Bishop's Epistle: Exegesis of 1 Corinthians 11:15, Understanding Words

In a quote from modern cinema a particular character is famous for the question, ‘Do you understand the words a-coming out of my month?” We might borrow from that quote and ask “Do you understand the words a-coming from Paul’s pen?”

The demonstrated truth is: many do not.

First it must be acknowledged that hair as Paul’s required covering has been taught for three generations by teachers that had virtually no education in the Koine Greek language, apart from a few (very few) word studies. This handicap provided an environment where this false understanding was birthed and nourished. Now that it is a full-grown heresy a few of its sons are becoming educated in the study of biblical languages. Sadly, for most of these it is a case of too little too late. Instead of embracing their newfound knowledge and permitting it to usher them into the light of New Testament understanding, they double down on this one issue to an unreasonable degree and are willing to sacrifice themselves on the altar of pride for fear of appearing to their constituents as leaving “the old landmarks.”

This chapter will be dedicated to understanding Paul’s choice of words in 1 Corinthians 11;15, “ But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.” (KJV).

This verse is mistakenly employed as the key verse to unlock the understanding of all Paul has taught in the verses leading up to it. It is a guarantee that 99 persons out of 100, that have been taught hair as Paul’s required covering, will immediately jump over the first 14 verses of chapter 11 to verse 15 for their understanding of what Paul’s required covering is. But, do our friends actually understand the words from Paul’s pen, or quill, as it were?

Now, we must have some working knowledge of the Greek words Paul actually used, in order to understanding the meaning of the English words we read as English readers. For example we may read the statement in English (“But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.”) and have the confidence that the Greek was faithfully rendered into our own tongue. But in the English rendering we have legitimate debate over certain words: such as what is meant by “long hair”? What does “for a covering” actually mean? To arrive at the proper understanding we must look at Paul’s actual words—not what translators turned these words into. Now, mark it well: It is not that the translators’ word choices are wrong. They are correct—when understood in the light of the original intent of the autograph (the author’s [in this case Paul’s] intent.)

In regards to 1 Corinthians 11:15, Paul actually wrote: γυνὴ δὲ ἐὰν κομᾷ δόξα αὐτῇ ἐστιν; ὅτι ἡ κόμη ἀντὶ περιβολαίου δέδοται [αὐτῇ].

To understand the English that we all read in our Bibles, we MUST understand what the Greek word meanings where, which the Apostle chose to use. So, we will set about doing just that. I must warn the reader, the information that follows will be disturbing to the King James only person, who should proceed only at their own peril.

γυνὴ/gunē:

Strong’s #G1135, a woman, but specifically a wife. This word is translated “wife” in the English Standard Version (ESV): “For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head.”

The Greek word used here for “woman” is gunē (Strongʼs #NT 1135), which, in the New Testament is used for a woman who has, or has had, a man (i.e. a husband). Gunē is used for “wife” eighty times in the KJV New Testament. One other word (gunaikeios, Strongʼs #NT1134) appears for wife only once in the New Testament: at 1 Peter 3:7; even it has gunē as its root. The word gunē is also translated “woman” ninety-six times: each time a married woman (or woman who had been married) is to be understood. Only two other places in the New Testament employ another word for woman: i.e. Romans 1:27 and Galatians 4:30. An example of how the word “gunē” is employed in the Greek New Testament can be seen in Matthew 22:23-28. The word “gunē” is used interchangeably throughout the passage for both “wife” and “woman,” while referencing the same person.

Thus, “gunē” is understood to reference a woman in the sexual sense of the word. Paul states it clearly in 1 Corinthians 7:34, “... the woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, ..” The word “woman” is gunē; the word “virgin” is parthenos.

There is a difference also between a wife (gunē) and a “virgin” (Greek: parthenos). A virgin (parthenos) is a female (daughter) who has never been married (known a man). The Greek language utilizes different words for female that show distinction and status, relating to being married or never married; some of these are: thelus: female, a woman (Strongʼs #NT 2338) from the word thelazo (Strongʼs # 2337) … means: adult female. The word is used but once in the New Testament (Romans 1:27), where Paul is writing of “the matural use of the woman (thelus)”; korasion: maiden; a young never married female (Strongʼs #2877), Matthew used this word for Jariusʼ daughter who was twelve years old (Matthew 9:24-25); pais: a girl (child) (Strongʼs #3816). Used by Luke for Jariusʼ daughter (Luke 8:51,54; parthenos: virgin, a maiden. a never married daughter (Strongʼs #3933). This word is used by Paul in 1 Corinthians chapter 7 for a daughter who has never been married; gunē: a married woman (Strongʼs #NT1135). Gunē is the New Testament word for wife.

