I've been all over this issue, and I studied it from as many different angles as I could.

I've looked at it from the viewpoint that the covering is the woman's hair, the covering is only the spiritual covering of the husband, the covering is not for today, or that the covering is for today, and should be observed. Which is right? I don't want man's traditions, nor do I care if women covered in history. I only care about what God wants. I don't care if the church I attend agrees with it or not, and if I cover, I don't care if I'm the only one in the world to do so. If God's Word says to do it, then I'm in.

If a woman is to cover her head - what with? Don't give me man's traditions or historical settings. I just want the Word of God, and that alone.

Well ladies, let's get into the Word of God and get to the bottom of this issue, shall we? Please open your King James Bible to 1 Corinthians chapter 11, verses 2-16.

Look at verse 3. This is giving us the headship order. The husband is the head of the woman. There are clearly two 'heads' in the headcovering Scriptures. There is the spiritual head, which is the authority, and then there's the physical head.

The spiritual head:

"Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body." -Ephesians 5:22-23

The physical head:

"But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head {physical head} uncovered dishonoureth her head {authority - husband}: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. For if the woman be not covered {on her physical head}, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered." 1 Corinthians 11:5-6

If the above were referring to just the spiritual/authoritative head, then why should a woman be shaved or shorn if not covered? What in the world would her hair have to do with it? Do you see the two heads? They are clearly the physical head, and the spiritual head, which stands for authority.

In verse 3, we see that the woman's husband is her spiritual head. What about unmarried women? When a woman is not married, if she is still living at home, then her father is her authority - he is the one taking care of her, and while she is under his roof, she is to submit to him. The single woman who is living on her own is not under the headship of her father, because he is no longer taking care of her - she is on her own. Therefore, until she marries, if she does, her spiritual head is Christ:

"There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband." -1 Corinthians 7:34

Let us move on. Verse four makes it clear that there are the two heads - the spiritual and physical, else one would have to seriously allegorize this verse, instead of taking it at face value. This verse also makes it clear that the headcovering is not hair, else all Christian men should be bald when they pray. For a man to take off his hair when he prays or prophesies is not what this verse is obviously talking about. 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 is referring to a physical headcovering that sits on top of the hair.

Now look at verses 5 and 6. In verse 5, notice that if a woman prophesies without a covering on her head, then she is dishonoring her spiritual head - her husband. This jives perfectly with other Scriptures, such as the following:

"Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church." -1 Corinthians 14:34-35

Your women - men are being instructed here to remind their wives to stay silent in church. We wives like to discuss the sermon, and we need to do so when we are at home, not during church. Women are to be silent in church to show submission to their husbands.

"Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression." -1 Timothy 2:11-14

This Scripture is referring to the same thing as 1 Corinthians 14:34-35. Women are to learn silently and continue being under the headship/subjection of their husbands. A woman is not to usurp authority over THE man - her husband. Notice it says "the man," and not men. Ladies, we are under the headship of our own husbands, and not all men. This is a family order, not a societal one:

"Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord." -Colossians 3:18

"Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord." -Ephesians 5:22

"Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear." -1 Peter 3:1-2

Women are not to be leaders in the church. This is clear from 1 Timothy chapter 3, where we are told that church leaders are to be "the husband of one wife." Obviously, that would be a man.

Women are permitted to pray and prophesy in church, but when they do, they are to wear a headcovering, showing that they are doing so under the headship of their husbands, and are still in submission to their husbands in all things:

"But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her {physical} head uncovered dishonoureth her head {or husband - authoritative head}: for that is even all one as if she were shaven."

It's a shame for women to be shaven, and it's also considered a shame for women to have short hair. A woman's hair is "a glory to her," as we see in verse 15.

In verse 6, the headcovering issue goes even deeper, and gives us more clarification. We see in this verse, combined with verse 5, that it is a shame for a woman to be shaven or shorn, and it is also a shame for her not to be covered. This is clearly referring to a covering on top of the hair - "if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn."

Let's move on to verses 7-9. Here we see why women are to cover. It's because of the creation order and the headship. Adam was formed first, then Eve. Adam and Eve were both created in the image of God:

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." -Genesis 1:27

Woman wasn't made directly from the clay of the earth, but was taken from man's side. She was created to be her husband's helpmeet - Women are God's gift to men - literally:

"And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him." -Genesis 2:18

"And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 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. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." -Genesis 2:21-24

This is why the woman is to be under the headship of her husband. She was created for that purpose. Why do you think we're natural nurturers?

Obviously, a woman can't help her man, if she is silent all the time. We have such Scriptures as 1 Corinthians 14:35 and 1 Peter 3:1-2 (conversation doesn't mean just talking, but your conversation with the world, via your actions and attitudes as well.)

