If a Woman Willfully Cuts or Shaves Off Her Hair but Wears a Scarf or Hat to Pray, Is She Covered?
1) Direct answer
No. If a woman willfully cuts or shaves her hair and then puts on a scarf or hat to pray, she is still uncovered before God. The only covering Scripture names is her hair. She must repent, stop cutting, and let it grow. A scarf may be worn for modesty, but it does not fulfill 1 Corinthians 11.
2) Scriptural explanation
- “Every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head… for if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn… but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered” (1 Corinthians 11:5–6). Uncovered is tied to being shorn/shaven.
- “Her hair is given her for a covering” (1 Corinthians 11:15). The Bible names the covering: hair.
- God receives the repentant: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive” (1 John 1:9).
3) Simple clarifying logic
- Willful cutting/shaving = shorn/shaven = uncovered, regardless of any hat.
- The remedy Paul gives is not a hat, but to be “covered”—and he defines that covering as hair. So obedience is to cease cutting and let the hair grow back.
- While it grows, she can pray and walk modestly, but she must not claim a scarf as the Scriptural covering. God forgives the repentant heart immediately; the visible sign returns as the hair grows.
4) Reinforcing statement
Now notice, God is not measuring hats—He honors obedience. Let the hair grow, don’t cut it again, and the God-given covering will return.
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
Questions and Answers on Hebrews, part 3
57-1006 §89
Now watch: Does not even nature [That's that 14th verse.] ... teach you, that, it's a shame for a man to have long hair? [That belongs to a woman.] But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her:... Now what's he talking about? A hat that you Catholic people wear in church? No indeedy! A little covering over top of your head, with a handkerchief? He's talking about your hair. Now! And if a woman cuts off her hair, she cuts off her glory, and is not permitted to the altar to pray. Just what it said here, "Is it...
Questions and Answers, Part 3
64-0830M §117
All right, read, Brother Neville ... like 4---4 to 6, all right, all right. Every man praying or prophesy, ... his head covered, dishonors his head. (That is, if he's got long hair. All right.) But every woman that prayeth or prophesy with her head uncovered dishonors her head: (That's her husband.) for that is even all as one if she were shaven. For if a woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: (If she wants to bob her hair, make her shave it all off slick. See? If she can't have...) but if it be not a shame f...
Questions and Answers on Hebrews, part 3
57-1006 §90
But if the woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given to her for a covering. Did it say she'd be given a hat? You Catholic people or you Protestants, either one, that goes to church and wants to wear a hat, say, "Well, I'm going to church, ought to put on a hat." No, you ought to let your hair grow. That's the difference, see. ...for her hair is given to her for a covering. [And it's a shame for her to come into church without covered, to go to the altar to pray.] But if a man seem to be [I d...
Questions and Answers, part 2
54-0103E §63
I know we ladies today ... or, you ladies, rather, wear hats. You say that's your covering. That's wrong. The Bible said a woman's covering is her hair. And if she cuts her hair, it's a common thing for her to pray. That right? That's Scripture, see. So now, women are supposed to wear long hair, regardless of what you want to think about it; that's "Thus saith the Lord." You can show me any place... You say, "Well, my hair's long. See, it's down to my shoulders." That was short hair. "Christ..." You said, "Christ h...
Recognizing your day and its message
64-0726M §71
.... Oh, they say, "Our church don't pay no attention to that." You know why? They're blind. "It's no harm to cut your hair." The Bible says it is! It's even a indecent thing for you to even cut your hair and even pray. You say, "Well, a woman should be covered. "And the Bible said her hair is her covering, not a hat, her hair! What if Moses said, "I'll take off my hat instead of my shoes?" That wouldn't have worked. God said "shoes;" God meant "shoes." He said "hair," not "hat!" Glory to God! He liked that, I'm sure....