Can a Woman Use a Scarf, Bonnet or Hat as a Covering?
1) Direct answer
No. A scarf, bonnet, or hat is not the Scriptural covering. God gave the woman her long, uncut hair as her covering.
2) Scriptural explanation
- “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).
- “Every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head… for if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn… but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered” (1 Corinthians 11:5–6).
- “For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels” (1 Corinthians 11:10).
Now notice, Paul ties “uncovered” and “shorn” together. That shows he is speaking about the hair. If she’s “not covered,” he says, “let her also be shorn.” If it’s a shame to be shorn, then “let her be covered”—let it grow. And the Bible says plainly, “her hair is given her for a covering.” Not a man‑made cloth, but the God‑given sign on her head.
3) Simple clarifying logic
- If a veil or hat were the covering, a shorn woman could fix the dishonor by putting on a hat. But Paul points to the shame of being shorn and directs her to be “covered” by letting her hair be her covering.
- Nature itself makes the distinction: short hair for the man; long hair for the woman (1 Corinthians 11:14–15). That’s the sign of authority “because of the angels.”
- “Long” in Scripture means uncut—let it grow. Not a length you measure, but a submission you keep.
4) Reinforcing statement
A woman may wear a scarf or hat for modesty, weather, or culture, but it does not replace the biblical covering. Her obedience is shown by keeping her hair uncut—the covering God gave her.
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
Questions and Answers, Part 1
64-0823M §15
I have more honor for a woman like that than I do some of these women that put a little old strap under them to throw theirself out. Don't even look like a human being. They got a purpose in doing that; that's sexy, ungodly. A woman wear ever so many clothes and try to make herself look like something she isn't... Why, women ain't actually that way; it's some kind of Hollywood stuff. And the devil spirit get on them women to make them try to attract attention of men through sex. A woman's breast was given her for t...
Questions and Answers, Part 1
64-0823M §98
And the braid---but braided... The question was: Does "braided" mean---"broided" mean "braided"? Yes, that's right. And now, on the street... Now, I looked that up to find out years ago what the "braided" hair meant, see. The women, actually, the women of old, they just pulled their hair back and tied it, more like in the ponytail today. And they went around... They had robes on like that, but the women of the street took their hair and braided it all across their heads, and wrapped it around like that, and put flo...
But it wasn't so from the beginning
61-0411 §61
And so, I started over, and up come another woman, looked the same way, and here come another woman looked the same. I backed off. She probably would've slapped me if I had asked her. But you know, she had her eyes painted green out here, blue back here---awfullest looking sight I ever seen in my life. Now, women, if you're going to wear that stuff, which you oughtn't to do it... You oughtn't to do it. But why don't you try to look like a human anyhow, not like some kind of a something that fell out of ... a corpse...
Questions and Answers on Hebrews, part 3
57-1006 §77
Now, who's speaking here? Now, sometime a lady say, "Oh, Paul was an ol' woman-hater." Well, now while we're at that, let's just turn over here to Galatians 1:8, and see what Paul says about this. See, in Galatians 1:8, you'll find out that Paul said here in Galatians 1:8: ...though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel ... than this you've already heard, let him be accursed. Now don't blame me; you blame Him, see. For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is in the glory and the...
Forsaking all
62-0123 §33
Sometimes the women in our churches is used to wearing immoral clothes, like shorts, and these dungarees. The Bible said it's an abomination to God for a woman to put on such. No matter what she thinks, she's got to forsake that. Sometimes we find women when they come into the way and get saved, they've been used to cutting off their hair, and they want to be popular like the rest of the world. But they find out it's a hard thing, 'cause they'll call you old-fashioned whenever you go to dressing like a Christian, a...