1 Corinthians 11
The full text of 1 Corinthians 11 in the Trinity Bible Version — clear modern English, translated from the original Greek. Free to read.
1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
2 I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the traditions just as I passed them on to you.
3 But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.
4 Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head.
5 But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is the same as having her head shaved.
6 For if a woman does not cover her head, she might as well have her hair cut off; but if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should cover her head.
7 A man 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 did not come from woman, but woman from man;
9 neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.
10 It is for this reason that a woman ought to have authority over her own head, because of the angels.
11 Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman.
12 For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God.
13 Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered?
14 Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him,
15 but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering.
16 If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no such practice—nor do the churches of God.
17 In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good.
18 In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it.
19 No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God's approval.
20 So when you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper you eat,
21 for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private meals. As a result, one person remains hungry while another gets drunk.
22 Don't you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? Certainly not in this matter!
23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread,
24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me."
25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me."
26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
27 So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.
28 Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup.
29 For those who eat and drink without discerning the body eat and drink judgment on themselves.
30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.
31 But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment.
32 Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.
33 So then, my brothers and sisters, when you gather to eat, you should all eat together.
34 Anyone who is hungry should eat something at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment. And when I come I will give further directions.
Translation notes (32)
- 1 Corinthians 11:1a The Greek phrase mimētai mou ginesthe, 'be imitators of me,' connects this verse to the preceding chapter's discussion of Christian conduct. The noun mimētai, 'imitators,' emphasizes the call to actively model one's life after Paul's example.
- 1 Corinthians 11:2a Some manuscripts add the words "brothers and sisters" after "I praise you."
- 1 Corinthians 11:3a The Greek word kephalE, meaning "head," is the subject of much discussion. It can mean "authority over," "source/origin," or "preeminence"; while English uses "head," its precise meaning here is genuinely debated.
- 1 Corinthians 11:3b The Greek words anEr and gynE can mean either "man/woman" or "husband/wife"; whether the verse refers to a general relationship or a marital one is debated.
- 1 Corinthians 11:4a The Greek phrase "having down from the head" probably refers to a head covering or, as some suggest, long hair hanging down.
- 1 Corinthians 11:4b The phrase "His head" is a play on words: it refers to both his physical head and, echoing verse 3, his metaphorical "head," Christ.
- 1 Corinthians 11:5a The Greek word akatakalyptō means "uncovered." It is debated whether this refers to a veil or shawl, or to a hairstyle.
- 1 Corinthians 11:5b The phrase "her head" in this verse carries a double meaning: it can refer to her physical head or to the metaphorical "head" mentioned in verse 3.
- 1 Corinthians 11:6a The Greek word keirasthō means "let her be shorn," and xyrasthai means "to be shaved."
- 1 Corinthians 11:7a The Greek word doxa, meaning "glory," can also carry the sense of "honor" or "reflection."
- 1 Corinthians 11:9a The Greek phrase dia tēn gynaika / dia ton andra, meaning "because of" or "for the sake of," may indicate either purpose or occasion.
- 1 Corinthians 11:10a The Greek phrase here is "to have authority over the head." This may mean a woman should have authority or control over her own head, which is the more literal reading, or it may refer to a covering as a sign or symbol of authority. Older translations often added "a sign of" authority, but these words are not present in the Greek text.
- 1 Corinthians 11:10b The phrase "because of the angels" is unexplained and much debated. Suggestions for its meaning include the presence of angels at worship, angels as guardians of the created order, or other interpretations.
- 1 Corinthians 11:11a The Greek phrase oute gynē chōris andros oute anēr chōris gynaikos, literally 'neither woman apart from man nor man apart from woman,' emphasizes a mutual dependence.
- 1 Corinthians 11:13a The Greek word akatakalypton means "uncovered," referring to either a veil or a hairstyle, as discussed in verse 5.
- 1 Corinthians 11:14a The Greek word physis means "nature." It is debated whether this refers to the created order, social custom, or natural instinct.
- 1 Corinthians 11:15a The Greek phrase anti peribolaiou means "in place of" or "as a wrap or covering." Some interpreters understand this to mean that hair itself is the covering Paul has in mind.
- 1 Corinthians 11:16a The Greek phrase is "we have no such custom." The word "such" may refer to being contentious, or it may refer to the practice just discussed of women praying uncovered. The exact reference is debated.
- 1 Corinthians 11:17a The Greek ouk epainō (οὐκ ἐπαινῶ) means 'I do not praise'. The phrase 'do more harm than good' renders the Greek ou eis to kreisson alla eis to hēsson synerchesthe (οὐ εἰς τὸ κρεῖσσον ἀλλὰ εἰς τὸ ἧσσον συνέρχεσθε), literally 'you come together not for the better but for the worse'.
- 1 Corinthians 11:18a The Greek phrase schismata en hymin hyparchein (σχίσματα ἐν ὑμῖν ὑπάρχειν), rendered here as 'there are divisions among you', indicates the presence of factions or rifts within the Corinthian church. The statement 'to some extent I believe it' translates meros ti pisteuō (μέρος τι πιστεύω), suggesting partial belief in the report.
- 1 Corinthians 11:19a The Greek word haireseis means "factions" or "parties," and it is the root of the later word "heresies."
- 1 Corinthians 11:20a The Greek kyriakon deipnon (κυριακὸν δεῖπνον) means 'Lord's Supper' or 'Lord's meal'.
- 1 Corinthians 11:21a The Greek phrase to idion deipnon prolambanei, literally 'takes his own meal first,' indicates that participants were not sharing food but eating provisions brought from home, leading to disparities. The contrasting outcomes, hos peina, 'one hungers,' and hos methyei, 'another is drunk,' highlight the severe social divisions within the Corinthian church at their communal meals.
- 1 Corinthians 11:22a The Greek phrase tēs ekklēsias tou theou kataphroneite, 'you despise the church of God,' indicates a serious offense against the community. The wealthy members' behavior in humiliating the poor, tous mē echontas, 'those who have nothing,' directly contravened the nature of Christian fellowship and love.
- 1 Corinthians 11:23a The Greek word paredideto can mean "was betrayed" or "was handed over/delivered up."
- 1 Corinthians 11:24a Some manuscripts read "which is broken for you."
- 1 Corinthians 11:25a The phrase kainē diathēkē, 'new covenant', is attested by the earliest manuscripts and reflects the language of Jeremiah 31:31 in the Septuagint.
- 1 Corinthians 11:26a The Greek phrase ton thanaton tou kyriou katangellete achri hou elthē, 'you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes,' emphasizes the eschatological dimension of the Supper.
- 1 Corinthians 11:27a Some manuscripts read kai pinē, 'and drinks', instead of ē pinē, 'or drinks'. The conjunction ē is attested in the earliest and most reliable manuscripts.
- 1 Corinthians 11:29a The phrase "the body" may refer to the body of Christ represented by the bread, or to the church as Christ's body; the Greek text allows for both interpretations. Some manuscripts add "of the Lord" after "body."
- 1 Corinthians 11:30a The phrase "have fallen asleep" is a common biblical way of saying "have died."
- 1 Corinthians 11:33a The Greek phrase allēlous ekdechesthe may mean "wait for one another" or "welcome/receive one another."
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