Head Covering of 1 Corinthians 11
1 Corinthians 11 is not a Head Covering. It’s not a scarf, a kippah, a hat or any other manner of headwear. It is about the order of creation and nature. We are going to see why being a woman is not a curse, as in the Curse of Eve. Let’s get started.
The Law is Spiritual
We start at the beginning to understand. The Law is spiritual and the New Testament helps us understand the intent for which the Law was given; the Law was/is an actual statute or ordinance that teaches a spiritual condition or application. We will see that the husband is representing Yehovah in some locations and the Messiah in others.
Our first passages are in Genesis, I’m going to break it down in bites because it’s important to see the order of creation clearly to understand 1 Corinthians 11.
Gen 1:27 Let us make man in our image
Image: (צלם shade phantom illusion resemblance; figure.),
after our likeness
Likeness: (דמות likeness or model; Etymological Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew (EDBH) root דמה to resemble; specifically in this passage the meaning is: being similar as in loosing distinctiveness. root word: cover, complete form specifically in Gen 1:27 covering outer form)
: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 28 So God created he him; male and female created he them.
Gen 2:21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept and he took on of his ribs
Ribs: (צלע; EDBH reel, turn to the side; specifically side for Gen 2:21) and closed up the flesh instead there of; 22 And the rib which the LORD God had taken from man, made
Made: (בנה build; form; root EDBH used in forming, having children, endowing, sons. Comment: Eve was born from Adam as we will see in Corinthians)
he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of Man. 24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be (היה hayah) one (אחד echad) flesh.
These verses in Genesis, the Elohim created the man in their image. The image the mans was created in was the exact likeness of Elohim, so much so that there was no destinctiveness between the Man (Adam and Eve) and the Elohim (the Father and Son). Woman came out of man an aspect of man.
Malachi 2 :10 says : Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?
We humans came out of the Elohim who is the Father of us all.
The Messiah quoted Genesis chapter one and two in Mark 10:6-8; Matthew 19:4 when he was asked about divorce.
Mark 10:6-8 6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. 7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; 8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh (will be היה) one (אחד).
Ephesians 5:30-32 uses this passage in Genesis one to teach us that we, the Believer in Yeshua, are come from or taken from the second Adam Messiah just as Eve was taken from the first Adam.
Ephesians 5:30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 31 For this cause (because we are to be a living example of the echad of Elohim) shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh (will be היה) one אחד) 3) This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
.ר.א.ש; is a root from which many words are built, just to name a couple of the more common words there is reysheet, רעשית; as in b’reshiyt or in English Genesis for ‘in the beginning’ and is actually the first compound word used in the Bible. Then there is rishon, which means first. Rosh, which means head or starting point, is also formed from this root.
This root, ר.א.ש, is used in the following ways in the Old Testament. It is used as a head, top of the mountain; top of the stars; chief – head man of the city, etc.; head, front, beginning; chief, choicest, best; head, division, company band; sum. EDBH says ר.א.ש: begin; animate. The EDBH almost sounds like a birth.
One thing rosh never meant was a master. Just as we say “Rosh Hashanah” or Happy New Year (in the month of the Aviv), rosh was more of a position in a lineup of several than any of its other uses, it indicates what comes first. In Rosh Hashanah it is designating the first of 12 months. In the body, as you start at the top of the body, the first thing you encounter is the head (rosh) of the body, then the neck, etc.
I’ve worked long and hard on the following verses from the Hebrew New Testament, Salkinson’s translation from the 1880s. He was a Jewish believer and beautifully used the Old Testament Hebrew terminology and words appropriately in his New Testament translation. I’ve inserted the meaning of a few of the more important words of Ephesians.
Ephesians 5:23 For as the husband is the head (ראש rosh, the animation) of the wife, even as Christ is the head (ראש rosh, the animation) of the church;
Note: The Adam gave birth to Eve; Yeshua gave birth to the church or His bride.
and he is the savior (deliverer שעי ya-sha) of the body. 24 Therefore as (or just like), the assembly is subject (surrendering) unto Messiah, so let the wives be to their own husbands. 25 Husbands, love your wives even as Messiah also loved the assembly and gave (surrendered) himself for it.
There is no Master/servant heirarchy here in these verses. Both the husband and wife where to submit themselves to each other as exemplified by Yeshua. What is it that Yeshua said at the very end of His time of walking with His deciples?
28 I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father. 29 His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb. 30 Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God. 31 Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe? 32 Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. 33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. John 16:28-33
Just before the crucifixion they believe and understood who Yeshua was in the Elohim. But as a patient and loving husband laying His life down daily for the Bride He would present to His Father He stayed by their sides the entire time nutruturing and loving them. This is the love in the love chapter of 1 Corinthians 13.
