1 Corinthians 11:15
What does 1 Corinthians 11:15 mean?
A plain-English look at 1 Corinthians 11:15 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What 1 Corinthians 11:15 means
Paul completes the nature appeal: for a woman, long hair is a glory, for her hair is given to her as a covering. This natural covering underscores the fittingness of a further covering in worship. The point is not to reduce everything to hair length, but to observe that creation itself tends to highlight feminine glory with a kind of covering. Worship should not contradict this. By aligning the visible with the natural and theological, the church bears witness to God’s wisdom. Women’s honored place is neither erased nor made identical to men’s; it is displayed in a way that commends modesty, beauty, and respectful acknowledgment of headship.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.
KJV
King James Version · 1611But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given to her for a covering.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862and 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;
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752But if a woman nourish her hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given to her for a covering.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890But woman, if she have long hair, [it is] glory to her; for the long hair is given [to her] in lieu of a veil.
Context
Following verse 14’s focus on men, this verse turns to women, reinforcing the broader argument about distinction and propriety. With the nature appeal complete, Paul is ready to end disputes by appealing to the practice of the churches (verse 16). This closing note signals that what he has been teaching is not a private opinion or a local eccentricity but part of the shared apostolic pattern observed broadly among believers.
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