For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.
Parallel translations
- WEB For a man indeed ought not to have his head covered, because he is the image and glory of God, but the woman is the glory of the man.
- BSB A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man.
- NKJV For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man.
- NASB For a man should not have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man.
- NLT A man should not wear anything on his head when worshiping, for man is made in God’s image and reflects God’s glory. And woman reflects man’s glory.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Man is the image and glory of God and so should not cover his head, while woman is the glory of man. Paul grounds his instruction in the creation order.
Overview
Paul roots the difference in covering practices in Genesis: man bears God's image and glory in a particular representative sense, and woman is the glory of man. This does not deny that women too bear God's image (Genesis 1:27), but highlights an ordering established at creation. The point concerns honor and order in worship, not the relative worth of men and women before God.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- 1 Cor 11:3But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.
- Gen 9:6Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.
- Gen 1:26–27And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
- Gen 5:1This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;
- Ps 8:6Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:
- Gen 3:16Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
- Jas 3:9Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.
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Christ at the center
Christ crucified is the wisdom and power of God; he is our Passover sacrificed for us, the firstfruits of resurrection, the foundation on which everything is built.
How 1 Corinthians 11:7 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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