1 Corinthians 11:4Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Therefore, after saying, "Every woman praying or prophesying with her head uncovered dishonors her head," he does not stop there. He continues, "For it is one and the same as if she were shaven." If it is always shameful to be shaven, then obviously it is always shameful to be uncovered.

Or it may be understood thus: he shames his head, Christ, by lowering himself and losing freedom. Just as a small body shames the head, so the one whom God created free and self-governing, but who lowers himself as a subject, shames Christ, who is the head of him as of a body.

It is worth examining why the Apostle presents this as a sin. Many other things have been given to man and woman, to one as a sign of authority and to the other as a sign of subordination. Among them is this: one should have the head uncovered, the other covered.

How, then, is it not a sin to overstep the limits of nature, for a man to adorn himself with hair, and for a woman not to be covered? He uproots this phenomenon as a sign of self-will, which is very destructive in church matters. For heresies also arise from this, from everyone stepping outside the bounds of what has been ordained.

Answer. One must know that the divine Apostle, by saying that Christ is the head of every man, showed that Christ is the head of the faithful man. He means the man zealous in practicing the divine commandments and contemplating the doctrines of piety. Therefore the universal wording does not include unbelieving men. How, indeed, could Christ be the head of unbelievers?

Thus, at the first understanding of this passage, as we approach the meaning of spiritual interpretation, we say that the man is the practical intellect. It has as its head the word of faith. Looking to this word as to Christ, the intellect contemplates its own life. Through spiritual practice it has raised that life from the gracious gifts of the commandments. It does not dishonor its head, that is, faith, with any outward and material covering. For it places nothing temporal and subject to dissolution above faith.

The “woman” of this intellect we call the very habit of spiritual practice. It is grown over and covered, as with long hair, by many varied ascetical thoughts and ways. More than this, it has the intellect itself as its own head, covered by the fullness and seemliness of these thoughts and ways. Christ, as we understand it, is enhypostatic faith. God manifestly appears as the head of this faith. To Him Christ raises the word of faith, showing God according to nature to the intellect that is being raised.

Again, the “man” is the intellect concerned with natural contemplation in the Spirit. It has as its head the Word, the Maker of all things. He is revealed according to faith from the ordered structure of visible things. The intellect does not dishonor Him by concealing or hiding Him beneath anything visible. For it sets nothing else above this Word.

The “woman” of this intellect is the sense faculty that dwells with it. Through this faculty the intellect sails the sea of sensible nature and gathers the divine logoi found within it. It does not permit the sense faculty, stripped of rational coverings, to become the servant of irrationality and sin. Nor does it allow sense, by rejecting the divine logoi as coverings, to receive irrational passion as its head instead of the intellect.

The head of Christ, that is, of the creative Word, proportionately manifested in beings through their natural contemplation by faith, is the Intellect that ineffably begets Him according to essence. To this Intellect the Word, through Himself, brings the intellect that is being raised. He does this through the pious contemplation of beings, supplying it with contemplative reflections of divine realities proportionate to the knowledge of visible things.

On the other hand, the “man” is the intellect that has entered mystical theology. It has as its head the uncovered Christ, apprehended by the intellect in an unknowable manner through indemonstrable initiations. Or, to speak more precisely, it has the Word of faith known beyond the intellect. Above this Word none of the things that exist is placed. Neither sense, nor reason, nor intellect, nor thought, nor knowledge is placed above Him. Nor is anything known, anything conceived by intellect or reason, anything received by sense, or anything sensed placed above Him. In other words, this is the intellect striving in the praiseworthy renunciation of all things. This renunciation wholly surpasses both itself and beings, and is supremely deifying.

The “woman” of this intellect is thought purified of every sensible fantasy. It has as its head, as it were, the intellect wrapped in beginningless contemplations that surpass thought. These contemplations belong to ineffable and unknowable doctrines. The head of Christ, that is, of the Word mystically manifested according to His greatness, is the Intellect absolutely and in every respect infinitely removed from all things. The intelligible Christ makes Him known to the worthy, since He is by nature the Word of the Intellect. For Holy Scripture says: “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (Jn 14:9).

Indeed, contemplation of the Word becomes clear knowledge of the Intellect that begot Him. For the Word manifests the Intellect existing in Him according to essence. To this Intellect He raises the human intellect, which hastens toward identity with God by grace. In contemplation it has been freed from the difference and manifold quantity of beings. It is united with the Godlike Monad in the identity and simplicity of steadfast ever-movement around God.