κομᾷ/koma and κόμη/komē:

Strong’s #G2863, 2864, verb, to wear tresses of hair, from the noun komē: ornamental hair—long hair implied. Joseph Henry Thayer says of “komē”: “it differs from θριξ/thrix (the anatomical or physical term) by designating the hair as an ornament (the notion of length being only secondary and suggested).” Both the verb and the noun is used by Paul: the verb means to use the hair as an ornament, the noun designates the hair as an ornament. —Thayer

Lex Links Lexicon (a beginner’s lexicon), Komaō appears twice in the Greek New Testament—1 Corinthians 11:14, 15. “It is the verb that means: ‘bring the hair into a shape’ … homosexual (male) prostitutes (the effeminate kind in Corinth) used to get hairdos like women. And this is what was offensive to God … one of the secondary aspects of getting a hairdo is growing hair long in order to be able to style it. But it was not the growing of long hair which was offensive to God, just the styling of a man’s hair to look feminine. In the Bible, God even commanded men, regarding the vow of a Nazarite, to not cut the hair. And some prophets never cut their hair even once in their whole lives? So long hair itself is never offensive to God. Nor is it ever offensive to God for a woman to style her hair. Only men are forbidden to style their hair, to look feminine, … .” The noun, “komē, komēs, ē”, is “a hair style, fashioned or styled hair.” The noun “kommōtēs,” (Modern Greek) is “a hairdresser, hair stylist”. Literally: “an agent of hairstyles.” To this day, this Greek word still refers to a hairdo.

So, then, the word that has been touted as proof that Christian women may never cut their hair (the verb: koma, and its noun: komē) are not words that actually mean long hair. The Greek word for hair is θριξ/thrix (I give the Greek spelling and the English transliteration). Thrix (the word for “hair”) does not appear in our text. The word from the Greek translated into English as “long hair” is the noun “komē” and its verb “koma”: which means adorned hair. The long length is only implied, because length is needed for it to be adorned.

Jay P Green, in his Interlinear Greek-English New Testament, A Literal Translation of the Bible (©️1985 Published by Henderson, ISBN 978-1-58563-979-9) renders 1 Corinthians 11:4-15 thusly:

η ουδε αυτη η φυσις διδασκει υμας οτι ανηρ μεν εαν κομα ατιμια αυτω εστιν

Does not nature herself teach you that if a man indeed adorns the hair, it is a dishonor to him.

γυνη δε εαν κομα δοξα αυτη εστιν οτι η κομη αντι περιβολαιου δεδοται αυτη

But if the woman should adorn the hair, it is a glory to her, because the long hair has been given to her instead (1993 version: corresponding to a veil) of the veil.

ἀντὶ/anti:

The phrase “ἀντὶ περιβολαίου” is transliterated: anti peribolaiou; English translation: “instead of a covering;” it is so rendered in Young’s Literal Translation (YLT): “... and a woman, if she have long hair, a glory it is to her, because the hair instead of a covering hath been given to her;... . ” A. T. John 1”1Robertson says, concerning “anti peribolaiou:”

“... Old word from periballw to fling around, as a mantle (Hebrews 1:12) or a covering or veil as here. It is not in the place of a veil, but answering to (anti, in the sense of anti in John 1:16), ... .” —Robertson

Robertson cites John 1:16 as an example of how “anti” is to be understood in our text. Komē for a peribolaion is compared to “grace answering to grace”. John 1:16 says: καὶ χάριν ἀντὶ χάριτος· (kai charin anti charitos); English: “and grace for grace.” So, then, the hair “answers to” (Robertson) the veil: it (the hair) “answers,” in the natural arena, to what the veil is in the religious arena. It is one covering answering to another covering. For the covering of hair that the female wears by nature in the worldly arena is answered to in corporate worship with the covering of the RAC. There is an exchange of the two: when in worship there is the RAC. when in the worldly arena, there is the long hair.

