John Collinges on head-coverings

[Reformed Covenanter]

... Having his head covered; i.e. with a hat or cap, or such covering of the head as is in use in the country wherein he liveth. It is not to be understood of the natural covering of the head, which is our hair; nor yet of any other covering which is necessary for the preservation of life and health; but such a covering as he might spare, and is ornamental to him according to the fashion of the country.

Dishonoureth his head; either dishonoureth Christ who is his Head, and whom he ought to represent, and doth as it were make the church the head to Christ, which is subject to him, while by covering his head he declares a subjection in his ministration. Or he dishonoureth his own head, (so many interpret it), to wit, he betrayeth his superiority, lesseneth himself as to that power and dignity which God hath clothed him with, by using a posture which is a token of inferiority and subjection. Interpreters rightly agree, that this and the following verses are to be interpreted from the customs of countries; and all that can be concluded from this verse is, that it is the duty of men employed in Divine ministrations, to look to behave themselves as those who are to represent the Lord Jesus Christ, behaving themselves with a just authority and gravity that becometh his ambassadors, which decent gravity is to be judged from the common opinion and account of the country wherein they live. So as all which this text requires of Christian ministers, is authority and gravity, and what are external indications of it. …

For more, see John Collinges on head-coverings.

 

[Andrew35]

Random question, but did first century Jewish men ever wear hats? I can't recall reading about any head coverings in the Bible at all, to my knowledge, outside of this passage.

 

[C. M. Sheffield]

Random question, but did first century Jewish men ever wear hats? I can't recall reading about any head coverings in the Bible at all, to my knowledge, outside of this passage.

Forgive me, but how many passages of Holy Scripture do you require?

 

[C. M. Sheffield]

Random question, but did first century Jewish men ever wear hats?

Of what relevance is the hat-wearing fashion of first century Palestine to what the Holy Spirit says to the Church in 1 Corinthians 11:2-16?

 

[Andrew35]

Of what relevance is the hat-wearing fashion of first century Palestine to what the Holy Spirit says to the Church in 1 Corinthians 11:2-16?

Relevance? Why should it be relevant to anything? I simply find the history of clothing and fashion personally interesting and was curious if Jewish men commonly wore hats, as Orthodox Jews now -- and what kind they would wear. It never really occurred to me before.

Not quite sure what you're getting at, to be honest.

 

[Jack K]

Random question, but did first century Jewish men ever wear hats? I can't recall reading about any head coverings in the Bible at all, to my knowledge, outside of this passage.

Turbans in Daniel 3:21 come to mind. Of course, that was 600 years before Paul wrote, and may be a reflection of Babylonian, not Jewish, custom. And Old Testament priests wore headgear as part of their official dress (Exodus 28:40, Zechariah 3:5), including crowns on rare occasions (Zechariah 6:11), but that was special to their office.

Among the general population, head garments are mentioned as some of the haughty wear the Lord will snatch away in Isaiah 3:16-23, and Job mentions a turban (Job 29:14). We can also imagine Leah wore a veil at her wedding in Genesis 29:22-25. In the first century, the phylacteries mentioned in Matthew 23:5 may have been worn on the head.

 

[Reformed Covenanter]

Random question, but did first century Jewish men ever wear hats? I can't recall reading about any head coverings in the Bible at all, to my knowledge, outside of this passage.

I did not quote this bit in the blog post, but Collinges goes on to give an argument that both Jewish men and pagans wore head-dress in worship:

Our learned Dr. Lightfoot observeth, that the Jewish priests were wont in the worship of God to veil their heads; so that Christian ministers praying or prophesying with their heads covered, Judaized, which he judgeth the reason of the apostle’s assertion. The heathens also, both Romans and Grecians, were wont to minister in their sacred things with their heads covered. Some think this was the reason why the Christians used the contrary gesture; but the apostle’s arguing from the man’s headship, seemeth to import that the reason of this assertion of the apostle was, because in Corinth the uncovered head was a sign of authority. At this day the Mahometans (or Turks) speak to their superiors covered, and so are covered also in their religious performances. ...

Edit: I have added the above section into the original blog post. Also, I think if you read the whole thing carefully, Collinges is stating that the matter of head-dress is a customible sign (see the paragraph immediately below the extract that I have cited above in this post).