Therefore every practical intellect that prays or prophesies must see only the uncovered word of faith. By “praying” we should understand asking for the comprehension of the principles of the virtues. By “prophesying” we should understand asking to be granted the modes by which these virtues are fulfilled and shown in works. Such an intellect must not apprehend or perform, by passionate attachment, anything that covers the head. It must not place anything else above this Word.

And every woman, that is, the virtuous habit of the practical intellect, prays and prophesies. In other words, it is secretly moved according to its inward disposition and forms virtue in outward ways. If it lacks rational discernment, it dishonors its head. It pursues the good for the sake of passion and is deprived of reason, which adorns it like a veil.

Every intellect engaged in natural contemplation dishonors its head when it prays and prophesies with its head covered. This means that it noetically investigates the logoi of beings, or communicates them to others as a teacher, while bearing some manifest inclination toward something else, apart from a pious aim. It dishonors its head by setting some passing thing above right and pious knowledge.

And every woman, that is, sense, naturally receives sensible things. Yet if she does not have on her head the intelligible logoi of visible things that cover her, she dishonors her head. She brings contemplation close to passion through natural attachment to what is visible.

Every intellect that has become beloved of mystical theology dishonors its head when it prays and prophesies with covered head. This means that it enters the prescribed contemplations unknowably, and teaches and initiates others into the mystery of theology. If its contemplation has any form while it is being initiated into the mysteries of the Word who surpasses thought, or while it initiates others into Him, it dishonors its head. It places Him who is simple and beyond every contemplation beneath some being or object of knowledge.

It must behold without sight the true God the Word Himself, stripped of every covering of thought and knowledge. It must clearly know how the negative judgments about God, spoken because of His transcendence, correspond to reality. It must also know how far they disclose the positive affirmation of divine Being through complete detachment from existing things.

And every woman, that is, the thought of such an intellect, dishonors her head when she prays or prophesies with uncovered head. This means that she has been released from the noetic power that covers her with the thick veil of many mystical visions. She dishonors her head by rejecting divine and ineffable knowledge, which covers the intellect as head.

Therefore let every man, whether the practical, natural, or theological intellect, have his head uncovered when he prays or prophesies, that is, when he is taught and teaches. Let the practical intellect prefer nothing to faith or virtue. Let the natural intellect set nothing above the first Word. Let the theological intellect not shape Him who is beyond contemplation and knowledge according to the form of beings accessible to contemplation.

And let every woman cover her head. By woman I mean the habit of the practical intellect, the sense faculty of the natural intellect, or the wise thought of the theological intellect. Let practical habit bear rational discernment between what edifies and what does not. Let sense bear the knowing power of reason directed toward visible things. Let thought bear wholly indemonstrable knowledge that surpasses thought. For every habit, sense, or thought not covered in this way differs in no way from one shorn. It possesses no word of virtue, piety, mystical knowledge, or divine love.

Therefore every woman must naturally have authority of reason upon her head. I mean rational governance. This must be especially because of the Angels, who observe the visible and hidden movements of our soul. They record our every thought and every deed, for our praise or accusation on the dread day of Judgment.

It is also because of the reflections of conscience concerning what we have done. Under these, the same Angels are figuratively understood. They condemn or justify us even now, and will do so later, on the day of Judgment. It is also because of the evil angels, who watch our habit, sense, and thought. As soon as they see these stripped of rational and noetic discernment, piety, and knowledge, they rush to attack. They create in us the opposite, by which I mean lack of rational discernment, impiety, and ignorance. Through these the wicked demons customarily set vice, error, and godlessness in motion.

God is called the head of Christ as the Intellect of the Word by nature, and as His Beginning by cause.

But we all, the Apostle notes elsewhere (2 Cor 3:13-18), have been counted worthy to see in the face of the Only-begotten Son of God the glory of God the Father Himself (Jn 1:14; Jn 14:9). Therefore we may behold the glory of the Lord with unveiled face.

These words indicate that what the Apostle set forth above is a matter of custom. If anyone wished to argue with this, he would be reproved not by the Lord's commandment, compare 7, 10, but only by existing custom. Customs change.

In particular, concerning men growing their hair, the Apostle finds that nature itself teaches that this is a dishonor for a man (v. 14). Here too he refers not to the Lord's commandment, but only to "nature," considering long hair natural not for a man, but only for a woman (v. 15).

Yet naturalness is not always an obligatory property of human actions. In other words, not everything that is natural is obligatory. For example, it is natural to go barefoot in hot weather, but it is not obligatory.

