So What If a Woman by Accident, Age or Health Condition Has Short or No Hair, How Should She Be Covered If Hats and Scarfs Are Not a Covering?
1) Direct answer
If a woman loses hair by accident, age, or sickness, she is not made “uncovered” in guilt before God. The Bible’s covering is her hair as God gives it; the command is that she must not cut it. So she should simply let it grow as she is able and keep from cutting. In the meantime, she may use a simple scarf or a plain wig for modesty—not as the Scriptural covering of 1 Corinthians 11, but as modest apparel. When her hair can grow, let it grow; if it cannot, she remains blameless before God.
2) Scriptural explanation
- “Her hair is given her for a covering” (1 Corinthians 11:15). The covering God speaks of is hair, not a hat.
- “If the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn” (1 Corinthians 11:6). Paul links uncoveredness with being shorn/shaven—an act of cutting. The shame is tied to willful shearing.
- God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). He numbers our hairs (Luke 12:7). He knows when loss comes through infirmity, not rebellion.
- Modesty in apparel is commanded (1 Timothy 2:9; 1 Peter 3:3–4). A simple scarf or plain wig can serve modesty without pretending to be the 1 Corinthians 11 covering.
3) Simple clarifying logic
- Covered = obedience to keep the hair uncut and let it grow as God allows.
- Uncovered = shorn/shaven by choice, even if a hat hides the scalp.
- Involuntary loss (illness, age, accident) does not equal rebellion; therefore it does not bring the guilt of uncoveredness.
- A scarf or wig can help modesty, but it is not the Scriptural covering. The moment hair can grow, do not cut it.
4) Reinforcing statement
God is not measuring hats; He is honoring a woman’s obedient heart to keep what He gives and to walk in modesty.
Final biblical conclusion: A woman who has short or no hair through accident, age, or sickness remains scripturally covered when she refuses to cut and lets it grow as able (1 Corinthians 11:15–16). She may use modest apparel (a simple scarf or plain wig) for decency, but these do not replace the God-given covering. If her hair can grow again, let it grow and do not cut it.
Existing Follow-Up Answers
- If a Woman Willfully Cuts or Shaves Off Her Hair but Wears a Scarf or Hat to Pray, Is She Covered?
1) Direct answer No. If a woman willfully cuts or shaves her hair and then puts on a scarf or hat to pray, she is still uncovered before God. The
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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.
Jehovah-Jireh, part 1
62-0705 §51
And the Bible said, "It's a dishonorable thing for a woman to cut her hair." She does it, she dishonors her head. She dishonors the angel, the angel of light. The seven church angels, the one bringing the light will stay with the Word. Dishonorable! She ought to have hair on her head. My, such! It used to be wrong for them to do it. In first Pentecost, it was wrong. What happened? You did run well, what happened? And some of our Pentecostal women dress in them dresses, look like a skin over a wiener, out here somew...
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 5:E-52
Now let us take a Scriptural warning here. Was it not in the days of Moses whom God had vindicated that Korah rose up and withstood that mighty prophet? He disputed with Moses and claimed that he had as much from God to lead the people and that others shared in the Divine revelation as well as did Moses. He denied the authority of Moses. Now the people back there, after they had heard the true Word and were well acquainted with the fact that a true prophet was vindicated of God, I say those people fell for Korah an...
Jehovah-Jireh, part 2
62-0706 §9
...en that women ever desired to cut their hair, dress like men, be perverted. We're at the end time. And America, anyone who knows prophecy, knows that America is represented by a woman. This is called "woman's freedom." Freedom for what? To do as she pleases---sin. A woman cannot do what she wants to do. The Bible says not. A woman is a by-product of a man. She's not even in the original creation. That's exactly right. She was took from a man. Man was both feminish and masculine, He took the feminish spirit and put...
Church Ages, part 7: The Sardisean Church Age
60-1209 §87
I seen a religious society a while ago, going in to have some kind of a little blowout they have about every night. And these women all going in with these knickerbockers ... or what is them things they call them? Not shorts, but the others. Yeah, pedal pushers, or them things there. They need a pedal pushed all right. Brother, that's a board about that wide. That's right. "Ped" comes from "pedestrian." That's on your foot. And that's exactly what they need. That's right. But, oh, you say, "Well, now I think it's m...
The Unwelcomed Christ
55-0828A §43
The world stands back, "Look at those holy rollers." But the tears from sinners, saying, "Yes, Lord! Yes, Lord! We believe You, the whole Gospel." There she was [Gap in the audio] all she had, all of her money was spent and here she was, crying, washing His feet. And notice, something happened. She had her hair all fixed up and it fell down. Oh, she took her hair... And she was beside herself, she was so happy. She was wiping His feet with her hair. You know what? Some women today would have a hard time doing that;...