What Determines If a Woman's Head Is Covered? Is It the Scalp Visibility or the Uncut Hair? Does It Matter If the Hair Is Matted in Cornrows or Plait?
1) Direct answer
A woman’s head is covered when her hair is uncut and allowed to grow. It is not about hiding the scalp with fabric, and it’s not undone by how the hair is arranged. Cornrows, plaits, or other styles do not remove the covering so long as the hair remains uncut and the styling is modest.
2) Scriptural explanation
- 1 Corinthians 11:15: “Her hair is given her for a covering.” The God‑given covering is hair itself.
- 1 Corinthians 11:5–6: Uncoveredness is linked with being shorn or shaven. That shows cutting the hair brings the shame of uncoveredness.
- 1 Timothy 2:9 and 1 Peter 3:3 warn against showy “broided/plaited” hair as outward adornment. The issue is vanity and display, not the mere act of arranging hair.
3) Simple clarifying logic
- Covered = hair God gave, uncut and growing (that is “long”—not measured by inches but by not cutting what God gives).
- Uncovered = shorn/shaven/cut, even if a hat or scarf hides the scalp.
- Styling (cornrows, plaits, buns, etc.) does not cancel the covering, but Scripture cautions against ornate, attention‑seeking braiding. Keep it modest and feminine.
4) Reinforcing statement
Keep what God gave—don’t cut it—and wear it with modesty. That is the Bible’s covering for a woman. Final biblical conclusion: A woman is covered by her uncut, growing hair (1 Corinthians 11:15). Scalp visibility and hats are irrelevant. Plaiting or cornrows do not remove the covering, but must be modest and not for display (1 Timothy 2:9; 1 Peter 3:3).
Existing Follow-Up Answers
- 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 he
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.
The Harvest Time
64-1212 §78
That's one of the words, for the Bible said it's wrong for a woman to cut her hair. That's right. If she does how's she going to get in? See? Just ask, any preacher will tell you the Word says that. See, "she dishonors her head," she dishonors her husband. She should be divorced. That's exactly right. "For she that will cut her hair, let her also be shorn off, shaven." See, if she wants to do that. Not with just bobbed, God don't want it that way. That's that Mr. In-between. Don't fool with it. Either cut it all of...
Presuming
62-0117 §100
And you women that hasn't the common decency to let your hair grow out, like God told you to... That's right. The Bible says that a woman that will bob her hair dishonors her head, and that dishonors her husband. And you that will wear these little old garments like the rest of the world wears, the Bible says that he that ... "a woman that'll put on a garment that pertains to a man is an abomination," filthy in the sight of God. And then you claim to have the Holy Ghost? You're presuming you've got it. But when you...
Seals 1: God hiding and revealing Himself in simplicity
63-0317M §32
...ive, always. Genuine love is corrective. So, you must be able to stand the correction. And mothers know now that there's a place there for your babies. You young kids know different than to run around over the building. You adults know different than to talk and carry on your conversations in the auditorium. Don't do that. It's wrong. It isn't pleasing to God. Jesus said, "It is written, my house shall be made a house of worship---prayer---called the house of prayer by all nations." And they were buying and selling...
Paradox
64-0206B §18
A few years ago (about fifteen years ago) I used to hunt with a man that was a barber. And he was also a chiropodist. That's cutting calluses from feet. You know, during those times it was hard going. There was no money. And this barber friend of mine, I ... combing my hair and had... He was cutting my hair, rather, and he had dandruff on the shoulder. He said, "Billy," said, "you have to ... I'll have to give you a little shampoo." Said, "You got so much dandruff on your coat." And I said, "All right, Jimmy." And...
Church Order
63-1226 §88
Jesus was good-natured, too, but when it come time to say things, "It's written, 'My Father's house is made a house of prayer,' and you are making it a den of thieves," see. He knowed when to speak and when not to. That's what we got to do, see. There never was a person like Jesus, He was God. And remember, He even... Talk about being a deacon in the church, He took over! He plaited some ropes together, and He didn't wait to gently walk them out, He beat them out (see), at the house of God. And He was playing the p...