Now, the mystery verse - verse 10. I'm going to tell you what I think that verse means...

"For this cause ought women to have power on their heads" - in other words - For this reason ought women to have authority on their heads. The reason women are to be in submission to their spiritual heads, and cover their physical heads, is because of what we just read in the preceding verses - because of the creation order, as we just discussed. The second half of verse 10 says "because of the angels." This is part of the creation order reason.

I'm not going to get really extensive with this, but read Genesis chapter 6, verse 4. These were some of the 1/3 fallen angels, who sided with Lucifer in trying to take over heaven. Lucifer/Satan, and the angels that followed him, were kicked out of the third heaven. Some of those fallen angels copulated with women, and created demonic half-breeds. This is also partially why Noah's flood occurred. Noah was chosen for two reasons - 1) He walked with God, and 2) He was pure in his generations (didn't have a corrupted bloodline). Ham's wife, however, was not, but I'm not going to get into that today. I believe the post-flood giants came through a gene carried by Ham's wife.

Angels watch us - both the fallen ones and the godly ones do. The fallen angels see the headcoverings on us, and see that we are showing that we are in submission to our spiritual head - our husbands. In the Bible, the word "watchers" can be used for angels. You'll see that was a term in the book of Daniel, for example.

Moving on... Verses 11 and 12 remind us that yes, Adam was created first, and woman was formed from Adam's rib, but also that men come from women, via childbirth. These verses go wonderfully with the following:

"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." -Galatians 3:28

Women are not viewed as less than men in God's eyes, and they shouldn't be in our eyes either. For order to remain, authoritative order must be established. The husband is not better than the wife. Instead, he is just given a different role. Husbands are commanded in the Bible to love their wives as Christ loves the church:

"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;" -Ephesians 5:25

Husbands are not to be bitter towards their wives:

"Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them." -Colossians 3:19

If husbands don't treat their wives the way God desires them to, then their prayers could be hindered:

"Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered." -1 Peter 3:7

Ladies, we have it easy. We just have to be our husband's helpmeets and submit to them. But the husbands are commanded to love us just as Christ loved the church, are not allowed to be bitter toward us, and if they mistreat us, their prayers could be hindered!

Obviously, we are fallen creatures, and we mess up. If you feel your husband isn't being the Scriptural husband, then take it to God, and don't nag your other half. Listen - you just need to focus on YOU following God, and being the submissive helpmeet God desires you to be. When you truly do this, and give this up to God, you will see miracles worked in your family. God will honor you for honoring Him, and He will speak to your husband's heart. Have faith, follow the Lord, and be patient.

Next verse - verse 13. This verse tells us to judge in ourselves if it's proper for a woman to pray to God without her head covered. If we paid attention to verses 5 and 6, then we would all judge in ourselves that it is not comely, or proper, for women to pray to God uncovered.

Verses 14 and 15 are parenthetical verses to answer the question put forth in verse 13. In the example, it is shown how we see that it is not proper for men to have long hair, or for women to have short hair. This is to be compared to head coverings. In other words, just as it's not proper for men to have long hair, and for women to have short hair, it is also not proper for women to be uncovered. Woman's hair is not to replace the headcovering. The woman is to have two coverings - her long hair, and a covering on top of the hair. This is evident from verse 6:

"For if the woman be not covered {with a headcovering}, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered."

Even with the above explanation, verse 15 still trips many people up. I will quote it below, but with the Greek word for covering inserted. I'm going to show you something very interesting here:

"But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering {pe-rē-bo'-lī-on}."

Note: Notice the above verse says a covering, not the covering. The hair is a covering, but the headcovering that sits on top of the hair is the covering.

The Greek word for covering in verse 15, is different than the Greek word for covering in the rest of the chapter. All other occurrences of covering in chapter 11 is kä-tä-kä-lü'p-tō, which literally means "to cover up." You can study this for yourself here.

While forms of kata/katakalupto are used for our word cover, covered, and covering in chapter 11, the Greek for the word covering in verse 15 is different. That word is perebolion, which literally means 'a covering thrown around, like a veil.' You can see this for yourself here.

This is why the King James Translators put an alternate translation for perebolion in the margin, which was "veil." Using the King James Translators' alternate translation for perebolion, verse 15 would read as follows:

"But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a veil."

A veil wraps around. Long hair wraps around our shoulders. A headcovering sits on our head, and covers.

If we are intellectually honest, then we have to admit that verse 15 isn't telling us hey, don't worry about covering your head. If your hair is long, that counts as a covering. This cannot be the case, for an entirely different Greek word is being used. Our hair is a natural veiling, but we are supposed to wear a head covering on top of our hair, and that is our headcovering.

