1 Corinthians 11:14
New International Version
Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him,

New Living Translation
Isn’t it obvious that it’s disgraceful for a man to have long hair?

English Standard Version
Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him,

Berean Standard Bible
Doesn’t nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him,

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

King James Bible
Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?

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

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

NASB 1995
Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him,

NASB 1977
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,

Amplified Bible
Does not common sense itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him,

Christian Standard Bible
Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair it is a disgrace to him,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair it is a disgrace 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?

Contemporary English Version
Isn't it unnatural and disgraceful for men to have long hair?

English Revised Version
Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a dishonour to him?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Doesn't nature itself teach you that it is disgraceful for a man to have long hair?

Good News Translation
Why, nature itself teaches you that long hair on a man is a disgrace,

International Standard Version
Nature itself teaches you neither that it is disgraceful for a man to have long hair

Majority Standard Bible
Doesn’t nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him,

NET Bible
Does not nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace for him,

New Heart English Bible
Doesn't even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor 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?

Weymouth New Testament
Does not Nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair it is a dishonor to him,

World English Bible
Doesn’t even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him?
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Does not even nature itself teach you, that if a man indeed has long hair, it is a dishonor to him?

Berean Literal Bible
Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has 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?

Smith's Literal Translation
Does not nature itself teach you, that, if a man truly have long hair, it is a dishonour to him?
Catholic Translations
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?

Catholic Public Domain Version
Does not even nature herself teach you that, indeed, if a man grows his hair long, it is a disgrace for him?

New American Bible
Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears his hair long it is a disgrace to him,

New Revised Standard Version
Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair, it is degrading to him,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Does not even nature itself teach you, that if a man have long hair, it is a disgrace to him?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Does not even nature teach you that when a man has grown his hair, it is a disgrace to him?
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
Does not nature itself teach you, that, if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him?

Godbey New Testament
Does not nature itself teach you, that, if a man may indeed have long hair, it is a dishonor to him?

Haweis New Testament
Does not even nature itself teach you, that if a man wear long flowing hair it is a dishonour to him?

Mace New Testament
does not settled custom show it is a shame for a man to have long hair?

Weymouth New Testament
Does not Nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair it is a dishonor to him,

Worrell New Testament
Does not even nature herself teach, that, if a man have long hair, it is a dishonor to him?

Worsley New Testament
Doth not even nature itself teach you, that if a man have long hair, it is a disgrace to him?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Roles in Worship
13Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14Doesn’t nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, 15but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering.…

Cross References
Genesis 1:27
So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Genesis 2:18-24
The LORD God also said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make for him a suitable helper.” / And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and He brought them to the man to see what he would name each one. And whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. / The man gave names to all the livestock, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. ...

Deuteronomy 22:5
A woman must not wear men’s clothing, and a man must not wear women’s clothing, for whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD your God.

Judges 16:17
Samson told her all that was in his heart: “My hair has never been cut, because I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaved, my strength will leave me, and I will become as weak as any other man.”

2 Samuel 10:4-5
So Hanun took David’s servants, shaved off half of each man’s beard, cut off their garments at the hips, and sent them away. / When this was reported to David, he sent messengers to meet the men, since they had been thoroughly humiliated. The king told them, “Stay in Jericho until your beards have grown back, and then return.”

Isaiah 3:16-24
The LORD also says: “Because the daughters of Zion are haughty—walking with heads held high and wanton eyes, prancing and skipping as they go, jingling the bracelets on their ankles— / the Lord will bring sores on the heads of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will make their foreheads bare.” / In that day the Lord will take away their finery: their anklets and headbands and crescents; ...

Ezekiel 44:20
They must not shave their heads or let their hair grow long, but must carefully trim their hair.

Daniel 4:33
At that moment the sentence against Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from mankind. He ate grass like an ox, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird.

Matthew 5:36
Nor should you swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black.

Matthew 23:5
All their deeds are done for men to see. They broaden their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.

Mark 12:38
In His teaching Jesus also said, “Watch out for the scribes. They like to walk around in long robes, to receive greetings in the marketplaces,

Luke 7:38
As she stood behind Him at His feet weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears and wipe them with her hair. Then she kissed His feet and anointed them with the perfume.

John 11:2
(Mary, whose brother Lazarus was sick, was to anoint the Lord with perfume and wipe His feet with her hair.)

Acts 18:18
Paul remained in Corinth for quite some time before saying goodbye to the brothers. He had his head shaved in Cenchrea to keep a vow he had made, and then he sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila.

Romans 1:26-27
For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. / Likewise, the men abandoned natural relations with women and burned with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.


Treasury of Scripture

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

if.

