70 Why our ladies cover their heads

Why our ladies cover their heads during prayer, Scripture studies and worship services.

(Note: This is a summary of a paper by Daniel Botkin, focusing on only one objection)

Whenever the subject of a woman's head covering is brought up, many people dismiss the practice by basing their argument against the wearing of head coverings, on the concluding statement near the end of the passage in 1 Corinthians 11: 15: "but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory for her? For her hair is given her for a covering." There are two proofs that the hair cannot be the only covering Paul refers to, and certainly not the covering he refers to earlier in the passage:

Proof A:

Two different Greek words are used in 1 Corinthians 11: 1 – 15. First the Greek word translated ‘covering’ in verse 15 is peribolaion, a word that is different from and unrelated to katakalupto, the "covering" spoken of in all the previous verses. If Paul had meant that the hair is the only covering a woman needs, he would have used the word katakalupto -- the term he uses all six times that the "covering" is mentioned in the preceding verses. But Paul does not write "her hair is given her for a katakalupto." He uses a totally different word, peribolaion, when he tells us the hair is a "covering."

Paul switches to another term for a reason: He wants to make sure we do not confuse the woman's natural covering, her hair (peribolaion), with the scarf or shawl (katakalupto) which she willingly places on her head. This fact becomes even more apparent when we look at the meanings and uses of these two different Greek words. Katakalupto, the word that refers to the covering a woman places on her head, is composed of the prefix kata-('down") and kalupto ("cover"). This is exactly what a scarf or shawl does -- it hangs down from the top of the head and covers the woman's hair. Peribolaion, the word that refers to the woman's hair as a natural "covering," uses the prefix peri- ("around," as in our English word perimeter). The long hair functions as a frame that flows around the perimeter or border of the woman's face.

The word peribolaion appears only twice in the New Covenant, but it appears twelve times in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Tanakh which was used and quoted by New Covenant writers. It is significant that the word peribolaion is used in Deut.22:12 to refer to the tallit, the four-cornered, fringed cloak worn by men. Paul was familiar with the Greek Septuagint, and most certainly was aware of the use of peribolaion to refer to the tallit. So when Paul writes that the woman's long hair is given to her anti (literally, -instead of") peribolaion, he is telling us this: the woman is given long hair to flow around her head and shoulders instead of the peribolaion/tallit, the four-cornered, fringed cloak that men are commanded to wear. Therefore, Paul is not saying in 1 Cor.11:15 that the hair is the only covering a woman needs. On the contrary, he is saying that the hair is not a substitute for the katakalupto (scarf or shawl), but it is given to the woman to wear instead of the peribolaion/tallit.

This verse also points out that Elohim uses the woman's naturally long hair to show that He expects the woman to cover her head with a scarf or shawl, and He uses the man's absence of long hair to show that the man should not be covered with a scarf or shawl hanging down over his head like a woman. This is why Paul appeals to nature in the preceding verse ("Does not even nature itself teach you?").

Proof B:

A second proof that the hair is not the only covering a woman needs is found in the statement Paul makes in verse six: "For if a woman does not cover her head, let her also have her hair cut off." If Paul meant that the woman's only head covering were the hair itself, this verse would be saying, "If a woman does not have hair on her head, let her also have her hair cut off." It is linguistically impossible to say that the woman's head covering is nothing more than her hair. If the hair were the only "covering," then an "uncovered" woman would be a woman who already had her "hair cut off." An already hairless woman cannot be commanded to have her hair cut off. What verse six means is this: if the woman refuses to wear a scarf or shawl, she should also remove the natural covering, her hair. In other words, she should wear both coverings or none at all.

The Order of Authority in Elohim’s Government:

Elohim's order of authority is clearly stated in 1 Cor.11:3. Elohim is the head of Messiah, Messiah is the head of man, and man is the head of woman. As a divine being, Messiah is not inferior to YHVH, yet He declared Himself to be under (YHVH)’s authority (Jn.5:19, 30; 14:28). In the same way, woman is not inferior to man as a human being, yet the Scriptures declare her to be under man's authority in the government of Elohim.

The Heavenly Father and the Son have different roles. These roles require the Son's submission to the Father's authority. Likewise, man and woman have different roles, and these roles require woman's submission to man's authority. We can also say that man and Messiah have different roles, and these roles require man's submission to Messiah's authority.

Woman is expected to submit to man's authority, just as man is expected to submit to Messiah's authority, and Messiah is expected to submit to (YHVH)’s authority. These are the respective positions of authority and submission that YHVH has assigned to Messiah, man, and woman. YHVH Himself has decreed this arrangement, and we dare not argue against it. To defy (YHVH)’s decree is to defy YHVH Himself.

