman praying with head uncovered to being shorn. Learn why he uses this shocking comparison and what it means for worship.
Context
Paul is writing to a church in Corinth where worship has become disorderly. One issue is what women should do with their heads when they pray or prophesy in public meetings. In the culture around them, a married woman's uncovered head signaled something inappropriate, perhaps an association with women of loose morals or a disregard for the social order that marked the difference between men and women. Paul does not introduce a new rule; he appeals to what they already know is shameful. He points to the common practice of cutting or shaving a woman's hair as a penalty or disgrace, and uses that shame to argue for the covering. The whole passage turns on what everyone in Corinth would have understood without explanation.
Key Words
The Greek word for cover here is katakaluptō, a verb that means to veil completely, to hide from sight. It is not a light scarf but a covering that conceals. Paul chooses it because it contrasts with the exposure of being shorn or shaved. The two verbs for being shorn (keirō) and shaven (xuraō) paint a sharp picture. Keirō is the word used for shearing sheep, cutting the hair short. Xuraō means to shave clean with a razor, a mark sometimes given to slaves or women caught in adultery. In that world, losing your hair was a public badge of shame. Paul calls this aischros, a word that means disgraceful, ugly, dishonorable. He does not invent a new moral law. He points to a shame everyone already felt. By connecting the uncovered head to that same dishonor, he makes his case for the covering as a matter of what is proper, not arbitrary.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions have read this verse carefully. Many early Protestant commentators, like Matthew Henry and Adam Clarke, emphasized that Paul is appealing to a universal sense of decency, not imposing a new rule. The Cambridge Bible notes that being shorn or shaven was considered a disgrace, often a sign of a slave or a woman in mourning. John Gill, a Baptist scholar, points to ancient pagan writers who also called such a practice abominable. More recently, some traditions see the head covering as a cultural expression that may change with time, while others view it as a permanent symbol of the created order Paul describes in verses 7-9. Both groups seek to honor Paul's concern for worship that reflects God's design confidently and without shame.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers take this verse as a universal command that every Christian woman must wear a physical head covering every time she prays. In fact, Paul's whole argument rests on a specific cultural shame: in first-century Corinth, a woman with shorn or shaven hair was dishonored. He does not say 'all women everywhere must wear a veil.' He says 'if it is shameful for a woman in your culture to be shorn, then let her be covered.' The principle is about marking the difference between men and women in worship, but the particular custom may vary. What is never up for debate is that worship should be orderly and reflect God's good creation.
Living This Out
This verse asks you to think about your own approach to worship. Not whether you wear a hat or veil, but whether your appearance and actions in church honor the One you are praying to. Paul's concern was that nothing about a believer's dress or posture should distract from the reverence due to God. This week, before you enter a worship gathering, pause and ask: Does what I wear, and how I carry myself, help me focus on God? Does it help others? The answer will look different across cultures, but the question is the same: am I dressed for worship or for something else?
Main takeaway: The shame of being shorn in Corinth shows that worship must be marked by the honor and order God designed.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
In the church in Corinth, women covered their heads when they prayed. Paul said that if a woman didn't cover her head, she might as well cut her hair short, which in that time was very shameful. He wanted everyone to show respect when they worshiped God.
For ages 9, 12
Paul used a strong example to make a point. In his culture, a woman with short hair was seen as shameful, like a slave. So he said a woman should cover her head when she prayed to show honor. Today, Christians disagree about whether this practice applies everywhere, but we all agree that worship should be done with respect and order.
Questions People Ask
What does 'covered' mean in this verse?
The Greek word is katakaluptō, meaning to cover completely, like a veil. Paul is referring to the head covering custom of married women in first-century Corinth.
Why does Paul say 'let her hair also be cut off'?
He is using a logical argument: if a woman refuses the covering that signals modesty, she should also be willing to accept the shame of a shorn head. Since both are shameful in that culture, she should choose the covering.
Does this verse mean women must wear head coverings today?
Christians differ. Some see the covering as a cultural practice that does not bind all times. Others see it as a timeless principle of gender distinction in worship. The verse itself appeals to a specific cultural shame.
What does 'let her be covered' at the end mean?
It means she should wear a veil or head covering. Paul repeats his instruction: because being shorn is shameful, she should cover her head to avoid dishonor.
Why is it shameful for a woman to have her hair cut off or shaved?
In that culture, short hair or a shaved head was a mark of a slave, a mourner, or a woman caught in sin. Custom and even nature taught that long hair was a woman's glory.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study