What about 1 Corinthians 11:4?

http://www.netzarim.cc/netzarim/headcoverings.htm

Let’s look at that verse in the Greek and see what it really means. FIRST YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A MISTRANSLATION OF THIS VERSE! It is only ONE MISTRANSLATED WITNESS that people try to quote to "prove" head coverings for men are wrong in the eyes of Yahweh.

·        1 Corinthians 11:4 "Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, brings shame to his Head." The Scriptures

·        Complete Jewish Bible by David Stern, "Every man who prays or prophesies wearing something down over his head.."

·        COVERED -#2596 KATA- down, about, AGAINST, in OPPOSITION TO, down from (like a VEIL hanging from his head) –Thayer’s page 327. This word then can mean 1. To hang down from the head (over the face) like a woman’s veil [which in context makes sense as Rav Shaul is contrasting the worship of men and women, and that men are not to look like women-Rabbi Ed] 2. In opposition to or opposed to.

·        HEAD # 2776 KEPHALE; KAPTO the HEAD (literally or figuratively) supreme, chief, prominent, MASTER page 345 Thayer’s. This is the same word used twice in this verse. Why was one capitalized and the other isn’t? There are no capitals in Greek.

This verse is NOT against head coverings for men. It is against the wearing of a veil by a man over his face, as was the custom of the women of that period! Why does Rav Shaul speak of men wearing long hair or actually adoring the long locks of hair with ornamental jewels as women (the word is #2863 in Greek KOMAO- wear long tresses of hair, locks, as ornamental (length is secondary) from #2864-KOME). Shaul did not want the men of Corinth (center for male temple prostitutes of Apollo, Poseidon, and other gods) to be mistaken for women in their dress, and hairstyle-other wise NO CROSS-DRESSING. The men were pulling their long locks of hair over their faces as a veil as was the manner of women and imitating their hairstyles and manner in prayer. THIS IS NOT TALKING OF A MAN WEARING A HEAD COVERING IN PRAYER OR WORSHIP BUT A VEIL!

Let me present another interpretation also in light of the real meaning of the word –KATA and KEPHALE.

·        In verse 3 Rav Shaul says, the HEAD of every man is Messiah, the HEAD of every woman is man, and the HEAD of Messiah is Elohim. There three HEADS here. The HEAD here is speaking of RULERSHIP or AUTHORITY! Yahshua is HEAD of the Congregation (Eph.1: 22).

·        Verse 4 therefore CAN MEAN this, " Every MAN praying or prophesying, that is teaches, refutes, reproves, admonishes, and comforts having OPPOSITION TO HEADSHIP (AUTHORITY) brings shame upon (dishonors) the Messiah, the HEAD of him."

·        If in verse 5 a woman brings shame or dishonor to her HEAD –MAN by being unveiled or akatakaluptos or literally without veil down, then a man shames his HEAD-MESSIAH YAHSHUA by having his VEIL DOWN Over HIS FACE!

Verse seven is speaking of Yahshua the HEAD being in the image and esteem of Yahweh as we have shown previously. It should read, " Now a man truly ought not to cover his HEAD (Yahshua) by hiding and opposing Him, for He (Yahshua) is the image and glory of Yahweh; but the woman is (the expression of) man’s glory (majesty, pre-eminence). The word cover is katakalupto –to cover wholly-hide, VEIL.

Verse seven could also read, "For a man indeed should not veil his face, since He (Yahshua) is the likeness and esteem of Elohim, but woman is the esteem of man."

These verses are all about delegated authority from the HEAD down. Anyone with delegated authority should have a head covering on his or her head. Yahweh is the SUPREME HEAD-then Moshiach-then man-then woman. Only Yahshua is in the image and likeness of Yahweh at this time. Messiah is man’s head and this fact is not to be opposed by man. A man is the head of woman-and she is to acknowledge this fact by wearing a veil upon the hair of her head. Man is under the authority of Messiah the very same way woman is under the authority of her husband. Man also is to show he is under authority in the same manner a woman shows she is under authority- man covers his own head with the ordained head covering of the priesthood.

Closing Thoughts

Some people argue that we should not wear a kippah because the pope and cardinals wear a facsimile of the kippah because they claim to have inherited the Aaronic priesthood. The Roman church strictly FORBIDS the laity to wear this covering because they will tell you that you ARE SUBJECT TO THE Catholic Church! Who will you obey-Yahweh or the pope?

Still others claim these set-apart garments came from Babylon.It is true that the laws concerning these garments were taken into Babylon by Yahudah in the exile..but these garments DID NOT ORIGINATE IN BABYLON! They were ordained by Yahweh in the Torah, and came out of Babylon as given by Yahweh with the Yahudim when they rebuilt the Temple of Yahweh.

According to The Concise Encyclopedia of Greek and Roman Mythology by Savine Ostwalt page 261, " A sacrifice was made to Saturnus (S.A.Tan /Hellel) in his temple WITH UNCOVERED HEAD ACCORDING TO THE GREEK OBSERVANCE.."

Alfred Edersheim in his book "[Yahshua] the Messiah" on pages 426-431 describes the dress of the time period of the Second Temple. He says, "In regard to the covering of the head, it was deemed a mark of disrespect to walk abroad, or to pass a person, with a bared head. Slaves covered their heads in the presence of their masters..The ordinary covering of the head was the Sudar, a kerchief twisted into a turban..A kind of light hat was also in use, either of a light material or of felt. The Sudar was twisted by rabbis in a peculiar manner to distinguish them from others…We read besides of a sort of a cap or hood attached to some kinds of outer or inner garments…of the outward appearance of [Yahshua]..His headgear would probably be the SUDAR wound in a kind of turban or perhaps the Maaphoreth, which seems to have served as a covering for the head, and to have descended over the back of the kneck and shoulders.." so, here from historical references we can see that Yahshua probably wore some sort of head covering.

This is by no means an exhaustive study on the head covering for men. It is just a good solid starting point for the student of the Scriptures to begin his own study. May Yahweh bless your understanding.

Rabbi Edward Levi Nydle