African Women Have Naturally Short Coiled and Kinky Hair. If They Do Not Cut it, are They Covered?
Yes. If a woman does not cut her hair and lets it grow as God gave it, she is covered—no matter the texture or how long it appears.
The Bible says, “If a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering” (1 Corinthians 11:15). And again, it warns that if she is “shorn or shaven” she dishonors her head (1 Corinthians 11:5–6). The issue in Scripture is not inches or a certain look—it’s whether the hair is cut off or allowed to grow. “Doth not even nature itself teach you…?” (1 Corinthians 11:14–15). God made different hair types among women, and He Himself gave woman her hair for a covering.
Now notice, the Word makes the contrast between shorn/shaven and long. Long means let it grow; shorn/shaven means cut off. So if a sister’s hair is naturally tight, coiled, or appears short, but she keeps it uncut, she is covered before God. He doesn’t judge by outward length measurements but by obedience to His order. If it’s uncut, it’s long to God. If it’s cut, it’s uncovered—no matter the texture.
So, keep the hair uncut as a sign of honor and submission to God’s Word. God looks at the obedience, not the inches.
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Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
Life
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58-0928E §54
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60-0710 §25
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58-0126 §19
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63-0623E §84
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