2 Samuel 14:26
And when he polled his head, (for it was at every year's end that he polled it: because the hair was heavy on him, therefore he polled it:) he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels after the king's weight.

it is.

1 Corinthians 14:35
And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.

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Cause Degrading Disgrace Dishonor Dishonour Hair Indeed Itself Natural Nature Seem Shame Teach Wear
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Cause Degrading Disgrace Dishonor Dishonour Hair Indeed Itself Natural Nature Seem Shame Teach Wear
1 Corinthians 11
1. He reproves them, because in holy assemblies,
4. their men prayed with their heads covered,
6. and women with their heads uncovered;
17. and because generally their meetings were not for the better, but for the worse;
21. as, namely, in profaning with their own feast the Lord's supper.
25. Lastly, he calls them to the first institution thereof.














Does not nature itself teach you
The phrase "Does not nature itself teach you" invites us to consider the inherent order and design within creation as a source of moral and ethical understanding. The Greek word for "nature" (φύσις, physis) implies an intrinsic order established by God. In a conservative Christian perspective, this suggests that God's creation reflects His will and purpose, and thus, observing nature can provide insights into His intentions for human behavior. Historically, the concept of natural law has been significant in Christian theology, suggesting that certain truths about right and wrong are evident in the world around us, as part of God's general revelation.

that if a man has long hair
The phrase "that if a man has long hair" addresses cultural norms regarding gender distinctions. In the Greco-Roman world, as well as in Jewish tradition, long hair on men was often associated with rebellion or nonconformity to societal standards. The Greek word for "long hair" (κομᾷ, komáō) indicates hair that is allowed to grow long, which in the context of Corinthian society, might have been seen as effeminate or contrary to the expected masculine appearance. From a conservative Christian viewpoint, this reflects the importance of maintaining clear distinctions between genders as part of God's design, as seen in the creation narrative where God created male and female with distinct roles and appearances.

it is a disgrace to him
The phrase "it is a disgrace to him" uses the Greek word ἀτιμία (atimía), meaning dishonor or shame. In the cultural context of Corinth, a man with long hair might have been perceived as bringing shame upon himself by defying societal norms and the natural order as understood by the community. From a conservative Christian perspective, this underscores the belief that God has established certain standards for behavior and appearance that reflect His order and purpose. Disregarding these standards can lead to dishonor, not only in the eyes of society but also before God. This serves as a reminder of the importance of aligning one's life with biblical principles and the natural order as a reflection of God's will.

(14) Nature itself.--This may mean, either "the native inborn sense of what is seemly" as contrasted with revelation; or it may signify the ordinary and evident arrangement of things in creation. Probably the former is the true meaning of the passage which refers to the fact that the heathen who had no direct revelation did (by regarding long hair as a woman's glory) "by nature" the things contained in the Law (Romans 11:14).

Verse 14. - Doth not even nature itself teach you? "Nature" here has much the lame sense as "instinct."

"His fair large front and eye sublime declared
Absolute rule; and hyacinthine locks
Round from his parted forelock manly hung
Clustering, but not beneath his shoulders broad:
She, as a veil, down to the slender waist
Her unadorned golden tresses wore."


(Milton, 'Paradise Lost,' 4:304.)

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Doesn’t
οὐδὲ (oude)
Adverb
Strong's 3761: Neither, nor, not even, and not. From ou and de; not however, i.e. Neither, nor, not even.

nature
φύσις (physis)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 5449: From phuo; growth, i.e. natural production; by extension, a genus or sort; figuratively, native disposition, constitution or usage.

itself
αὐτὴ (autē)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative Feminine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

teach
διδάσκει (didaskei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1321: To teach, direct, admonish. A prolonged form of a primary verb dao; to teach.

you
ὑμᾶς (hymas)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

that
ὅτι (hoti)
Conjunction
Strong's 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.

if
ἐὰν (ean)
Conjunction
Strong's 1437: If. From ei and an; a conditional particle; in case that, provided, etc.

a man
ἀνὴρ (anēr)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 435: A male human being; a man, husband. A primary word; a man.

has long hair,
κομᾷ (koma)
Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2863: To wear the hair long, allow the hair to grow out. From kome; to wear tresses of hair.

it is
ἐστιν (estin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

a disgrace
ἀτιμία (atimia)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 819: Disgrace, dishonor; a dishonorable use. From atimos; infamy, i.e. comparative indignity, disgrace.

to him,
αὐτῷ (autō)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.


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NT Letters: 1 Corinthians 11:14 Doesn't even nature itself teach you that (1 Cor. 1C iC 1Cor i cor icor)
1 Corinthians 11:13
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