But what does the structure of Elohim's, government have to do with head covering? What is the connection? The Scriptures says that the head covering serves as "a symbol of authority" on the woman's head (1Cor.11:10). By willingly wearing a scarf or shawl on her head as a sign of her submission to man, the woman is manifesting Elohim's government on earth. She is declaring that she humbly accepts Elohim's appointed position for her in the Body, just as the Messiah humbly accepted His appointed position under (YHVH)’s authority.

Symbolic acts which man decrees may be of little or no value, but symbolic acts that Elohim decrees are more than mere symbolic acts. Elohim has decreed that believers identify with the Messiah's death and Resurrection by means of baptism in visible, tangible water. He has decreed that believers 'show Messiah’s death' (1 Cor.11:26) by means of the visible, tangible bread and cup. He has decreed that man wear a tallit with fringes to serve as a visible, tangible reminder of man's devotion to the commandments. In a similar way, He has decreed that woman wear a head covering to serve as a visible, tangible declaration of Elohim's authority on earth.

Head covering is a matter of far more importance than one individual woman's submission to her husband. The head covering demonstrates not only woman's submission to man's authority; it serves as a visible declaration to all the universe of Elohim's entire system of authority! When the woman of Elohim sees this glorious reality, accepts her Elohim-given position, and perceives the head covering as a privilege, she can begin to exercise true spiritual authority in the Body. The head covering first functions as a symbol of man's authority over her; after it is accepted as that, it then serves as a symbol of her own authority in the spiritual realm.

The head covering is similar to a policeman's badge. There is no real power in the badge itself, but the government that issues the badge will back up the authority of the policeman when he wears the badge as he is commanded to do. This analogy can be confirmed by The Scriptures' description of the head covering as exousia ("symbol of authority," 1 Cor.11:10). One Greek lexicon defines exousia as "token of control.” Another defines it as "means of exercising power."

When the woman of Elohim understands these marvelous truths, she will not view the head covering as an annoying inconvenience or legalistic bondage. She will wear it as a badge of her Elohim-given authority, and it will truly become an effective 'token of control" and a "means of exercising power" in the spiritual realm as she joyfully moves forward, praying and prophesying with power and authority.

"Because of the angels"

The second major reason for the head covering, "because of the angels," is very closely related to the first, Elohim's order of authority. The two reasons are tied together in 1 Cor.11:10: "For this reason [i.e., because of the roles of man and woman discussed in the verses right before this verse] the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head because of the angels." In other words, the head covering shows that the woman is submitted to man's authority, and it is important that this token or badge of authority be seen by the angels, both the unfallen angels [the "ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation" (Heb.1:14)] and the fallen angels [those that are "chained in darkness" (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6) as well as those presently operating as demonic powers].

Those who do not take the Scriptures seriously may be amused by the idea that the presence or absence of a piece of cloth can affect angelic and demonic activity. After all, if angels and demons are real, do they really need to see a head covering to tell them the woman is submitted to authority? Don't they already know such things?

Even unfallen angels are not omniscient; there are many things they do not know. The Scriptures tell us that the good news of the Messiah contains "things into which angels long to look" (1Pet.l:12). "The secret things belong unto YHVH our Elohim," Moses tells us, "but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law" (Deut.29:29). As it is with man, so it is with angels. There are "secret things" which Elohim has not revealed to angels, and other things which He has revealed to them. Elohim has decided that He will show the angels and demons His authority, and the woman's submission to His authority, by means of a visible, tangible covering on the woman's head.

To the natural mind, a piece of cloth on a woman's head may seem to be a weak, foolish instrument for imparting divine revelation of Elohim's authority to angelic and demonic beings. But the Scriptures tell us that Elohim has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and "Elohim has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty" (1 Cor.1:27). Readers of the New Testament may recall that when "handkerchiefs or aprons" which Paul had touched were brought to the sick and the possessed, "the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out" (Ac.19:12). This passage confirms the fact that a piece of cloth can, indeed, be used as an instrument to display Elohim's authority to evil spirits, and affect what happens in the spiritual realm, which in turn affects what takes place in the physical realm.

Then finally there are those who says that the Greek word ‘Aggelos’ from which the word angels is translated in 1 Corinthians 11: 10, do not mean angels. To answer this objection, we see in the concordance that: ‘Aggelos’ (ang’elos) comes from aggelo (meaning to bring tidings) a messenger; especially an angel (or also a pastor). We know that the word ‘angel’ is often used in place of ‘messenger’ in most modern translations of The Scriptures. In fact even Yahshua was referred to as the angel of YHVH in for example, Genesis 16: 9 and Genesis 22: 11. We see that both Hagar and Abraham knew that it was Elohim who appeared to them. However in John 1: 18 we see that: ‘No Man has seen Elohim at any time; the only begotten Elohim (Yahshua), who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.’ I believe that 1 Corinthians 11: 10 is talking about spiritual messengers or angels (and demons) and not the angel (singular) of YHVH, Yahshua.