Jay P. Green Jay P Green, in his Interlinear Greek-English New Testament, A Literal Translation of the Bible (©️1993) has “corresponding to a veil”.

Regardless of the clear teaching of the Greek scholars on the word “anti” such Bible teachers as Daniel Segraves, in his book entitled Hair Length in the Bible, employs his preferred definition of “anti” and states on page 37, “Long, uncut hair is given to a woman instead of a veil.” Using, as he does, the literal wording from the Greek, with no consideration given to the idiom that all scholars recognize on the word “anti.” Gingrich’s Shorter Lexicon of the Greek NT, p17, states the definitions for “anti” as: “for, AS, in place of.” But, Segraves totally omits “AS”—the meaning that fits the context. This is also the definition found in Arndt and Gingrich, p73, and A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the NT. Here, “anti” does not refer to a replacement but to an equivalent. This phrase indicates equivalency. Therefore, “anti” is a word of COMPARISON—Jay P. Green: “CORRESPONDING TO”. In Ephesians 5 Paul uses “anti” to teach how a man and wife are TYPED to Christ and the Church. The “anti” used in v15 does not mean “instead of” (in the sense of "in lieu of") but “COMPARED TO,” because long hair is LIKE a veil—it SYMBOLIZES a veil. The French language Louis Segond Bible of 1910 translates the “anti” in v15: “...la chevelure lui a ete donnee comme voile,” or “...the hair is given to her LIKE a veil.”

περιβολαίον/peribolaion

The noun peribolaion is from “peri” to throw or cast, and “bollō” around. Used but twice in the New Testament: here, and Hebrews 1:12 where it is translated “vesture.” Thus, something thrown around one, such as a veil (Robertson, Strong, Thayer). It is the peribolaion of verse 15, and not the hair, that identifies the katakalupto (covering) of verses 4, 5, 6, and 7. The peribolaion is not the hair, it “answers” (anti) to the hair, as grace “answers” (anti) to grace (John 1:16, Robertson). In Robertson’s paralleling of 1 Corinthians 11:15 with John 1:16, in relation to the Greek word “anti,” it is understood that hair does not replace the peribolaion any more than one grace replaces another grace. The graces (gifts) of God compliment, and compound, one another, as does the Christian woman’s long hair and the veil that she “casts about” her head, when in prayer or moving in the spiritual gifts during the corporate meeting of the Church.

There are two coverings referenced in our passage: the “peribolaion” (verse 15) which is the “katakalupto” (verses 5, 6, 7, and 13): a veil, or wrap, that a woman is to “cast about her head” when she prays or prophesies, but a man “ought not” to put on his head when he prays or prophesies [verse 7]; and the long hair that the woman is given by God as a natural mantle or wrap for her head (which “answers to,” and complements, the required peribolaion)—to be used as her adornment, and a display of her glory. The point made here, is that, just as the hair represents her proper covering in the natural realm, so the veil is the Christian woman’s proper covering in the spiritual realm.

The following quotes to biblical authorities demonstrates that the position presented in this work is the orthodox view of Christians throughout the ages.

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

V15. But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her. — We should follow the suggestions of Nature. If a woman has naturally long hair, which is given to her as a covering for her head, the covering of her head can be no shame foe her; therefore let her wear a veil. “The will ought to correspond to Nature.”

Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

For a covering—Margin, “veil”. It is given to her as sort of a natural veil, and to indicate the propriety of her wearing a veil.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

Her … hair … for a covering—Not that she does not need additional covering. Nay, her long hair shows she ought to cover her head as much as possible. The will ought to accord with nature (Bengel).

Geneva Study Bible

But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a {e} covering. {e}—To be a covering for her, and such a covering as should procure another.

John Chrysostom

“‘And if it be given her for a covering,’ say you, ‘wherefore need she add another covering?’ That not nature only, but also her own will may have part in her acknowledgment of subjection. For that thou oughtest to be covered nature her- self by anticipation enacted a law. Add now, I pray, thine own part also, that thou mayest not seem to subvert the very laws of nature; a proof of most insolent rashness, to buffet not only with us, but with nature also.”

Apostolically Speaking

☩ Jerry L Hayes

Bishop's Epistle

Monday, July 27, 2020

Exegesis of 1 Corinthians 11:15, Understanding Words

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