1Corinthians:11:2-16
Seeker Overlay ON
rwp @
1Corinthians:11:2 @{
Hold fast the traditions } (\
tas paradoseis katechete \).
Hold down as in strkjv @
15:2 |. \
Paradosis \ (
tradition )
from \
paradid
mi \ (\
pared
ka \,
first aorist active indicative )
is an old word and merely something handed on from one to another .
The thing handed on may be bad as in strkjv @
Matthew:15:2f .| (
which see )
and contrary to the will of God (
Mark:7:8f .|)
or it may be wholly good as here .
There is a constant conflict between the new and the old in science ,
medicine ,
law ,
theology .
The obscurantist rejects all the new and holds to the old both true and untrue .
New truth must rest upon old truth and is in harmony with it .
rwp @
1Corinthians:11:3 @{
But I would have you know } (\
thel
de humas eidenai \).
But I wish you to know ,
censure in contrast to the praise in verse 2 |. {
The head of Christ is God } (\
kephal
tou Christou ho theos \).
Rather ,
God is the head of Christ ,
since \
kephal \
is anarthrous and predicate .
rwp @
1Corinthians:11:4 @{
Having his head covered } (\
kata kephal
s ech
n \).
Literally ,
having a veil (\
kalumma \
understood )
down from the head (\
kephal
s \
ablative after \
kata \
as with \
kata \
in strkjv @
Mark:5:13 ;
strkjv @
Acts:27:14 |).
It is not certain whether the Jews at this time used the _tallith_
, "
a four-corned shawl having fringes consisting of eight threads ,
each knotted five times " (
Vincent )
as they did later .
Virgil (
_Aeneid_
iii .,
545 )
says : "
And our heads are shrouded before the altar with a Phrygian vestment ."
The Greeks (
both men and women )
remained bareheaded in public prayer and this usage Paul commends for the men .
rwp @
1Corinthians:11:5 @{
With her head unveiled } (\
akatakalupt
i t
i kephal
i \).
Associative instrumental case of manner and the predicative adjective (
compound adjective and feminine form same as masculine ), "
with the head unveiled ."
Probably some of the women had violated this custom . "
Amongst Greeks only the \
hetairai \,
so numerous in Corinth ,
went about unveiled ;
slave-women wore the shaven head--also a punishment of the adulteress " (
Findlay ).
Cf .
strkjv @
Numbers:5:18 |. {
One and the same thing as if she were shaven } (\
hen kai to auto t
i exur
men
i \).
Literally , "
One and the same thing with the one shaven " (
associative instrumental case again ,
Robertson ,
_Grammar_
,
p .
530 ).
Perfect passive articular participle of the verb \
xura \,
later form for the old \
xure \.
It is public praying and prophesying that the Apostle here has in mind .
He does not here condemn the act ,
but the breach of custom which would bring reproach .
A woman convicted of adultery had her hair shorn (
Isaiah:7:20 |).
The Justinian code prescribed shaving the head for an adulteress whom the husband refused to receive after two years .
Paul does not tell Corinthian Christian women to put themselves on a level with courtesans .
rwp @
1Corinthians:11:6 @{
Let her also be shorn } (\
kai keirasth \).
Aorist middle imperative of \
keir \,
to shear (
as sheep ).
Let her cut her hair close .
A single act by the woman . {
If it is a shame } (\
ei de aischron \).
Condition of first class assumed to be true . \
Aischron \
is old adjective from \
aischos \,
bareness ,
disgrace .
Clearly Paul uses such strong language because of the effect on a woman '
s reputation in Corinth by such conduct that proclaimed her a lewd woman .
Social custom varied in the world then as now ,
but there was no alternative in Corinth . {
To be shorn or shaven } (\
to keirasthai kai xurasthai \).
Articular infinitives subject of copula \
estin \
understood , \
keirasthai \
first aorist middle , \
xurasthai \
present middle .
Note change in tense . {
Let her be veiled } (\
katakaluptesth \).
Present middle imperative of old compound \
kata-kalupt \,
here alone in N .
T .
Let her cover up herself with the veil (
down , \
kata \,
the Greek says ,
the veil hanging down from the head ).
rwp @
1Corinthians:11:7 @{
The image and glory of God } (\
eik
n kai doxa theou \).
Anarthrous substantives ,
but definite .
Reference to strkjv @
Genesis:1:28 ;
strkjv @
2:26 |
whereby man is made directly in the image (\
eik
n \)
of God .
It is the moral likeness of God ,
not any bodily resemblance .
Ellicott notes that man is the glory (\
doxa \)
of God as the crown of creation and as endowed with sovereignty like God himself . {
The glory of the man } (\
doxa andros \).
Anarthrous also ,
man '
s glory .
