What Is “Hair as the Hair of Women”?

June 1, 2018

Scripture speaks about human hair in many passages. A passage that does so provides an important insight about biblical teaching about the hair of women:

Revelation 9:7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. 8 And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.

John describes these demons as having “the faces of men” and “hair as the hair of women.” It hardly makes sense to say that they had a masculine “face-style”; the contrast in the passage therefore does not support the idea that these demons had hair that was styled in a feminine hairstyle (which would be nonsensical even if the contrast were not a factor in the passage).

This passage, therefore, testifies to Scriptural revelation that points to something intrinsically distinctive about “the hair of women.” By comparing this passage with the following passage, we understand plainly what that distinctive characteristic is:

1 Corinthians 11:14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? 15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.

Noting the male-female contrast in both passages and allowing Scripture to interpret itself by comparing Scripture with Scripture, it is plain that both passages are speaking of the length of a woman’s hair as that which is to distinguish it from the hair of a man and not of a “feminine” hairstyle. “Hair as the hair of women” means hair that is of such a length that it is a glory to a woman (and a shame to a man).

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

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Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.