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
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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 on Hebrews, part 3
57-1006 §90
But if the woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given to her for a covering. Did it say she'd be given a hat? You Catholic people or you Protestants, either one, that goes to church and wants to wear a hat, say, "Well, I'm going to church, ought to put on a hat." No, you ought to let your hair grow. That's the difference, see. ...for her hair is given to her for a covering. [And it's a shame for her to come into church without covered, to go to the altar to pray.] But if a man seem to be [I d...
Questions and Answers on Hebrews, part 3
57-1006 §85
Now listen to this: For the man is not of the woman; but the woman is of the man. For this cause ought a woman to have power on her head because of the angels, Any of you read it? I Corinthians, the 11th chapter, and the 10th verse. If you notice, "power of the angels," I Corinthians, because the angels is the man, the messenger. Look, it's a little "a" again. Where Angels are concerned, of heavenly Angels, it's a big "A," capital "A." Where it's a little "a," it's men---angels. Nevertheless neither is the man ......
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...
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...
Questions and Answers, Part 3
64-0830M §101
And now, but cutting the hair, I'll tell you this. I can't ... I ain't got no Scripture to say that you can cut so much of it and can't do the other. I haven't got no Scripture for that, I couldn't tell you that, sister, or brother, ever who it is. I say one thing. I wished... Now, I know my kids has done that too, Rebekah and Sarah, I seen when they cut their hair off here in front, and plait it back here in the back, and make these things across the front, like this. I don't ... now, not holding them, see. No, si...