In strkjv @
Genesis:2:26 |
the LXX has \
anthr
pos \ (
Greek word for both male and female ),
not \
an
r \ (
male )
as here .
But the woman (\
gun \)
was formed from the man (\
an
r \)
and this priority of the male (
verse 8 |)
gives a certain superiority to the male .
On the other hand ,
it is equally logical to argue that woman is the crown and climax of all creation ,
being the last .
rwp @
1Corinthians:11:9 @{
For the woman } (\
dia t
n gunaika \).
Because of (\
dia \
with accusative case )
the woman .
The record in Genesis gives the man (\
an
r \)
as the origin (\
ek \)
of the woman and the reason for (\
dia \)
the creation (\
ektisth \,
first aorist passive of \
ktiz \,
old verb to found ,
to create ,
to form )
of woman .
rwp @
1Corinthians:11:10 @{
Ought } (\
opheilei \).
Moral obligation therefore (\
dia touto \,
rests on woman in the matter of dress that does not (\
ouk opheilei \
in verse 7 |)
rest on the man . {
To have a sign of authority } (\
exousian echein \).
He means \
s
meion exousias \ (
symbol of authority )
by \
exousian \,
but it is the sign of authority of the man over the woman .
The veil on the woman '
s head is the symbol of the authority that the man with the uncovered head has over her .
It is ,
as we see it ,
more a sign of subjection (\
hypotag
s \,
strkjv @
1Timothy:2:10 |)
than of authority (\
exousias \). {
Because of the angels } (\
dia tous aggelous \).
This startling phrase has caused all kinds of conjecture which may be dismissed .
It is not preachers that Paul has in mind ,
nor evil angels who could be tempted (
Genesis:6:1f .|),
but angels present in worship (
cf .
strkjv @
1Corinthians:4:9 ;
strkjv @
Psalms:138:1 |)
who would be shocked at the conduct of the women since the angels themselves veil their faces before Jehovah (
Isaiah:6:2 |).
rwp @
1Corinthians:11:11 @{
Howbeit } (\
pl
n \).
This adversative clause limits the preceding statement .
Each sex is incomplete without (\
ch
ris \,
apart from ,
with the ablative case )
the other . {
In the Lord } (\
en Kuri
i \).
In the sphere of the Lord ,
where Paul finds the solution of all problems .
rwp @
1Corinthians:11:12 @{
Of } (\
ek \) {--
by } (\
dia \).
Ever since the first creation man has come into existence by means of (\
dia \
with genitive )
the woman .
The glory and dignity of motherhood .
Cf .
_The
Fine Art of Motherhood_
by Ella Broadus Robertson .
rwp @
1Corinthians:11:13 @{
Is it seemly ?} (\
prepon estin ;\).
Periphrastic present indicative rather than \
prepei \.
See on ¯
Matthew:3:15 |.
Paul appeals to the sense of propriety among the Corinthians .
rwp @
1Corinthians:11:14 @{
Nature itself } (\
h
phusis aut \).
He reenforces the appeal to custom by the appeal to nature in a question that expects the affirmative answer (\
oude \). \
Phusis \,
from old verb \
phu \,
to produce ,
like our word nature (
Latin _natura_
),
is difficult to define .
Here it means native sense of propriety (
cf .
strkjv @
Romans:2:14 |)
in addition to mere custom ,
but one that rests on the objective difference in the constitution of things .
rwp @
1Corinthians:11:15 @{
Have long hair } (\
kom
i \).
Present active subjunctive of \
koma \ (
from \
kom \,
hair ),
old verb ,
same contraction (\-
a
i =
i \)
as the indicative (\
aei =
i \),
but subjunctive here with \
ean \
in third class condition .
Long hair is a glory to a woman and a disgrace to a man (
as we still feel ).
The long-haired man !
There is a papyrus example of a priest accused of letting his hair grow long and of wearing woollen garments . {
For a covering } (\
anti peribolaiou \).
Old word from \
periball \
to fling around ,
as a mantle (
Hebrews:1:12 |)
or a covering or veil as here .
It is not in the place of a veil ,
but answering to (\
anti \,
in the sense of \
anti \
in strkjv @
John:1:16 |),
as a permanent endowment (\
dedotai \,
perfect passive indicative ).
rwp @
1Corinthians:11:16 @{
Contentious } (\
philoneikos \).
Old adjective (\
philos ,
neikos \),
fond of strife .
Only here in N .
T .
If he only existed in this instance ,
the disputatious brother . {
Custom } (\
sun
theian \).
Old word from \
sun
th
s \ (\
sun ,
thos \),
like Latin _consuetudo_
,
intercourse ,
intimacy .
In N .
T .
only here and strkjv @
8:7 |
which see . "
In the sculptures of the catacombs the women have a close-fitting head-dress ,
while the men have the hair short " (
Vincent ).