Does the Bible say anything about women cutting their hair? Should women have long hair or can they cut their hair according to the Scriptures?
A Woman’s Covering
The Bible does address the issue of a woman’s hair length, as well as the cutting of a woman’s hair. To begin with, we need to establish the fact that when the Bible talks about a woman’s covering for her head in 1 Corinthians 11, it is referring to her long hair. Some believe it to be meaning something such as a headscarf, but this is not the case. 1 Corinthians 11:15 makes it clear the covering for a woman’s head is her long hair.
(1 Corinthians 11:14-15)
Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering.
If A Woman Is Going To Cut Her Hair, She Might As Well Shave It
1 Corinthians 11:5 says every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head. It says it is the same as having her head shaved.
The next verse 1 Corinthians 11:6 continues by saying, “if a woman does not cover her head, she might as well have her hair cut off; but if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should cover her head”.
The New Living Translation for verse 6 puts it this way, “If she refuses to wear a head covering, she should cut off all her hair! But since it is shameful for a woman to have her hair cut or her head shaved, she should wear a covering”.
The chapter ends with verse 16 saying, ”But if anyone wants to argue about this, I simply say that we have no other custom than this, and neither do God’s other churches”. Seems pretty straightforward and clear for all of God’s churches.
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