Commentary on 1 Corinthians
Lecture 2
Women should cover their heads
11:4 Every man praying or prophesying with his head covered disgraces his head. [n. 591]
11:5 But every woman praying or prophesying with her head not covered disgraces her head: for it is all one as if she were shaven. [n. 596]
11:6 For if a woman is not covered, let her be shorn. But if it is a shame to a woman to be shorn or made bald, let her cover her head. [n. 597]
11:7 The man indeed ought not to cover his head: because he is the image and glory of God. But the woman is the glory of the man. [n. 602]
591. Having set forth the doctrine, he adds the admonition, the reason for which is taken from the doctrine mentioned.
First, he gives the admonition on the man’s part;
second, on the woman’s, at but every woman.
592. First, therefore, he says: it has been stated that the head of the woman is the man, every man praying or prophesying with his head covered disgraces his head. In regard to this it should be noted that any man assisting a judge should display a condition or dignity, and especially assisting God, who is judge of all. Therefore, those who assist God should conduct themselves in the best behaved and suitable way: guard your steps, when you go to the house of God (Eccl 5:1).
Now man assists God in two ways: in one way by relating human things to God, and that is done by praying: he will make supplication before the Most High; he will open his mouth in prayer, and make supplication for his sins (Sir 39:5); in another way by bringing things down from God to men, and that is done by prophesying: I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy (Joel 2:28). Hence the Apostle is careful to say, man praying or prophesying. For in these two ways man assists God as judge, or he assists the Lord.
He is said to prophesy in two ways: in one way, inasmuch as man announces to others what has been divinely revealed to him: and his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying: blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel (Luke 1:67). A man prophesies in another way, inasmuch as he utters things which have been revealed to others; hence, those who read the prophecies or other Sacred Scriptures are said to be prophesying. It is taken in this sense below: he who prophesies, edifies the Church (1 Cor 14:4); it is also taken in that sense here.
But it pertains to man’s dignity (as will be clear below) not to wear a covering on his head; consequently, he says that every man praying or prophesying with his head covered disgraces his head, i.e., does something unbecoming a man.
For as in a body, beauty depends on due proportion of the members, on proper light and color, so in human acts beauty depends on due proportion of words or deeds, in which the light of reason shines forth. Hence in an opposite way ugliness is present when something is done against reason and due proportion is not observed in words and deeds. Hence it was said above: if any man thinks that he seems dishonored with regard to his virgin, because she is above the age (1 Cor 7:36).
593. The following objection is raised: for many with heads covered pray in church without any disgrace, as they wish to pray more secretly.
The answer is that prayer is twofold: one is private and is offered to God in one’s own person; the other is public and is offered to God in the person of the entire Church, as is clear from the prayers said in the church by priests. It is these latter prayers that the Apostle has in mind here.
594. There is also an objection against a Gloss which states that prophesying is called unlocking the Scriptures. According to this, anyone who preaches prophesies. But bishops preach with their head covered with a miter.
The answer is that one who preaches or teaches in the schools speaks from his own person. Hence even the Apostle (Rom 2:16) calls the Gospel his own, namely, on account of the energy he used in preaching it. But one who recites Sacred Scripture in the church, for example, by reading a lesson or an epistle or a Gospel, speaks from the person of the whole Church. This is the kind of prophesying that the Apostle understands here.
595. Then there is an objection about those who chant psalms in choir with their head covered.
The answer is that psalms are not chanted as by one singly presenting himself to God, but as by the whole multitude.
596. Then when he says, but every woman, he gives an admonition as it applies to women, saying, but every woman praying or prophesying with her head not covered, which is unbecoming, considering her condition, disgraces her head, i.e., does something unsuitable in regard to covering her hair.
But against this is the Apostle’s statement: I permit no woman to teach in church (1 Tim 2:12). How, then, does it befit a woman to pray or prophesy in public prayer or in doctrine?
The answer is that this must be understood of prayers and readings which women say in their own groups.
597. Then when he says, for it is all one as if, he proves the above admonition.
First, he induces a proof;
second, he submits judgment of the proof to his hearers, at you yourselves judge (1 Cor 11:13).
In regard to the first he does two things.
First, he induces a proof;
second, he excludes an objection, at but yet neither is the man (1 Cor 11:11).
In regard to the first he presents three proofs: the first is taken by a comparison to human nature;
the second by a comparison to God, at the man indeed ought not;
the third by a comparison to angels, at because of the angels (1 Cor 11:10).
598. In regard to the first it should be noted that nature, which provides the other animals with aids sufficient for life, offers them to man imperfectly, so that through reason, art and use, man with his hands provides those things for himself; as it gave bulls horns for defense, whereas men prepare for themselves arms for defense by reason’s direction of the hands. Hence it is that art imitates nature and produces things which nature cannot make. Thus, for the covering of the head, nature gave man hair. But because this covering is not sufficient, man through art prepares for himself another covering.
The same explanation is true in regard to the natural covering and the artificial. But it is natural for a woman to have long hair. For she has a natural disposition to this, and further a definite inclination is present in women to take care of their hair. For this is true in the majority of cases that women take more pains with their hair than men. Therefore, it seems to be a condition suitable to women that they use an artificial covering for the head more than men.
