On What Scriptural Basis Is a Man Praying with a Hat on Frowned Upon If a Woman Praying with a Hat on as a Covering Is Considered Unscriptural?
1) Direct answer
It’s Scripture. A man must not pray with his head covered; a woman must be covered—but God defined her covering as her long hair, not a hat. So a man praying with a hat on dishonors his Head, and a woman using a hat as a “substitute covering” is unscriptural. Her hair is the covering God appointed.
2) Scriptural explanation
- 1 Corinthians 11:4,7: “Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head… For a man indeed ought not to cover his head; forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God.”
- 1 Corinthians 11:5–6: A woman praying or prophesying uncovered dishonors her head; if she won’t be covered, “let her also be shorn,” showing that uncoveredness and shorn/shaven go together.
- 1 Corinthians 11:13–15: “Judge in yourselves… if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her… for her hair is given her for a covering.”
3) Simple clarifying logic
- For the man: The Bible says he must not cover his head when praying. A hat on a praying man is a covered head; therefore it dishonors Christ his Head.
- For the woman: The Bible itself identifies the covering—her hair is given to her for a covering. That means:
- Long hair = covered.
- Shorn/shaven = uncovered.
- No hat can replace hair, and no hat is required to fulfill the command.
So a woman thinking a hat “makes her covered” while she cuts her hair is still uncovered by Scripture. And a woman with long hair is covered even without a hat.
4) Reinforcing statement
Now notice: it’s not about church customs but God’s order. Men pray uncovered; women are covered by the hair God gave. That keeps the headship honor exactly as the Bible sets it. Final biblical conclusion: A man should remove his hat to pray (1 Corinthians 11:4,7). A woman’s scriptural covering is her long hair (1 Corinthians 11:15); a hat does not make or replace that covering.
Existing Follow-Up Answers
- 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 - So What If a Woman by Accident, Age or Health Condition Has Short or No Hair, How Should She Be Covered If Hats and Scarfs Are Not a Covering?
1) Direct answer If a woman loses hair by accident, age, or sickness, she is not made “uncovered” in guilt before God. The Bible’s covering is he - What Determines If a Woman's Head Is Covered? Is It the Scalp Visibility or the Uncut Hair? Does It Matter If the Hair Is Matted in Cornrows or Plait?
1) Direct answer A woman’s head is covered when her hair is uncut and allowed to grow. It is not about hiding the scalp with fabric, and it’s not
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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.
Fellowship
62-0519 §25
If God met a man and upon the basis of his faith under the shed blood, saved the first man, Adam, He has to forever remain under the same program. If He didn't, He done something wrong when He made his first decision. If God saved a man and the only way that He saved him was by the shed blood of an innocent lamb, if that was the basis God decided to save man by, anything... If He ever changes it to somebody's creed, or a church, or some dogma, then God made the wrong decision in the garden of Eden. For the first ma...
Scriptural Signs of the Time
64-0410 §68
This little lady sitting here, kind of heavy-set, a red and dark striped dress on, she's praying. She wants to be called in this line. If that's right, raise up your hand, lady. You believe God can tell me what your trouble is? Your friend will be all right, the spiritual problem will be all right. And your female trouble will leave you, if you'll believe God with all your heart. Now, if that's right, raise up your hand. If that's what you was praying about, raise up your hand so that people can see what you're doi...
Influences
64-0215 §48
And women, when the Bible says it's an (uncommon) thing, or common thing, for a woman even to pray with her hair cut, she has no right to pray. And you put her in the choir, and even make her a preacher. Right. I know that makes you a little bit sick but... You know, like Mama used to tell me, about taking castor oil, "If it don't make you sick, it doesn't do you any good." So that's the way with the gospel. It's got to get you to thinking. It's the truth. Men and women both, both guilty, both sides---six of one an...
The Voice of the Sign
64-0321E §50
... skin-tight till the skin's on the outside. And then, they ... they come around and say, "Why, Mr. Branham, that's the only kind of clothes they sell." They still got goods and sewing machines. There's no excuse. The Amish and Dunkard women still wear them. And what happens? They get out there and they carry on. A woman said, "Well, Mr. Branham, I don't wear shorts. I wear [What is them? ... Pedal pushers? Yeah.]," said, "I wear them." I said, "That's worse." I said, "The Bible said, 'It's an abomination for a w...
The Church choosing Law for Grace
61-0316 §39
But once ... has received the knowledge. He comes there and he looks over. He says, "Yes. Oh, that's wonderful. But if I receive that, my denomination will put me out. I can't do it because they don't believe in it. I can't let my people do that. If I teach that in my church, what'll they have? They'll have the district presbyters come up together. They'll have great men walk up and say, 'If you do such a thing as that, you permit that, out of the organization you go. If you have So-and-so here, we'll just excommun...