1 Corinthians 11:4 – Nó covering

Every man praying or prophesying having aught on his head, is disgracing his Head.

The word ‘head’ is used in two different ways in these verses. On the one hand it refers to the physical head and on the other to the moral head. Both applications are mixed since the physical head represents the moral head. A man who leads, prays, or prophesies and would veil his physical head would thereby cover his moral head, namely Christ (: 3), and thereby disgrace him.

With this statement Paul distances himself from the custom in the synagogue where men who pray cover their heads with a prayer rug. Although it is not entirely certain whether that was a custom in the synagogue in Paul’s day.

The first thing Paul brings up about the headdress is not that the woman would put anything on her head. He states first that the man would take something away. Covering his head would be (typologically) a denial of Christ. In 2 Corinthians 3, Paul elaborates on this when he refers to Moses who covered his face. The cover there stands for the old covenant. To date, Israel has been covered. But where this cover disappears, Christ is dis-covered!

Delen: