What does 1 Corinthians 11:13 mean?

On the Veiling of Virgins

In all these opposite points, the result is that a man is not to cover his head. That is because nature has not given him excess of hair, because it is not shameful for him to be shaven or shorn, because the angels did not transgress on his account, and because Christ is his Head. So then, since the apostle is speaking about man and woman, why the latter ought to be veiled, but the former not, it is clear why he has been silent about the virgin. He intended the virgin to be understood in the woman, for the same reason that he did not name the boy separately, but allowed him to be implied in the man. In this way, he embraced the whole order of each sex in the proper names of woman and man. In the same way, Adam, while still intact, is called man in Genesis: "She shall be called woman," he says, "because she has been taken from her own man." Thus Adam was a man before nuptial intercourse, just as Eve was a woman. On both sides, the apostle has made his statement apply plainly enough to the whole class of each sex. Briefly and fully, with a well-ordered definition, he says, "Every woman." And what is "every," except every class, every order, every condition, every dignity, every age? For every means total and entire, lacking in none of its parts. And the virgin is also a part of the woman. Likewise, with regard to the man not being veiled, he also says "every." Look at the two di...

Apostolic Constitutions

Let the wife be obedient to her own proper husband, because the husband is the head of the wife, First Corinthians 11:3. But Christ is the head of that husband who walks in the way of righteousness. And the head of Christ is God, even His Father. Therefore, O wife, next after the Almighty, our God and Father, the Lord of the present world and of the world to come, the Maker of everything that breathes, and of every power, and after His beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom glory be to God, fear your husband, and reverence him. Please him alone. Render yourself acceptable to him in the several affairs of life, so that on your account your husband may be called blessed, according to the Wisdom of Solomon, which thus speaks: "Who can find a virtuous woman? For such a one is more precious than costly stones. The heart of her husband does safely trust in her, so that she shall have no need of spoil. For she does good to her husband all the days of her life. She buys wool and flax, and works profitable things with her hands. She is like the merchants' ships. She brings her food from far. She rises also while it is yet night, and gives meat to her household, and food to her maidens. She considers a field, and buys it. With the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard. She girds her loins with strength, and strengthens her arms. She tastes that it is good to labour. Her lam...

On the Veiling of Virgins

Throughout Greece, and in some of its barbarian provinces, most Churches keep their virgins covered. There are also places under this African sky where this practice is followed, lest anyone assign the custom to Greek or barbarian Gentile ways. But I have proposed as models those Churches that were founded by apostles or apostolic men, and, I think, earlier than certain founders whom I will not name. Therefore those Churches, as well as others, have the very same authority of custom to appeal to. In opposing ranks, they bring forward times and teachers more than these later Churches do. What are we to observe? What are we to choose? We cannot contemptuously reject a custom that we cannot condemn, since it is not strange. For we find it not among strangers, but among those with whom we share the law of peace and the name of brotherhood. They and we have one faith, one God, the same Christ, the same hope, the same baptismal sacraments. Let me say it once for all: we are one Church. Thus, whatever belongs to our brothers is ours: only, the body divides us.

On the Veiling of Virgins

But since it is the custom to argue even from the Scriptures against the truth, this point is at once brought up against us: the apostle, when he gives instructions about the veil, makes no mention of virgins, but names only women. Therefore, if he had wanted virgins also to be covered, he would have spoken about virgins too, along with the women he named. Just as, our opponent says, in the passage where he is dealing with marriage, he also states what practice is to be followed with regard to virgins. And so, it is argued, virgins are not included in the law about covering the head, because they are not named in this law. Rather, it is said that this is the very reason they are unveiled: those who are not named are not commanded.

On the Veiling of Virgins

Next, let us examine the reasons themselves that lead the apostle to teach that a female ought to be veiled, to see whether those same reasons also apply to virgins. Then, in this way as well, the shared name between virgins and non-virgins may be established, since the same causes that make the veil necessary are found to exist in both cases.

On the Veiling of Virgins

But what we passed over above, for the sake of the discussion that followed, so that we would not break its coherence, we will now answer. For when we argued over the apostle's absolute definition, that every woman must be understood to mean a woman of every age, the opposite side could reply that, in that case, a virgin ought to be veiled from birth, from the very beginning of her life.

On the Veiling of Virgins

No, true and absolute and pure virginity fears nothing more than itself. It shrinks even from encountering women's eyes. It has eyes of its own. It takes refuge in the veil of the head as in a helmet, as in a shield, to protect its glory against the blows of temptations, against the dam of scandals, against suspicions and whispers and emulation, and even against envy itself. For there is something, even among the heathens, to be apprehended, which they call Fascination, the too unhappy result of excessive praise and glory. We sometimes interpretively ascribe this to the devil, because hatred of what is good comes from him. Sometimes we attribute it to God, because judgment on haughtiness comes from Him, since He exalts the humble and brings down the proud. Therefore the holier virgin will fear, even under the name of fascination, both the adversary on the one hand and God on the other: the envious disposition of the former, and the censorial light of the latter. And she will rejoice to be known only to herself and to God. But even if she has been recognized by any other, she is wise to have blocked up the pathway against temptations. For who will dare to intrude with his eyes upon a veiled face? A face without feeling? A face, so to speak, morose? Any evil thought whatever will be broken by that very severity. She who conceals her virginity, by that fact denies even her womanh...

On the Veiling of Virgins

It remains, likewise, that we turn to the virgins themselves, to induce them to accept these suggestions the more willingly. I pray you, be you mother, or sister, or virgin daughter—let me address you according to the names proper to your years—veil your head. If a mother, for your sons' sakes; if a sister, for your brothers' sakes; if a daughter, for your fathers' sakes. All ages are perilled in your person. Put on the panoply of modesty. Surround yourself with the stockade of bashfulness. Rear a rampart for your sex, which must neither allow your own eyes egress nor ingress to other people's. Wear the full garb of woman, to preserve the standing of virgin. Belie somewhat of your inward consciousness, in order to exhibit the truth to God alone. And yet you do not belie yourself in appearing as a bride. For you are wedded to Christ. To Him you have surrendered your flesh. To Him you have espoused your maturity. Walk in accordance with the will of your Espoused. Christ is He who bids the espoused and wives of others veil themselves; and, of course, much more His own.

On the Veiling of Virgins

If the man is the head of the woman, then of course he is also the head of the virgin, from whom the married woman comes, unless the virgin is some third class of being, some monstrosity with a head of her own. If it is shameful for a woman to be shaved or shorn, then of course it is so for a virgin as well. Therefore let the world, the rival of God, see to it, if it claims that closely cut hair is graceful on a virgin in the same way that flowing hair is on a boy. Then for her, for whom it is equally unbecoming to be shaved or shorn, it is equally fitting to be covered. If the woman is the glory of the man, how much more is the virgin, who is also a glory to herself! If the woman is of the man, and for the sake of the man, then that rib of Adam was first a virgin. If the woman ought to have power upon the head, then all the more rightly should the virgin have it, since the very essence of the reason applies even more to her. For if it is because of the angels, namely, those whom we read fell from God and heaven because of desire for females, who can suppose that those angels longed for bodies already defiled, the relics of human lust, rather than that they were inflamed for virgins, whose bloom offers an excuse even for human lust? For Scripture also suggests this. It says, "And it came to pass, when men had begun to grow more numerous upon the earth, daughters were also born...

On the Veiling of Virgins

But we also admonish you, women of the second degree of modesty, who have fallen into wedlock, not to grow so far beyond the discipline of the veil, not even for a moment, that, because you cannot refuse it, you take some other means to nullify it, by going neither covered nor bare. For some, with their turbans and woolen bands, do not veil their head, but bind it up. They are protected in front, indeed, but bare where the head properly lies. Others are covered to a certain extent over the region of the brain with linen coifs of small dimensions—I suppose for fear of pressing the head—and they do not quite reach to the ears. If they are so weak in hearing that they cannot hear through a covering, I pity them. Let them know that the whole head constitutes the woman. Its limits and boundaries reach as far as the place where the robe begins. The region of the veil is coextensive with the space covered by the hair when it is unbound, in order that the necks too may be encircled. For it is they that must be subjected, for the sake of which power ought to be had on the head. The veil is their yoke. The heathen women of Arabia will be your judges. They cover not only the head, but the face also, so completely that, with one eye left free, they are content to enjoy rather half the light than to prostitute the whole face. A woman would rather see than be seen. And for this reason a cer...

1 Corinthians 11:13

Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?