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Read the Bible

New King James Version

1 Corinthians 11:14

Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him?

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Hair;   Women;   Thompson Chain Reference - Hair;   The Topic Concordance - Men;   Women;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Hair, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Hair;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Nature, Natural;   Overseer;   Woman;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Lord's Supper;   Nature;   Worship of God;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Hair;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Dress;   Hair;   James, the General Epistle of;   Veil;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Covering the Head;   Hair;   Veil;   Woman;   1 Corinthians;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Apollos;   Church Government;   Nature;   Paul the Apostle;   Shame;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Clothes;   Hair;   Hair (2);   Unity (2);   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Hair;   Nature;   Nazarite ;   Woman;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Veil;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Hair;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Nature;   Synagogue;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Beard;   Hair;   Natural;   Veil (1);  

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
Even nature itself teaches you that wearing long hair is shameful for a man.
Revised Standard Version
Does not nature itself teach you that for a man to wear long hair is degrading to him,
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Or els doth not nature teach you that it is a shame for a man
Hebrew Names Version
Doesn't even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him?
International Standard Version
Nature itself teaches you neither that it is disgraceful for a man to have longlong">[fn] hair
New American Standard Bible
Does even nature itself not teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him,
New Century Version
Even nature itself teaches you that wearing long hair is shameful for a man.
Update Bible Version
Does not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man has long hair, it is a shame to him?
Webster's Bible Translation
Doth not even nature itself teach you, that if a man hath long hair, it is a shame to him?
English Standard Version
Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him,
World English Bible
Doesn't even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him?
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Doth not nature itself teach you, that for a man to have long hair, is a disgrace to him?
Weymouth's New Testament
Does not Nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair it is a dishonor to him,
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Nether the kynde it silf techith vs, for if a man nursche longe heer, it is schenschipe to hym;
English Revised Version
Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a dishonour to him?
Berean Standard Bible
Doesn't nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him,
Contemporary English Version
Isn't it unnatural and disgraceful for men to have long hair?
Amplified Bible
Does not common sense itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him,
American Standard Version
Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a dishonor to him?
Bible in Basic English
Does it not seem natural to you that if a man has long hair, it is a cause of shame to him?
Complete Jewish Bible
Doesn't the nature of things itself teach you that a man who wears his hair long degrades himself?
Darby Translation
Does not even nature itself teach you, that man, if he have long hair, it is a dishonour to him?
Etheridge Translation
14 Does not nature itself teach you, that when a man's hair standeth, [fn] it is a disgrace to him ?
Murdock Translation
Doth not nature teach you, that in a man, if his hair groweth long, it is a reproach to him?
King James Version (1611)
Doeth not euen nature it selfe teach you, that if a man haue long haire, it is a shame vnto him?
New Living Translation
Isn't it obvious that it's disgraceful for a man to have long hair?
New Life Bible
Have we not already learned that it is a shame for a man to have long hair?
New Revised Standard
Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair, it is degrading to him,
Geneva Bible (1587)
Doeth not nature it selfe teach you, that if a man haue long heare, it is a shame vnto him?
George Lamsa Translation
Does not even nature itself teach you, that if a man have long hair, it is a disgrace to him?
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Doth not, even nature herself, teach you - that, if, a man, have long hair, it is a dishonour to him;
Douay-Rheims Bible
Doth not even nature itself teach you that a man indeed, if he nourish his hair, it is a shame unto him?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Doth not nature it selfe teache you, that it is a shame for a man, yf he haue long heere?
Good News Translation
Why, nature itself teaches you that long hair on a man is a disgrace,
Christian Standard Bible®
Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair it is a disgrace to him,
King James Version
Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?
Lexham English Bible
And does not nature itself teach you that a man, if he wears long hair, it is a dishonor to him?
Literal Translation
Or does not nature herself teach you that if a man indeed wears long hair, it is a dishonor to him?
Young's Literal Translation
doth not even nature itself teach you, that if a man indeed have long hair, a dishonour it is to him?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Or doth not nature teach you, yt it is a shame for a man
Mace New Testament (1729)
does not settled custom show it is a shame for a man to have long hair?
New English Translation
Does not nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace for him,
Simplified Cowboy Version
Same thing goes for a man. It's obvious a man who prays to God should do things the way God tells him to do it. It's a disgrace if a man prays one way and acts another.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him,
Legacy Standard Bible
Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him,

Contextual Overview

1 Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ. 2 Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you. 3 But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. 4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonors his head. 5 But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, for that is one and the same as if her head were shaved. 6 For if a woman is not covered, let her also be shorn. But if it is shameful for a woman to be shorn or shaved, let her be covered. 7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. 8 For man is not from woman, but woman from man. 9 Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man. 10 For this reason the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

if: 2 Samuel 14:26

it is: 1 Corinthians 14:35

Reciprocal: Ezekiel 44:20 - nor suffer Luke 12:57 - General Romans 2:14 - do by 1 Corinthians 6:5 - to your 1 Corinthians 11:4 - having Revelation 9:8 - hair