Now - verse 16... It may be easier to understand verse 16 if we read it straight from verse 13, without reading the parenthetical verses 14 and 15. If we did this, it would say the following:

"Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered? But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God."

When read this way, it appears that there is no church custom for women to pray uncovered.

When Should Women Cover?

We know we are most certainly supposed to cover in church, and while praying and prophesying, therefore we can conclude that it's best to cover all of the time, since the Bible elsewhere tells us to "pray without ceasing." Further, prophesying doesn't just mean foretelling the future, but can also mean teaching from the Scriptures. Do you and your husband share what you've learned from the Bible with each other, and other people? Do you have devotions and Bible studies with your children? Do you speak to them about God? Then you should have your head covered. It sounds to me like the best course of action is to have your head covered at all times, so that you are always ready.

Covering is a submission and heart issue. I don't believe that we have to cover while in the shower, doing certain sports and strenuous exercise, or while asleep. I believe that the headcovering is for public dressing. It is an outward symbol, showing our submission to our husbands. The Lord doesn't need that symbol, as he sees our hearts. The symbol is there as a sign to the angels, and as a testimony in this fallen world.

What about maidens, and unmarried women?

I believe they should be covered as well, to show their submission to their current heads - being their fathers, or Christ directly, as discussed earlier in this article.

How much of the head or hair should the covering cover?

We are not told in the Bible how much to cover, or what type of covering to use. From the covering ladies I have conversed with over the internet, the type of covering used seems to be a personal thing between the woman, her husband, and God. Some women feel that God has called them to cover all of their hair, so they do. I don't feel such a calling.

Scripture seems to allude to woman's hair showing. I lean toward the side that the woman can choose which covering she wants, just as long as it's on top of the head, and it can be seen as a headcovering, and not just as some cute hair accessory.

1 Corinthians 11:15 tells us that a woman's hair is a glory to her, and we see elsewhere in Scripture that Christians are to let their lights shine. I can see a parallel here, but not a spiritual or salvation one. If my hair is my glory, why would I cover it?

Some people would say that I should cover it for modest reasons. Here's what the Bible says in regards to modesty and hair:

"In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array" -1 Timothy 2:9

"Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel" -1 Peter 3:3

Why would women's hairstyles even be discussed at all, if all hair was to be covered? It'd be a non-issue, wouldn't it?

Let's get some headcoverings...

At Wal-Mart, you can get a square bandana for 1 dollar, the last I checked. Bandanas and scarves are usually near the purses and belts; often near the changing rooms.

Take a square bandana, and fold it in half into a triangle, and then put it on your hair, but instead of tying the ends under your chin (such as you might do if you were going out on a windy day) tie the ends under your hair.

Or, you could use a long, rectangular scarf. I've seen some very pretty ones at Wal-Mart for about 3-5 dollars. With a scarf, you can better adjust how wide of a covering you want. Here's how I suggest you wear one - but this is just my preference:

1) Squish the thickness of the scarf so that it's thinner.

2) Now tie the ends under your hair, as if you were tying on a headband.

3) Next, stretch out the scarf on top of your head, until you get it as wide as you'd like it.

Wal-Mart also carries some headcoverings in their hair accessories section from time to time. I picked a black one, for about $3.50. They called it a wide headband, but it covered all of the top of my head, and down the back a bit. I've also gotten headcoverings like this from dollar stores, and Alco.

If you would prefer to wear ready-made headcoverings, you can get some beautiful ones from Garlands of Grace.

If you would like to make your own, here is a great resource for a varied amount of different headcovering patterns and styles.

Other Headcovering Scriptures

I've seen people use Genesis 24:65 and Isaiah 47:1-3 as some supporting Scriptures:

"For she had said unto the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master: therefore she took a vail, and covered herself." -Genesis 24:65

"Come down, and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon, sit on the ground: there is no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate. Take the millstones, and grind meal: uncover thy locks, make bare the leg, uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers. Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man." -Isaiah 47:1-3

Here is another Scripture, which gels more with 1 Corinthians 11. It is the following:

"And the priest shall set the woman before the LORD, and uncover the woman's head, 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" -Numbers 5:18

This is referring to a woman who is accused of committing adultery.

Between Numbers 5:18 and Isaiah 47:1-3 we see that uncovering a woman's head was considered shameful. This goes with the following:

"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. 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." -1 Corinthians 11:5-6

For Futher Study

Free Books About the Headcovering to Read and Study Online

Getting at the Truth of the Christian Head Covering

Head Coverings

Covered Glory

Baptist Women Exalted

Let Her Be Veiled

The Headcoverings of 1 Corinthians 11

Scarf of Hidden Power

Great Headcovering Websites

The Head Covering Movement

The Headcovering Directory