And now abideth faith, hope, charity (love), these three; but the greatest of these is charity (love). 1 Corinthians 13:13
Back to Ephesians 5:
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it (the Called out) by the washing of the word. 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious assembly (Bride) not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish (virgin). 28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Master the assembly. 30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and shall be joined unto his wife, and the two shall be on flesh
What ’cause’ is Paul talking about here? The cause of representing the Elohim to the world because we (men and women) are members, the components, that make up the Body of the Messiah. We (men and women) are Yeshua’s flesh and Yeshua’s bones.
Adam said Eve was born of his bone and flesh of his flesh, and now in verse 30 we see the church was the same to the Messiah.
This looks like Gen 2:21-23
23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh she shall be called woman because she was taken out of man. 24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
Back to Ephesians 5
32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church 33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife as himself; and the wife see that seh reverence her husband.
The Birth of the Bride of Christ the Messiah
Let’s follow this into John 19. In this chapter, the Messiah is hanging on a tree in crucifixion.
John 19:33 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: 34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. 35 And he (John) that saw it (what it? the water and the blood) bare record, and the record is true; and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe. 36 for these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, a bone of him shall not be broken. 37 And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.
In John chapter 19:33-34 we just witnessed the Second Adam give birth to his beloved bride that He will become one flesh with at the marriage supper spoken of in Revelation 19:6-9. Just as the first Adam gave birth to Eve we are given a type of the second Adam bringing forth His bride.
In creation, we see a shadow picture; when Adam slept during the forming of Eve; the Messiah slept in death in the forming of His Bride. Then the Father took Eve from the side of Adam and closed up that location; so the Bride or the One New Man was taken from the side of the Messiah when he was pierced. In any other birth, there was a flow of blood and water. Blood and water came from the side of the Messiah as His second Eve was born into newness of life as a NEW creation. This is what John saw; in the moment the blood and water flowed from the side of the Messiah he witnessed the birth of the New Man. John witnessed at this spiritual birth Yeshua fulfuilled what was prophesied of Him that not a bone was broken and they had pierced Him.
Ephesians 5:30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 31 for this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 32 This is a great mystery; but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
Wives are to willingly surrender to their godly husbands; as Messiah obeyed and willingly surrendered to His Father. This is the pattern of twos. As Messiah was to the Father: a helpmate, so is the wife to the husband: a helpmate. When we women do our work correctly within our marriage we represent Messiah’s spotless bride. This kind of obedience is pleasing to YHVH. Husbands are commanded love their wives as the Messiah loved the Body. This type of love does not allow for mistreatment, dominance or selfish desire. As the Messiah cared, nurtured, and gave His own life for His Bride, husbands should, really MUST have the same concern, devotion, and self- sacrifice for their wives if they are to correctly represent the Messiah to the world. Both male and female creations are to be ambassadors of the Messiah, representing Him to the world and each other in all we say and do. I can’t stress enough the equalty we are given under the restoration brought by Messiah, but in the same moment we are not give over to the desire of selfishness. The scripture clearly says that we have no rights because we have been purchased by Messiah.
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20
When we apply the rule of being servants or slaves to the gospel message we see a life of serving from love as Yeshua left us recorded in the gospels. Now let’s move forward into 2 Corinthians chapter 11 still using the EDBH and the Hebrew New Testament and the Law.
1 Corinthians 11: 3 But I would have you know that the head (rosh: begin; animation.) of every man is Christ; and the head (rosh: begin; animation) of the woman is the man; and the head (rosh: begin; animation) of Christ is God.
Please notice the difference in the words here in 1 Corinthians passage from those of Ephesians. These passages in Corinthians are not speaking of husbands and wives, but they are speaking of men and women. Here again we have the pattern of twos and notice the woman is not the head (begin; animation) of anything in the verses, it’s important for the understanding of the next few verses.
4 Every man praying or prophesying, and having (physical) head covered dishonored his head (or his animator, Yeshua) 5 but every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her physical) head uncovered dishonoureth her head (or her animator, Yeshua); for that is even all as if she were shaven.
We’ve got to stop and apply some Torah to understand the next section.
A woman with a shaved head was one of two things. First, we will see she could have been a pagan woman not knowing the Law as we see in Deuteronomy 21:10; a woman obtained as the spoils of war from the nation of one of Israeli’s enemies. At the time she is taken captive her head was shaved bald.
Deuteronomy 21:10 When thou goest forth to war against thine enemies, and the LORD they God hath delivered them into thine hands, and thou hast taken them captive, 11 and sees among the captives a beautiful woman, and hast desire unto her, that thou wouldest have her to thy wife 12 Then thou shalt bring her home to thine house; and she shall shave (גלח, galach, to poll, shave, shave off, bald) her head, and pare her nails; 13 And she shall put the raiment of her captivity from off her, and shall remain in thine house, and bewail her father and her mother a full month: and after that thou shalt go in unto her, and be her husband, and she shall be they wife.