As for covering the head, there is a distinction between simple covering and crowning the head. The miters of Orthodox bishops, and the kamilavkas and skufias of priests, are head ornaments, like diadems or crowns, that is, bands or wreaths.

The Apostle could not have condemned such ornaments. As a zealous visitor to the temple in Jerusalem, he of course saw the headpiece, in Greek the mitra, on the head of the Jewish high priest (Ex 29:6; Lev 8:9). He also saw head coverings on the priests (Ex 29:9; Lev 8:13).

Therefore he could not have thought that every ornament or crowning of the head was contrary to the commandments of God.

In itself, the covering or uncovering of a man's head cannot have any moral or dogmatic significance. Therefore, with the passage of time and the change in views, the sacred ministers themselves began to appear at divine services sometimes with uncovered, and sometimes with covered, heads.

By this they are not put to shame among us. On the contrary, their head coverings have come to signify their hierarchical dignity, such as miters, kamilavkas, skufias, and monastic klobuks, just as with the Old Testament high priests and priests.

Among us, however, it is customary for unconsecrated laymen to stand in churches without fail with uncovered heads. This is simply as a sign of reverence toward the sacred place, not as a sign of any dignity belonging to them.

On the basis of all this, and also because the Apostle directs his discourse on covering the head chiefly to women, some interpreters regard it as certain that the Apostle speaks of the man's disgrace in covering his head only to round out the statement (Bishop Theophan).

His real intent is to show the Corinthian women, by contrast, the full impropriety of their attempts to establish the custom of appearing in church assemblies with uncovered heads. They did this either to become equal with men, or simply to display their beauty through vanity and coquetry.

Here, as our interpreter, Bishop Theophan, says, "a firm principle for reasoning is set forth in the ladder of subordination arranged in Christ Jesus, according to the divine economy of salvation." Here the man is taken as head and representative of the household.

Did the women in Corinth perhaps claim equality with men in every respect, knowing that in Christ Jesus there is neither male nor female? The Apostle sets them in their own rank.

You have been baptized equally, and in Chrismation you have equally received the gift of the Holy Spirit. The inheritance of the Kingdom has been promised to you equally. Yet in all this, do not forget that the head of the woman is the man.

In Christ Jesus the customary subordination of the woman to the man is not destroyed. "In setting forth this ladder of subordination, he does not define it, but only leads the mind to the subordination of the woman to the man from the Christian point of view."

"If throughout this whole discourse we take the word head in one and the same sense, then the woman will be as much below the man as the man is below God the Word. And who could allow this?" says Chrysostom.

Likewise, the man must show outwardly his authority and preeminence over the woman. Among the signs of the woman's subordination to the man, and the man's authority over the woman, is this: the former must always cover her head, while the latter must not cover it on certain occasions.

From this it follows directly that if the former uncovers her head, or if the latter covers his, they step outside their proper rank and thereby put themselves to shame.

Chrysostom introduces this mediating thought into his interpretation of this passage: "Many signs have been given to man and woman, to the one of authority and to the other of subordination. Among these is that the woman should be covered, and the man should have his head bare.

If these are signs, then both sin if they violate good order and the commandment of God. They transgress their own limits, the man sinking to the woman's abasement, and the woman exalting herself by her outward appearance over the man.

For if they are not permitted to change their clothing, that is, for a woman to wear male attire, or a man to put on a woman's garment, for it says. 'A man's gear shall not be on a woman, nor shall a man put on a woman's garment' (Deut 22:5), then it is also impermissible for them to exchange coverings.

That the one is covered and the other is not covered comes from nature itself. By nature I mean God, for He is the Creator of nature. Therefore, if you transgress these boundaries, see how much harm will arise.

Do not tell me that this transgression is slight. It is great in itself, because it is disobedience. Even if it were slight in itself, it would be great because it concerns the sign of great realities.

That this sign is great is clear from the fact that it produces good order in the human race, showing properly the one who rules and the one who is subject. Whoever acts against this brings everything into confusion.

He deprives himself of the gifts of God and lowers the honor given him from above, not only the man, but also the woman. For it is a great honor for her to keep her own place. Conversely, it is shameful to step outside its bounds.

Therefore the Apostle speaks in this way about both of them." Yet, since throughout this whole discourse on covering the head attention is directed chiefly to the woman, one may judge with certainty that the man's disgrace in covering his head is mentioned here only to round out the statement and to clarify the matter by contrast.