If a Sister's Hair Is Woven, or Plaited or Matted in Cornrows but Not Cut, is She Covered?
1) Direct answer
Yes. If her own hair is uncut, she is covered. Braiding, plaiting, or cornrows do not remove the covering. But she should keep it modest and avoid adding false hair or making a show of it.
2) Scriptural explanation
- The Bible says, “Her hair is given her for a covering” (1 Corinthians 11:15). The covering God recognizes is a woman’s own hair.
- Paul warns against outward display: “not with braided hair… but with good works” and “not the plaiting of the hair” as an adornment (1 Timothy 2:9; 1 Peter 3:3). The point is modesty and a meek spirit, not elaborate styling that draws attention.
3) Simple clarifying logic
- The covering is not a cloth; it is the hair God gave her. If it’s uncut, she is covered.
- Cutting removes the sign of authority; styling does not.
- Simple braids for neatness can be modest; showy, elaborate plaits that advertise the flesh are not.
- Adding artificial hair, wigs, or weaves is not the God-given covering and turns it into outward adornment.
4) Reinforcing statement
Keep the hair God gave, uncut and modest. That’s the covering Scripture honors.
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 §97
QUESTION: Brother Branham, does this I Timothy 2:9 mean a woman cannot braid her hair? Does "broid" hair mean "braided" hair? Now look, Sister, now this... I'm glad that followed this. I never fixed it there, but it just ... it followed that good. Notice, a braided hair in that day was the sign of a street woman; that's what she done, braided her hair. And Paul said to the Christians, "Now, that adorning, not let it be of a braided..." (or 'broided' and 'braid' is the same thing)--- to braid their hair, because it...
Questions and Answers, part 2
54-0103E §63
I know we ladies today ... or, you ladies, rather, wear hats. You say that's your covering. That's wrong. The Bible said a woman's covering is her hair. And if she cuts her hair, it's a common thing for her to pray. That right? That's Scripture, see. So now, women are supposed to wear long hair, regardless of what you want to think about it; that's "Thus saith the Lord." You can show me any place... You say, "Well, my hair's long. See, it's down to my shoulders." That was short hair. "Christ..." You said, "Christ h...
Recognizing your day and its message
64-0726M §71
Making them to cut their hair. Oh, they say, "Our church don't pay no attention to that." You know why? They're blind. "It's no harm to cut your hair." The Bible says it is! It's even a indecent thing for you to even cut your hair and even pray. You say, "Well, a woman should be covered. "And the Bible said her hair is her covering, not a hat, her hair! What if Moses said, "I'll take off my hat instead of my shoes?" That wouldn't have worked. God said "shoes;" God meant "shoes." He said "hair," not "hat!" Glory to...
Questions and Answers, Part 3
64-0830M §103
My uncle used to have a little girl up there in New York. She had the prettiest hair. It's kind of dark brown and she wear her plaits... My mother used to be able to... Her plaits hit down here in the back of her knees. And this little girl had plaits like that too; her name was Jacqueline. And she had combed part of it down like this and cut it off like this. And now, it's been about fifteen, eighteen, twenty years ago. And I used to wonder, why didn't she just comb the whole thing back, it'd look prettier than ha...
By faith, Moses
58-0720M §29
Is--maybe a little young lady setting here, a glamorous young women, the world would like to say to you, "Do thus and thus. You are beautiful. Your body is so pretty shaped; you should show that." But my sister, raise up your eyes and look beyond that, to Him that said it's an abomination for a woman to put on a garment that pertains to a man. If the men... of the people in your community, if the women that you associate with, said, "Cut that long hair off; it would be cooler. It would be this, that, or the other,"...