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.
Seals 7: The Fifth Seal
63-0322 §32
I can't understand why that ... well, a lot of things. There's not many things I do understand or can understand. I can't understand how this young fellow sitting here eats the same food I can, and here he is ... got a full head of hair, and I ain't got any. I don't understand it. They tell me calcium makes it, and I can't keep my fingernails cut off enough and no hair at all to cut off. I don't understand that.
A thinking man's filter
65-0822E §32
Notice, now women, they want to have bobbed hair. They want to wear shorts, paint, make-up. These little bikinis and things that they wear nowadays, they want to do it; and yet they want to go to church. You see that anointing upon the spirit, not upon the soul, see. Wants to be a Christian and also do these things. And the pastor says it's okay. Then if he says it's okay ("You can be a member; your name can be on my church book here; it's okay."), then he's giving her his denominational filter to suit a worldly wo...
The Queen of the South
58-0125 §53
Now, if this woman and I, who never have seen each other in our lives... If the Holy Spirit will reveal what the woman's there for, you know it'll have to be supernatural then. If you believe it's a devil, you will receive a devil's reward. If you believe it's God, you'll receive God's reward. It's the way you approach a gift. The woman... The soldier... The woman that touched the hem of Jesus' garment, she received healing. The soldier that put a rag around His head and said, "Let's try out this gift and see if it...
From that time
62-0713 §89
Don't want to hurt your feelings, but how can you women sit here, and know that the Bible tells you that it's wrong for even you to cut your hair, that you dishonor your husband when you do it? You prove yourself as a woman of the street when you do such a thing. And because of the angel, you should have long hair. What angel? The angel of the covenant, the angel of the messenger of the day, the seventh angel which is sounding today. Then still know that you're wrong? Your Adam might've let you go ahead and act wro...
The worst sinner in the city
56-0218E §72
Now, that was the only decent thing there was about her was her hair. The Bible said, "A woman's hair is given to her for her glory." It's too bad you cut your glory off. That's right. I'm still old-fashioned enough to believe that that's the Bible, and that's true and you're doing wrong when you do it. That might scorch a little bit. I know I ... preachers ... they throw me out, I'll preach on the street. And, God, He ain't going to do that anyhow.