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On What Scriptural Basis Is a Man Praying with a Hat on Frowned Upon If a Woman Praying with a Hat on as a Covering Is Considered Unscriptural?

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Answered by True Bible Teachings AI on 8/12/2026

1) Direct answer
It’s Scripture. A man must not pray with his head covered; a woman must be covered—but God defined her covering as her long hair, not a hat. So a man praying with a hat on dishonors his Head, and a woman using a hat as a “substitute covering” is unscriptural. Her hair is the covering God appointed.

2) Scriptural explanation
- 1 Corinthians 11:4,7: “Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head… For a man indeed ought not to cover his head; forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God.”
- 1 Corinthians 11:5–6: A woman praying or prophesying uncovered dishonors her head; if she won’t be covered, “let her also be shorn,” showing that uncoveredness and shorn/shaven go together.
- 1 Corinthians 11:13–15: “Judge in yourselves… if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her… for her hair is given her for a covering.”

3) Simple clarifying logic
- For the man: The Bible says he must not cover his head when praying. A hat on a praying man is a covered head; therefore it dishonors Christ his Head.
- For the woman: The Bible itself identifies the covering—her hair is given to her for a covering. That means:
- Long hair = covered.
- Shorn/shaven = uncovered.
- No hat can replace hair, and no hat is required to fulfill the command.
So a woman thinking a hat “makes her covered” while she cuts her hair is still uncovered by Scripture. And a woman with long hair is covered even without a hat.

4) Reinforcing statement
Now notice: it’s not about church customs but God’s order. Men pray uncovered; women are covered by the hair God gave. That keeps the headship honor exactly as the Bible sets it. Final biblical conclusion: A man should remove his hat to pray (1 Corinthians 11:4,7). A woman’s scriptural covering is her long hair (1 Corinthians 11:15); a hat does not make or replace that covering.

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.

SermonRelevance 61

Recognizing your day and its message

Sunday morning, the 26th of July 1964 at the Branham Tabernacle in Jeffersonville, Indiana, U.S.A.

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...

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SermonRelevance 61

Questions and Answers on Hebrews, part 3

Sunday, the 6th of October 1957

57-1006 §76

Now we're getting right down to the question you're asking, see. All right, now it is wrong for a lady to cut her hair, according to the Bible. Now you listen right here and see if the Bible don't give a man a legal right to put away his wife if she cuts her hair; see if this is right or not. For a man indeed ought not to cover his head [that's, have long hair], forsomuch as he is in the image and the glory of God: but the woman is in the glory of the man. [Did you ever think of that?] Now I want to stop here, beca...

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SermonRelevance 61

Questions and Answers on Genesis

Wednesday, the 29th of July 1953

53-0729 §31

Now, I think that would get that man, and woman. Now, a woman is... Let me get this in right good now, so you can see it, see. Woman is subject to her husband. And the Bible said that a man should rule over his wife. But how they've changed that! The woman rules over the man. "Now, you stay home, John! You're not going!" That settles it. "Yes, my dear," see. But let me tell you something, mister. You are going to have to answer for your wife, but your wife is never going to have to answer for you. You are the head...

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SermonRelevance 60

Questions and Answers on Hebrews, part 3

Sunday, the 6th of October 1957

57-1006 §86

You get it? It's a shame for a man to have long hair; that's a woman's place. God made a man different from a woman, sex and in looks, and in everything else. She oughtn't to wear a garment... The Bible said that "If a woman will put on a pair of slacks or any garment that pertains to a man, it's an abominable and dirty and filthy sight in the front of God." And God will make her pay for it. Who you going to listen to? This is the Bible. And you run around and say, "Why, I think it's nice ... see women wearing slac...

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SermonRelevance 56

A thinking man's filter

Sunday evening, the 22nd of August of 1965 at the Branham Tabernacle in Jeffersonville, Indiana, U.S.A.

65-0822E §35

Now, this is going to be a little bitter maybe to somebody, but when she started through God's filter, and it says in there for them not to cut their hair, then what? She lodges on the other side. If it said it's a sin for a woman to do such and she's dishonorable to do such... If she wants to... He said ... "Well, she's got to have her hair cut." Said, "Then shave it off then." And said, "We know that that's a shame for a woman to have a head shorn"; said, "Then let her have her head covered." And her hair is her...

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