November 12, 1997 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, fbns@wayoflife.org) - After reading our articles exhorting men and women to obey 1 Corinthians 11 in regard to hair length, some have written and asked, "But Brother Cloud, exactly what is long hair?" This is a good question. The following thoughts might help.

Obviously there is no absolute hair length given in the Bible. The statements are given only in a general sense, apparently, so they will fit every situation. I believe there are three keys, and they are all in 1 Corinthians 11 --

"Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered? Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering" (1 Cor. 11:13-15).

FIRST, THE TERMS LONG AND SHORT THEMSELVES, AS FITTING IN THE CONTEXT TO WHICH THEY ARE APPLIED, WILL DETERMINE WHAT IS LONG AND WHAT IS SHORT. If the hair is unquestionably long, then it is long. If it is unquestionably short, then it is short. If it is questionable in the particular context in which the question is asked, then it is not long, or it is not short. If you are a woman, and your hair length is questionable, then it is too short. If you are a man, and your hair length is questionable, then it is too long. This is the key I applied to my own hair as a young Christian who was saved out of a "hippie" lifestyle. I cut my shoulder-length hair when I first got saved, but it remained quite long and questionable for some weeks until it became clear to me that my hair was not yet properly short. At that time I got it cut and have kept it cut properly for 24 years. It is puzzling to me why so many are so vehemently unwilling to apply this to their own hair style. Why resist what the Bible plainly says? Why not wear your hair so that it is unquestionably in line with Scripture? The Bible plainly says the woman’s long hair is her glory and covering. Wear it long, then. Likewise, the Bible says the man’s short hair is proper and that long hair on him is a shame. Wear it short, then.

SECOND, THE WOMAN'S HAIR IS TO BE A HEAD COVERING TO SYMBOLIZE HER SUBMISSION TO AUTHORITY AND TO THE MAN'S HEADSHIP. Thus the hair must fall down over her head as a natural covering. This obviously means more than merely covering the scalp of the head. The man's hair is to do that, but his hair, when merely covering the scalp, is called short. I believe the covering means the hair is to be long enough to fall down over her head to naturally cover her entire head. I believe the hair hanging down over the head at least onto the shoulders best fits this description. It is the natural veil hanging down over the head. Contrariwise, the man's hair is not to cover his head in this manner; it is not to cover his "head" in the sense of being a covering hanging down over and around his head.

THIRD, THE WOMAN'S HAIR MUST BE "LONG" IN CONTRAST TO THE MAN'S "SHORT" HAIR. The length can vary but the contrast between the man and the woman must be plain for all to see, because the hair is said to be a symbol which speaks both to men and to angels (1 Cor. 11:10). Today's unisex hair cuts for women obliterate this distinction, and that is plainly unscriptural. For a woman to wear her hair at a length which would be confused as that of a man's is wrong. Likewise for a man to wear his hair so that it is confused with that of a woman, is wrong. During my "hippie" days, there was a rock song with words which said, "Are you a boy, or are you a girl? With your long blond hair, you look like a girl." In many Bible-believing churches today we could sing, "Are you a girl, or are you a boy? With your short, short hair, you look like a boy."

It is the sad truth, friends, and a chief reason is that so many preachers refuse to have anything at all to do with this matter, in spite of the fact that it is something which involves even angels. I hear someone protest, "It isn’t important, Brother Cloud." I agree that it is not as important as many other things, but if it is not important at all, why in the world is it in the Bible?