Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary 1 Corinthians 11:6

"For if a woman is not veiled, let her also be shorn: but if it is a shame to a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be veiled." — 1 Corinthians 11:6 (ASV)

Whichever view is held as to the nature of the head covering, the same basic principles emerge from the passage. In vv.3–10 Paul emphasizes the order of authority and administration in the divine structure of things. As every man is to be under Christ’s authority and Christ is under God’s authority, so the woman is under her husband’s authority. (Paul does not mean by this analogy that subordination in each case is of the same completeness.) Therefore, the woman should not demonstrate her authority by having her head uncovered, as the man did when he was praying and prophesying. Evidently at Corinth women were coming to church with their heads improperly covered, thus causing disorder and disrespect in the services. Paul is not necessarily giving his opinion on the propriety of women praying or prophesying in the church, which he later observes was being done (cf. 14:34), though some feel that since he mentions women praying and prophesying here, he approves of the practice. Paul’s point is that if a woman is in the public worship with her head uncovered, it is as if she had her head shaved (v.5). He insists that if the woman in fact does have her head uncovered, she should have her hair cut; on the other hand, since it is shameful for a woman to have her hair cut or her head shaved, then, of course, she should have her head properly covered (v.6).