me in all things, and keep και καθως παρέδωκα ὑμῖν, the ordinances, as I deli- τας παραδόσεις κατέχετε.

vered them to you.

3 But I would have you

3 Θελω δε μας ειδεναι, know, that the head of ότι παντος ανδρος ἡ κεφαλη every man is Christ : and ὁ Χριςος εςι κεφαλη δε γυ

the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his

head covered, dishonoureth his head.

ναικος, ανηρ κεφαλη δε Χριςου, ὁ Θεός.

4 Πας ανηρ προσευχομενος η προφητευων κατα κεφαλης εχων, καταισχυνει την κεφα λην αυτου.

5 Πασα δε γυνη προσευχομένη η προφητεύουσα ακατακαλυπτῳ τῇ κεφαλῇ, καταισ

Ver. 4.1. Having a veil upon his head, dishonoureth his bead. The man who prayeth or prophesieth in the presence of women, with a veil upon his head, by wearing that sign of inferiority on such occasions, dishonoureth his head Christ, who hath subjected women to men, and in particular hath authorized men to teach them. See chap. xiv. 34, 35.

Ver. 5.-1. And every woman who prayeth or prophesieth. Because they who gave thanks, and praised the Lord with musical instruments, are said, 1 Chron. xxv. 1, 2. to prophesy with harps, &c.; and because the priests of Baal, who prayed and sang hymns to that idol in the contest with Elijah, are said, 1 Kings xviii. 29. to have prophesied till the time of the evening sacrifice, many, by the women's praying and prophesying, understand their joining in the public prayers and praises, as a part of the congregation. Yet as it is reasonable to think, that this praying and prophesying of the women, was of the same kind with the praying and prophesying of the men who acted as teachers, mentioned ver. 4. we may suppose the Corinthian women affected to perform these offices in the public assemblies, on pretence of their being inspired; and though the apostle in this place, hath not condemned that practice, it does not follow that he allowed it, or that it was allowed in any church. His design here, was not to consider whether that practice was allow able, but to condemn the indecent manner in which it had been performed. For the women when they felt, or thought they felt, themselves moved by the Spirit in the public assemblies, throwing away their veils, prayed and prophesied with their heads uncovered, and perhaps with their hair dishevelled, in imitation of the heathen priestesses in their raptures. See Virgil, Eneid, lib. vi. 1. 48. Non compte manere come, &c. This indecency in the manner of their praying and prophesying, the apostle thought proper to correct, before he prohibited the practice itself, because it gave him an opportunity of inculcating on women, that subjection to the men, which is their

fast the traditions (see 2 Thess. ii. 15. note 2.) as I delivered THEм to you.

3 But I would have you know, that of every man the head is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; (Gen. iii. 16. Eph. v. 23.) and the head of Christ is God. (See 1 Cor. iii. 23. note, and chap. xv. 27, 28. notes.)

4 Every man who prayeth or prophesieth, (see chap. xiv. 3. note) having ▲ VEIL upon His head,1 dishonoureth his head.

5 (A, 101.) And every woman who prayeth or prophesieth with an unveiled head, dishonoureth

praise you, brethren, because in general ye remember me, and hold fast the traditions concerning the public worship, as I delivered them to you.

3 But, that ye may understand the reason of these traditions, I would have you know, that of every man the head, to whom in all religious matters he must be subject, is Christ; and that the head of the woman, to whom in all domestic affairs she must be subject, and from whom she must receive instruction, is the man; and that the head of Christ, to whom in saving the world he is subject, is God.

4 Every man who prayeth or prophesieth in the public assemblies, having a veil, which is a sign of subjection, upon his head, dishonoureth Christ his head, who hath made him the head of the woman.

5 And every woman, who prayeth or prophesieth with an unveiled head, dishonoureth the man her head, by affecting an equality with him. Be

duty, though many of them are unwilling to acknowledge it. Women's praying and prophesying in the public assemblies, the apostle afterwards condemned in the most express terms, chap. xiv. 34. See the note there. We have an example of the same method of teaching, 1 Cor. viii. where, without considering whether it was lawful to join the heathens in their feasts on the sacrifice in the idol's temple, the apostle shewed the Corinthians, that although they thought it lawful because they knew an idol was nothing, yet the weak who had not that knowledge, but who believed the idol to be a real, though subordinate god, might by their example be led to join in these feasts, and thereby be guilty of direct idolatry. This evil consequence the apostle thought proper to point out, before he determined the general question: because it afforded him an opportunity of inculcating the great Christian duty, of taking care never to lead our brethren into sin, even by our most innocent actions. See chap. viii. Illustration at the end.

2. With an unveiled head. The apostle's reasoning concerning the covering and uncovering of the head, is to this purpose: women being put in subjection to men, ver. 2. ought in the public assemblies to acknowledge their inferiority, by those marks of respect which the customs of the countries where they live, have established as expressions of respect. And there

ered, dishonoureth her χυνει την κεφαλην ἑαυτῆς ἑν

head for that is even all one as if she were shaven.