The word shave (גלח, galach, to poll, shave, shave off, bald) is used in some significant places that we need to look at. The sons of Zadock int Ezekiel 44 were to neither shave their hair nor to let it grow long but they were to poll their hair.
Neither shall they shave (גלח) their heads, nor suffer their locks to grown long (שלח); they shall only poll (כסם, kasam clip or trim) their heads. Ezekiel 44:20
The next case of a woman with an uncovered head and has to do with jealousy in Numbers 5:11-31.
Numbers 5:18 And the priest shall set the woman before the Lord, and (פרע uncover, loosen, expose, dismiss EDBH loosen, disarrange): the woman’s head (ראש rosh), and put the offering of memorial in her hands, which is the jealousy offering: and the priest shall have in his hand the bitter water that causeth the curse:
Please notice the ‘hair’ is not uncovered but the ‘head’ is uncovered; there are plenty of Hebrew words that could have been used to taking a scarf off of a woman’s hair. The Torah is always a very accurate account of events if we search out the details.
Genesis 20:16 And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other : thus she was reproved.
Ezekiel 16:12 And I put a jewel (נזם, nezem: nose ring) on they forehead (אף, af: nose) , and earrings (עגילת, agiyl: round, ring) in they ears (אזן, ozen: ear) , and a beautiful crown (עטרה, atarah: crown) upon thine head (rosh: head).
The EDBH says נזם means to dangle and it say אפף means nose, absorbing breathe.
The nation of Jacob is described as a woman married to Elohim with a ring in her nose, a ring or rings in her ears, and a crown on her head.
Let’s look at the wife of Abraham, Sarah:
And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other: thus she was reproved. Genesis 20:16
I have no solid evidence but I have patterns to look at, could the covering of Sarah’s eyes have been the nose ring and the earring(s) and maybe a crown from the thousand pieces of silver? If we go back and look at the jealous law this could represent the (פרע uncover, loosen, expose, dismiss EDBH loosen, disarrange) of the women’s head, or her decorations or dowry from her husband. Let’s look at Rebekah’s story.
And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring (נזם, nezem: nose ring) of half shekel weight, and two bracelets צמיד tsamiyd: a braclete or arm clasp) for her hands of ten shekel weight of gold. Genesis 24:22 And it came to pass, when he (Laban) saw the earring and barcelets upon his sister hands, and shen he heard the workds of Rebekah his sister, 30a
Ezekiel 16:11 contains a bracelet too. All of this history fromt the scripture is for context. That the uncovering or disheaval of the woman’s head in the jealousy law was likely the dowry given her by her husband. We do know that Elohim says He is a jealous in Exodus 34:14. But I do believe in context we are comparing the portion about the Exodus 21:10 about the foreign woman’s haircut before she could be married into one of the tribes of Israel.
I’ve so struggled with wanting proof upon proof that the absolute correct understanding is applied in the passages of 1 Corinthians 11. One morning (this morning to me as I am writing it now) I woke up after having walked away for the day because I was not making headway and I was only digging a hole, I heard check the Anglo-Saxon online glossaries. Thank you Abba, thank you. This is what I found:
Shear
“be-·sċieran, sv. 4, shear, cut hair.”
Excerpt From: Henry Sweet. “Anglo-Saxon Primer, With Grammar, Notes, and Glossary / Eighth Edition Revised.” Apple Books.
Shear
SHEAR, verb transitive preterit tense sheared; participle passive sheared or shorn. The old preterit tense shore is entirely obsolete.
- To cut or clip something from the surface with an instrument of two blades; to separate any thing from the surface by shears, scissors or a like instrument; as, to shearsheep; to shear cloth. It is appropriately used for the cutting of wool from sheep on their skins, for clipping the nap from cloth, but may be applied to other things; as, a horse shears the ground in feeding much closer than an ox.
- To separate by shears; as, to sheara fleece.
- To reap. [Not in use.] Scotish.
Excerpt From: Webster’s Dictionary of American English (1828) – on line addition
As we saw in Ezekiel the hair of the Zadokim is to be polled, polling is to cut the hair. Women were not to have polled or sheared hair.
Returning now to 1 Corinthians 11 my words will be added in parenthesis to expound understand according to the pattern of evidence we have seen from the Torah
Every man praying or prophesying, havein his head covered (with long hair) dishonoureth his head (Christ) For if the woman be not covered (has short hair , let her (hair) also be shorn (like a sheep, which is not bald but very short) : but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn (very short) or shaven (bald), let her be covered (by long hair). 7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head (have long hair), forasmuch as he (man) is the image and the glory of God; but the woman is the glory of the man. 8 For the man is not taken (rosh, to animate) from out of the woman, but the woman is take (rosh, to animate) out from the man. 9 Neither was the man created for the woman (as a helpmate for the woman) but the woman (created as a helpmate) for the man. 10 For is cause ought the woman to have power (power of choice, liberty of doing as one pleases; leave or permission🙂 on her head (rosh: husband) because of the angels.
