1 Corinthians Chapter 11 · Verse 5
But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.
Original Language Analysis
προφητεύουσα
prophesieth
G4395
προφητεύουσα
prophesieth
Strong's:
G4395
Word #:
6 of 21
to foretell events, divine, speak under inspiration, exercise the prophetic office
τῇ
G3588
τῇ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
8 of 21
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
κεφαλὴν
head
G2776
κεφαλὴν
head
Strong's:
G2776
Word #:
9 of 21
the head (as the part most readily taken hold of), literally or figuratively
καταισχύνει
dishonoureth
G2617
καταισχύνει
dishonoureth
Strong's:
G2617
Word #:
10 of 21
to shame down, i.e., disgrace or (by implication) put to the blush
τὴν
G3588
τὴν
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
11 of 21
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
κεφαλὴν
head
G2776
κεφαλὴν
head
Strong's:
G2776
Word #:
12 of 21
the head (as the part most readily taken hold of), literally or figuratively
ἑαυτῆς·
her
G1438
ἑαυτῆς·
her
Strong's:
G1438
Word #:
13 of 21
(him- her-, it-, them-, my-, thy-, our-, your-)self (selves), etc
γάρ
for
G1063
γάρ
for
Strong's:
G1063
Word #:
15 of 21
properly, assigning a reason (used in argument, explanation or intensification; often with other particles)
ἐστιν
that is
G2076
ἐστιν
that is
Strong's:
G2076
Word #:
16 of 21
he (she or it) is; also (with neuter plural) they are
καὶ
even
G2532
καὶ
even
Strong's:
G2532
Word #:
17 of 21
and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
τὸ
G3588
τὸ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
18 of 21
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
αὐτὸ
as if
G846
αὐτὸ
as if
Strong's:
G846
Word #:
19 of 21
the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative g1438) of the third person, and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons
Cross References
Historical Context
Respectable Roman and Greek women wore head coverings (veils or draped fabric) in public as signs of modesty and marital status. Unveiled women were often prostitutes or adulteresses. A shaved head was a mark of public shame—sometimes forced on adulteresses as punishment. Some Corinthian Christian women, perhaps influenced by libertine slogans like 'all things are lawful' (6:12, 10:23), were abandoning head coverings as symbols of newfound spiritual freedom, unwittingly communicating sexual impropriety.
Questions for Reflection
- How does Paul affirm women's spiritual gifts (prophecy) while maintaining creational distinctions (head covering)?
- What modern parallels exist where Christian freedom is misunderstood as license to abandon symbolic practices that communicate biblical truth?
- How can churches honor both women's giftedness and biblical gender distinctions without collapsing into either chauvinism or egalitarianism?
Analysis & Commentary
But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head—Crucially, Paul assumes women are praying and prophesying in public worship. This isn't forbidden (contrast 14:34-35, which addresses disruptive questioning, not Spirit-inspired speech). The issue is how women participate, not whether they participate. An uncovered head dishonors both her physical head and her metaphorical head (the man, v. 3).
For that is even all one as if she were shaven (ἓν γάρ ἐστιν καὶ τὸ αὐτὸ τῇ ἐξυρημένῃ)—A shaved head signaled shame: prostitution, adultery, or mourning in Greco-Roman culture. Paul's shocking comparison means that removing the head covering in worship carried the same shameful connotation as shaving the head. The covering wasn't mere decoration but a symbol of honor, modesty, and submission to created order. For a woman to prophesy (speak God's word!) while symbolically rejecting that order was contradictory—exercising a gift while despising the Giver's design.