6 For if the woman be

not covered, let her also

γαρ εςι και Το αυτο τῇ εξυρημένη.

6 Ει γαρ ου κατακαλυπτε ται γυνή, και κειρασθω ει δε

be shorn : but if it be a αισχρον γυναικι το κειρασθαι, η ξυρασθαι, κατακαλυπτέσθω.

shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.

7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the

image and glory of God: but the woman is the glo

ry of the man.

8 For the man is not of the woman: but the woman of the man.

9 Neither was the man created forthe woman: but the woman for the man.

10 For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head, because of the angels.

fore, although with us it be a mark of superiority to be covered in a public assembly, and of inferiority to be uncovered, the apostle's reasoning still holds, because the customs of the east were the reverse of ours.-The veil used by the eastern women was so large as to cover a great part of their body. This appears from Ruth's veil, which held six measures of barley, Ruth iii. 15.-A veil of this sort, called a plaid, was worn not long ago by the women in Scotland.

3. It is one and the same with being shaven. In the east, it was reckoned immodest in women to appear unveiled before any of the male sex, except their nearest relations. Thus Rebecca veiled herself on seeing Isaac, Gen. xxiv. 65.—The immodesty of women appearing unveiled in an assembly of men, the apostle illustrated by observing that it was one and the same thing with being shaven; for, as he tells us, ver. 15. their hair was given them for a veil to improve their beauty.-The eastern ladies, considering their hair as their principal ornament, were at great pains in dressing it. Hence before Jezebel looked out at a window on Jehu, 2 Kings ix. 30. She painted her face and tired her head. Hence also to deprive women of their hair, was considered as a great disgrace, Micah, i. 16. See the following note, and ver. 15. note.

sides, for a woman to throw off the veil in an assembly of men, is one and the same with being shaven.

6 Wherefore, if a woman in an assembly of men be not veiled, even let her hair which is her veil (ver. 15.) be shorn. But if it be a disgrace for a woman to be shorn, let her preserve her natural modesty, by veiling herself in the public assemblies for worship.

7 Now man indeed ought not to veil the head in presence of woman, being the image of God in respect of the dominion delegated to him, and the glory of God by exercising that dominion properly. But woman is the glory of man by being subject to

him.

8 Besides, man is not of woman; but woman is of man, being made of a rib taken from the first man.

9 And also, man was not created for the woman, but woman for the man : as is plain from what God said when he created Eve, Gen. ii. 18. “I will make him an help meet for him.”

10 The creation of woman, leads me to observe, that for this reason ought the woman, in the public assemblies, to have a veil upon her head, namely, on account of the seduction of the first woman by evil angels.

Ver. 6.-1. But if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven. How disgraceful it was for the Grecian women to be shaven, may be learned from Aristoph. Thesmoph. line 845.-The ancient Germans punished women guilty of adultery, by shaving their heads. So Tacitus tells us, De Morib. Germanorum. The Jews also punished adultresses in the same Elsner thinks, that custom is mentioned Numb. v. 18.—Shorn, as distinguished from shaven, means to have the hair cropped.

manner.

Ver. 7.-1. Being the image of God; namely, in respect of the dominion with which he is clothed. For in respect of mental qualities, the woman is also the image of God.

Ver. 10.-1. To have, soiav, a veil on her head. Though there is no ex

11 Nevertheless, nei- 11 Πλην ούτε ανηρ χωρις ther is the man without γυναικος, ουτε γυνη χωρις αυthe woman, neither the δρος, εν Κυρίῳ.

woman without the man

ample, either in sacred or profane writers, of the word σ used to denote a veil, yet all agree that it can have no other meaning in this passage. Benson, in his note on 1 Tim. ii. 8. 2d edit. gives it as his opinion, that because the Hebrew word radid (which comes from the verb radad, to have power) signifies a veil, the apostle uses the word 2, power, to denote a veil, because the Hebrew women veiled themselves in presence of the men, in token of their being under their power. A like figurative sense of the word circumcision, we have, Acts vii. 8. where it is called a covenant, because it was the token or sign of God's covenant with Abraham.

2. On account of the angels. In scripture, the word angels sometimes signifies cvil angels, 1 Cor. vi. 3. Do ye not know that we shall judge angels? Jude, ver. 6. The angels who kept not their first estate.-Eve having been seduced by evil angels to eat the forbidden fruit, she and all her daughters were punished for that sin, by being subjected to the rule of their husbands. The apostle therefore enjoined the eastern women, according to whose customs the wearing of a veil was a token of subjection, to be veiled in the public assemblies for worship, that remembering their first mother's seduction by evil angels, they might be sensible of their own frailty, and behave with humility. See 1 Tim. ii. 14.Others by the angels, understand the bishops, who are styled angels of the churches, Rev. i. 20. For they suppose the women were ordered to be veiled, when in the public assemblies they performed the office of teachers, to shew their respect to the bishops. Others think good angels are meant here, who being ministering spirits, might be present in the religious assemblies of the Christians. Of these interpretations, that which is first mentioned, and which is espoused by Whitby, seems the most probable.