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Doth not even nature itself teach you,.... By nature is either meant, the law and light of nature, reason in man, common sense, or rather custom, which is second nature; and which, in this case, must be restrained to the Greeks and Jews; for though among the Grecians the men cut their hair, and did not suffer it to grow long, as also did the Jews, yet there were many nations k who did not, even at that time, observe such a rule or custom; but as the Jews and Greeks were the persons chiefly, if not solely, known to the Corinthians, the apostle signifies, that the usages of these people might direct and inform them in this matter:

that if a man have long hair it is a shame unto him; he looks unmanly and womanish, and exposes himself to ridicule and contempt.

k Alex. ab. Alex. Genial. Dier. l. 5. c. 18. Servius in Virgil. Aeneid. l. 10. prope finem.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Doth not even nature itself - The word nature (φύσις phusis) denotes evidently that sense of propriety which all men have, and which is expressed in any prevailing or universal custom. That which is universal we say is according to nature. It is such as is demanded by the natural sense of fitness among people. Thus, we may say that nature demands that the sexes should wear different kinds of dress; that nature demands that the female should be modest and retiring; that nature demands that the toils of the chase, of the field, of war - the duties of office, of government and of professional life, should be discharged by people. Such are in general the customs the world over; and if any reason is asked for numerous habits that exist in society, no better answer can be given than that nature, as arranged by God, has demanded it. The word in this place, therefore, does not mean the constitution of the sexes, as Locke, Whitby, and Pierce maintain; nor reason and experience, as Macknight supposes; nor simple use and custom, as Grotius, Rosenmuller, and most recent expositors suppose; but it refers to a deep internal sense of what is proper and right; a sense which is expressed extensively in all nations. showing what that sense is.

No reason can be given, in the nature of things, why the woman should wear long hair and the man not; but the custom prevails extensively everywhere, and nature, in all nations, has prompted to the same course. “Use is second nature;” but the usage in this case is not arbitrary, but is founded in an anterior universal sense of what is proper and right. A few, and only a few, have regarded it as comely for a man to wear his hair long. Aristotle tells us, indeed (Rhet. 1: - see Rosenmuller), that among the Lacedemonians, freemen wore their hair long. In the time of Homer, also, the Greeks were called by him καρηκομόωντες Ἀχαῖοι karēkomoōntes Achaioi, long-haired Greeks; and some of the Asiatic nations adopted the same custom. But the general habit among people has been different. Among the Hebrews, it was regarded as disgraceful to a man to wear his hair long, except he had a vow as a Nazarite, Numbers 6:1-5; Judges 13:5; Judges 16:17; 1 Samuel 1:11. Occasionally, for affectation or singularity, the hair was suffered to grow, as was the case with Absalom 2 Samuel 14:26; but the traditional law of the Jews on the subject was strict. The same rule existed among the Greeks; and it was regarded as disgraceful to wear long hair in the time of Aelian; Hist. lib. 9:c. 14. Eustath. on Hom. 2:v.

It is a shame unto him? - It is improper and disgraceful. It is doing that which almost universal custom has said appropriately belongs to the female sex.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Corinthians 11:14. Doth not - nature - teach you, that, if a man have long hair — Nature certainly teaches us, by bestowing it, that it is proper for women to have long hair; and it is not so with men. The hair of the male rarely grows like that of a female, unless art is used, and even then it bears but a scanty proportion to the former. Hence it is truly womanish to have long hair, and it is a shame to the man who affects it. In ancient times the people of Achaia, the province in which Corinth stood, and the Greeks in general, were noted for their long hair; and hence called by Homer, in a great variety of places, καρηκομοωντεςαχαιοι, the long-haired Greeks, or Achaeans. Soldiers, in different countries, have been distinguished for their long hair; but whether this can be said to their praise or blame, or whether Homer uses it always as a term of respect, when he applies it to the Greeks, I shall not wait here to inquire. Long hair was certainly not in repute among the Jews. The Nazarites let their hair grow, but it was as a token of humiliation; and it is possible that St. Paul had this in view. There were consequently two reasons why the apostle should condemn this practice: -

1. Because it was a sign of humiliation;

2. Because it was womanish.

After all it is possible that St. Paul may refer to dressed, frizzled and curled hair, which shallow and effeminate men might have affected in that time, as they do in this. Perhaps there is not a sight more ridiculous in the eye of common sense than a high-dressed, curled, cued, and powdered head, with which the operator must have taken considerable pains, and the silly patient lost much time and comfort in submitting to what all but senseless custom must call an indignity and degradation. Hear nature, common sense, and reason, and they will inform you, that if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him.


 
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