What does the New Testament say about cutting hair?

"But every woman praying or prophesying with her head uncovered puts her own head to shame; for it is one and the same as a shaved (woman). For if a woman be not covered, let her hair also be cut off. But if (it be) shameful to a woman to have her hair cut off or to be shaved, let her be covered."

When a woman's head was uncovered or shaven in the Old Testament it was a mark of shame, as is seen in Numbers 5:18 where a wife was under suspicion by her husband and in Deuteronomy 21:10-13 regarding a beautiful woman taken captive by an Israelite. So here in I Corinthians 11 the apostle says that if a woman prays or prophesies with her head uncovered, it is the same as if her head was shaven. And since having her hair cut off or shaven is a mark of shame, she should have her head covered. She must have no marks of shame upon her in the presence of the Lord. She is not to appear before God as one who is suspected of being unfaithful to her husband. The covering on her head would indicate that she owns him as her head and enjoys his fullest confidence.

In passing, it is well to notice from these verses in I Corinthians 11 that it is shameful for a woman to have her hair cut off, but "If a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her" (v. 15). These words of Holy Writ should settle the question of "bobbed hair" for any godly woman. Should a woman cut off any of her God-given glory and throw it away? To do so is shameful and an act of rebellion. Could such an one wipe the Lord's feet with her hair as the devoted women in Luke 7:38 and John 12:3 did?

It is beyond our purpose to attempt to explain all that these verses teach; the one point we would press is that man is head, not only in the Church, but everywhere; and in like manner is the woman's place in subjection. Long hair is her glory; because by it she shows her ready submission to the place given her of God in nature; and on special occasions she is to have, in addition to her hair, a covering of some kind to give emphasis to the fact. If she refuses this, the apostle, in evident irony, says, "Let her also be shorn," i.e., be altogether like the man. Some, to their shame be it said, have of their own accord gone to this length, showing thus their utter contempt for what is written in God's Word, and the rebellion of their own hearts against their God-assigned place since the Fall. The man, on the other hand, and for a like reason, must not have long hair like the woman; for, says the apostle, "Doth not even nature itself teach you that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?"

(Vv. 13-15). The Apostle, having asserted the creation order, now appeals to nature, therein to learn what is comely. Inasmuch as, in her long hair, the woman has a natural covering, nature indicates her place of subjection, and tells us that a hidden woman is a beautiful woman, while a woman who cuts off her hair and apes the man is held in contempt by all. Even so, the man with long hair brings shame upon himself.

The Nazirite, who consecrates himself to God for a certain time, takes a position of submission, which fundamentally corresponds to a woman's role throughout her life. Therefore, during this period, he must let his hair grow long. In other words, he must do for a time what a woman always does, as an outward sign of his dependence and voluntary submission to God's authority. It is precisely this submission that characterizes women in 1 Corinthians 11. They cover their heads, thus acknowledging an authority over them (verse 10). They obey and submit. But if they are not willing to do so, they do not cover their heads and may as well cut their hair. This was shameful in those days and should still be today, we believe.

Now consider the case of a Nazirite. In Judges 13, a child is announced to the parents of Samson, Manoah, and his wife. This son was to be a Nazirite, a man separated for God. Notice what is said to his mother. In verses 4, 7, and 14, she is told not to drink wine or strong drink and not to eat anything unclean. Thus, she is commanded, as the mother of the Nazirite, the same things that apply to the Nazirite himself in Numbers 6. But one thing that is addressed to the Nazirite in Numbers 6 is not mentioned for his mother, who should let her hair grow long. Why not? Did God forget her? No, God did not forget her, but God assumes that a woman's hair grows freely, without being cut. This explains why the apostle writes: "Does not nature itself teach you that... if a woman has long hair, it is her glory" (1 Cor 11:14-15).

Two more examples of how women used their hair for the glory of the Lord Jesus: Mary in John 12:3 and the sinful woman in Luke 7:38. They anointed the feet of the Lord Jesus and wiped them with their hair. In those days, it was not a problem because women did not cut their hair. A woman with short hair cannot wipe the feet of the Lord Jesus in that way. She would not have "hair as women’s hair" (see Revelation 9:8).

Considering other passages, women had clearly long hair (not just "not shaved" or "not shorn" but long hair that grows freely). Often, the Spirit of God speaks in absolute terms and designates extremes (here, shaved or cut hair). It does not say that a woman may have her hair cut or short (without going to the extreme of shaving or shearing), nor does it say that she should not cut her hair at all. Other passages help us understand what "long hair" or "women's hair" means (Revelation 9:8).

This being the case, the assembly is told to judge in themselves, is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? How could we ever dare to answer yes to this? And it is added, "Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him?" In the world today things are so out of course that people cannot even discern this evident lesson from nature. But believers should have no difficulty with this. Also, if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her. Nature teaches us this also, though it is often ignored, not only by unbelievers, but sadly also by too many believers. "For her hair is given her for a covering." This is what God has done, in effect telling the woman that it is her glory to be covered. Her willing consent to this will induce her to also cover her head when prayer or prophesying is exercised.

Further, he appeals to the sense of propriety grounded on the constitution of both man and woman. "In your own selves judge: is it becoming that a woman uncovered should pray to God? Doth not even nature itself teach you," etc. If it be as natural for man to have short hair as for woman to have long, is it not a revolt against the nature of each to reverse this in practice? God's creation must govern where the word of His grace does not call to higher things, and this could not be pretended here.

(3) The unshorn head was evidently a sign of dependence — of weakness clinging to strength. Long hair is the woman's glory; it is the mark of her dependence as the weaker vessel upon man. This is the place in which God has put her, and true glory is the perfect filling of the place in which one is set. But of the man it is said: "Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame to him, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God." 1 Cor. 11:7-15. The man's place was to lead; he was made lord of this creation; others were to depend upon him, but he was to rely only upon God. Alas! in the fall he sought to be independent of God; thence all the sorrow and woe and death.

In I Corinthians 11:14, 15, the apostle refers to nature as a further evidence of the distinction between man and woman and of her proper place of subjection. "Does not even nature itself teach you, that man, if he have long hair, it is a dishonor to him? But woman, if she have long hair, (it is) glory to her; for the long hair is given (to her) in lieu of a veil" (New Trans.). God has given long hair to woman and short hair to man as a distinguishing mark between them. It is natural for woman to have long hair and for man to have short hair.

Long hair is generally in Scripture a symbol of dependence, submission, and of that modesty that becomes woman as "the weaker vessel" to which man is to give honor (I Pet. 3: 7).The passage before us in I Corinthians 11 speaks of woman's hair as her glory. A woman only manifests the glory and beauty put upon her when she abides in her God-given place of dependence and subjection and maintains her feminine character. The more feminine woman is, the more beautiful and pleasing to God she is. The more woman tries to appear like a man and to take his place, the more she loses her true beauty and virtue.

In the case of a male Nazarite long hair was something that gave rise to scorn and shame. We have already seen that long hair dishonoured a man (1 Cor. 11:14). Here it is pointed out that this is a generally valid fact: ‘Does not even nature itself teach you ...?’ and not an exclusively Christian principle. Short hair stands for the authority that God has given the man as head. That is his place in the order of creation (1 Cor. 11:3). The Nazarite’s long hair thus indicated that that he voluntarily renounced any honour and was prepared to endure man’s contempt for the sake of his consecration to God.