1 Corinthians 11:15 – the long hair as cloak

… yet if a woman should have tresses, it is her glory, seeing that tresses have been given her instead of clothing?

Long hair is typically feminine (compare Rev. 9: 8). The man does not even come close to compare to this feminine beauty. Say it yourself: at a wedding, the appearance and hairstyle of the woman is always the subject of conversation. Rarely that of the man.

The long hair is given to the woman “instead of clothing”. The word ‘clothing’ (Gr. peribolaion) is made up of ‘around’ and ‘cast’ It indicates a shawl or cape that is wrapped around the shoulders. In the Greek translation of the OT we mainly see it as clothing of prestige (Judg. 8:26). Never as a head covering. In particular, it should not be confused with the veil (literally ‘downward coverage’) that was mentioned earlier (: 5,6,7 and 13). For the woman, the long hair is like an elegant shoulder cloak.

Since long hair is feminine glory, it should be covered when she prays or prophesies. The idea is: if she fulfills a male function, it is not appropriate to display her female glory. Because the attention would not go to the appearance (the feminine) but to the inside.

Delen: