An exposition of the first Epistle to the Corinthians. By Charles Hodge ...

208 I. CORINTHIANS 11, 4. 5.
lie services. It is not to be inferred from what is here said,
that the Christian prophets (or inspired men) had introduced
this custom into the church. The thing to be corrected was,
women appearing in public assemblies unveiled. The apostle
says,-the veil is inconsistent with the position of the man, but
is required by that of the women. Mien are mentioned only
for the sake of illustrating the principle.
Dishonoureth his head. It is doubtful whether we should
read his or his own head, (avrov or avrbo). This is a point the
ancient manuscripts do not decide, as they are not furnished
with the diacritical marks. It depends on the connection. It
is also doubtful whether the apostle meant to say that he dishonoured Christ who is his head, or that he dishonoured himself. The latter, perhaps, is to be preferred, 1. Because, in
the immediately preceding clause the word is used literally,'If he cover his head, he dishonours his head.' 2. Because,
in v. 5, the woman who goes unveiled is said to dishonour her
own head, i. e. as what follows shows, herself, and not her
husband. 3. It is more obviously true that a man who acts
inconsistently with his station disgraces himself than that he
disgraces him who placed him in that station. A commanding military officer, who appears at the head of his troops in
the dress of a common soldier, instead of his official dress,
might more properly be said to dishonour himself than his
sovereign. For a freeman to appear in the distinguishing
dress of a slave, was a disgrace. So the apostle says, for a
man to appear with the conventional sign of subjection on his
head, disgraced himself. If the man be intended to represent
the dominion of God, he must act accordingly, and not appear
in the dress of a woman.
5. But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth
with (her) head uncovered dishonoureth her head; for
that is even all one as if she were shaven.
Praying and prophesying were the two principal exercises
in the public worship of the early Christians. The latter
term, as above stated, included all forms of address dictated
by the Holy Spirit. It was Paul's manner to attend to one
thing at a time. He is here speaking of the propriety of
women speaking in public unveiled, and therefore he says
nothing about the propriety of their speaking in public in
itself. When that subject comes up, he expresses his judgment