599. In regard to this he does three things: first, he mentions the suitability of a natural and artificial covering, saying: it has been stated that a woman not covering her head dishonors her head, for it is all one, namely, the same thing to be deprived of an artificial covering, as if she were shaven, i.e., as if she were deprived of the natural covering of hair, which is predicted as punishment for certain people: the Lord will smite with a scab the heads of the daughters of Zion and the Lord will lay bare their secret parts (Isa 3:17).
600. Second, he leads to something unacceptable, saying, for if a woman is not covered, let her be shorn. As if to say: if she throws aside the artificial covering, let her for the same reason cast aside the natural covering; which is unacceptable.
But against this seems to be the fact that nuns are shaved.
To this there are two answers: first, because from the very fact that they take a vow of virginity or widowhood with Christ as their spouse, they are promoted to the dignity of men, being freed from subjection to men and joined to Christ himself.
Second, because they assume a garb of penance, when they enter religion. Now it is the custom for men that in time of sorrow they take care of their hair, but for women, on the contrary, to cut their hair. Hence it is said: cut off your hair and cast it away, raise a lamentation on the bare heights (Jer 7:21).
601. Third, he concludes his proposition, saying, but if it is a shame, i.e., unbecoming, to be shorn or made bald, i.e., be deprived of her natural covering by art or by nature, let her cover her head, using an artificial covering.
602. Then when he says, the man indeed, he presents the second proof, which is taken from a comparison to God.
First, he induces to the proof;
second, he proves what he had supposed, at for the man is not of the woman (1 Cor 11:8).
In regard to the first he does two things.
First, he lays down the reason for that which is on man’s part;
second, on the woman’s part, at but the woman is the glory.
603. First, therefore, he says: it has been stated that it is disgraceful for a woman to be shorn, just as it is for her not to be veiled; the man indeed ought not to cover his head: because he is the image and glory of God.
604. In saying that he is the image. . . of God, the error is excluded of those who say that man is only made to the image of God, but is not the image; the opposite of which the Apostle says here. For they said that the Son alone is the image: he is the Image of the invisible God (Col 1:15).
Therefore, one must say that man is said to be the image. . . of God and to his image. For he is an imperfect image, but the Son is said to be the ‘Image’ but not ‘to the image’, because he is the perfect Image.
To clarify this it should be noted that two things are generally involved in the notion of an image. First, a likeness, not in just any way, but in the very species of a thing, as a human son is similar to this father. Or in something which is a sign of the species, as the shape, in bodily things. Hence one who draws the shape of a horse is said to depict his image. And this is what Hilary says in the book, On Synods, that an image is an indifferent species. Second, origin is required. For one of two men who are similar in species is not the image of the other, unless he sprang from him, as a son from the father. Third, the notion of a perfect image requires equality.
Therefore, because man is similar to God in memory, intelligence and will, which pertain to the species of an intellectual nature and he has this from God, he is said to be God’s image; but because equality is lacking, he is an imperfect image of God. For this reason he is said to be to the image: let us make man to our image and likeness (Gen 1:26). But the Son, who is equal to the Father, is the perfect Image and not to the image.
605. It should also be noted that the glory of God is spoken of in two ways: in one way the glory by which God is glorious in himself; this is not how man is God’s glory, but rather God is man’s glory: but you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory (Ps 3:3). In another way the glory of God is his splendor derived from him: the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle (Exod 40:34).
This is the way it says here that man is the glory of God, inasmuch as God’s splendor shines on man: the light of your countenance has been signed upon us, O Lord (Ps 4:6).
606. Then when he says, but the woman, he presents that which is on the part of the woman, saying, but the woman is the glory of the man, because: she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man (Gen 2:23).
607. Some object that because the image of God in man is regarded with respect to the spirit, in which there is no difference between male and female (Gal 3:28). Therefore, there is no more reason why man is called the image of God than a woman is.
The answer is that man is here called the image of God in a special way, namely, because man is the principle of his entire race, as God is the principle of the entire universe and because from the side of Christ dying on the cross flowed the sacraments of blood and water, from which the Church has been organized. Furthermore, in regard to what is within, man is more especially called the image of God, inasmuch as reason is more vigorous in him.
But it is better to say that the Apostle speaks clearly here. For he said of man that he is the image and glory of God; but he did not say of the woman that she is the image and glory of man, but only that she is the glory of the man. This gives us to understand that it is common to man and woman to be the image of God; but it is immediately characteristic of man to be the glory of God.
608. We must consider why man should not veil his head, but the woman.
This can be taken in two ways: first, because a veil put on the head designates the power of another over the head of a person existing in the order of nature. Therefore, the man existing under God should not have a covering over his head to show that he is immediately subject to God; but the woman should wear a covering to show that besides God she is naturally subject to another. Hence a stop is put to the objection about servant and subject, because this subjection is not natural.
Second, to show that the glory of God should not be concealed but revealed; but man’s glory is to be concealed. Hence it is said: not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to thy name give the glory (Ps 115:1).