The Hebrew New Testament says in this verse “it is the duty of the man to cover because of the angels”. I believe the reference here about angles is Genesis 6:2 The sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair, and they took them wives of all which they chose.
There are many schools of thought about this passage. Whether you are of the belief that this was fallen angels taking the spoils of conquest from earthly women (therefore the law of the pagan woman taken in battle might appyly) or that the righteous line of Seth were the daughters of men and they were taken by the wicked line of Cain, the reason is the same, women were and in some cases still are victims of conquest since the fall of Adam and Eve. Satan tricked or deceived Eve but Yeshua changed all of that. Women have been made free in Yeshua; and both men and women are equal in Yeshua. In context, the story of Adam and Eve: We can see that Eve was tricked and Adam knowingly followed in her error and committed a premeditated transgression. Is Adam in Hebrews chapter 11? Does Yeshua mention him in Matthew 23:35? There was no sacrifice for Adam to come back from the great transgression, (which is chosing to sin while knowing and undestanding what is required ; Ps 19:13) as David calls it, not for Adam or Cain. In Genesis chapter 6, the women were again victim, that were taken it even says all that they chose. We can see many other places, too. Dinah, the daughter of Jacob was raped by Shechem, son of a Canaanite or Hivite prince. Amnon, David’s eldest son, raped his half sister Tamar. King David took Bathsheba who was married to Uriah. These are just the ones that easily come to mind. This is why we have been given the power back by Yeshua to be equal partners with our husband, equal in kingdom value to men under Yeshua. For centuries women have been physically and emotionally use and abused because of this verse in 1 Corinthians 11:10 and villainised in much literature throughout the history of mankind.
In digging deep to undestand the language and to make sure that I had correctly understood I came across a couple of references I want to share here.
Elliot’s Commentary for English Readers:
“exousia expresses our own power, and not the power exercised by another over us. It is a word frequently used by St. Paul in this sense. (See 1Corinthians 9:4-5; 1Corinthians 9:12; 1Corinthians 9:18.) Whatever interpretation, therefore, we put upon this passage, it must be consistent with this word being interpreted as meaning some “power” which the woman herself has, and not some power exercised over her by her husband.
This quote is an exerpt from “The Latin New Testament: A Guide to Its Early History, Texts, and Manuscripts” by H. A. G. Houghton; page 174
“it has been suggested that in Codex Fuldensus, a scribal note and addition in the bottom margin was intended to result in omission of these verses from the litergical reading”
The author goes on to explain a similar case in Hebrews 11:11 when ‘barren Sarah herself received power to conceive’
Wheather or not we agree on the point of who the angels are we have to come to agreement that the power that is on the woman’s head is under her own authority, it is her freewill
Paul writes in another location
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. Galatians 3:28, 29
Corinthians 11:
11 Nevertheless neither is the man (able to have come into existence) without the woman, neither the woman (able to have come into existence) without the man, in the Lord. 12 For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman, but all things of God. 13 Judge for yourselves: is it comely for a woman to pray uncovered (with short hair)? 14 Doeth not nature itself teach you that if a man have long hair (has his head covered) it is a shame unto him? 15 But if a woman hath long hair (has her head covered) it is a glory to her: for hair is given for her covering. 16 if any man seems to be contentious we have no custom, neither the churches of God.
Clearly 1 Corinthians chapter 11 was not written to married couples. Clearly we are told in Ephesians five that husbands and wives are to submit to one another:
21 Sumitting yourselves on to another in the fear of God. 22 Wives submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the LORD (we have free will) 23 For the husband is the head (rosh, origins) of the wife, even as Christ is the head (rosh, origins) of the church: and he (Yeshua) is the saviour of the body. 24 Therefore as the church is subject (G5293 ὑποτάσσω hü-po-tä’s-sō: ὑπό under τάσσω certain order) to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husband in everything.
To sum up Corinthians 11; we are being shown the order of creation as it happened in Genesis. First, the man (male and female) came out of Yeshua because Yeshua is the life and light of all men (John 1) and all things were created by Yeshua and for Yeshua (Colossians 1), then the female was taken out from man. Women are to dress and look like women, men are to dress and look like men. 1 Corinthians in not about husbands and wives and all women are not to submitt to all men. 1 Corinthians is advising and comenting about fashion styles and it’s not the only place that fashion is spoken of:
The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the Lord thy God Deut 22:5
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 1 Corinthians 6:9
Amen
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