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    Chapter 7

    Truth or Tradition?
    A Closer Look at the
    Plural Wives Question
    by Andy Nonymousman

    Chapter 7. Shorn or Shaven

    I Corinthians 11:6 states “For if the woman be not covered let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.” We modern day Christians as a whole know very little about being shorn or shaven as it regards what the Scriptures teach. These tend to be Scriptures that we skip over as not being very important, but we must remember that II Timothy 3:16-17 says “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

    So let’s search out what this “shaved & shorn” concept means. Read Leviticus 13:29-37:

      “If a man or woman have a plague upon the head or the beard;

      Then the priest shall see the plague: and, behold, if it be in sight deeper than the skin; and there be in it a yellow thin hair; then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a dry scall, even a leprosy upon the head or beard.

      And if the priest look on the plague of the scall, and, behold, it be not in sight deeper than the skin, and that there is no black hair in it; then the priest shall shut up him that hath the plague of the scall seven days:

      And in the seventh day the priest shall look on the plague: and, behold, if the scall spread not, and there be in it no yellow hair, and the scall be not in sight deeper than the skin;

      He shall be shaven, but the scall shall he not shave; and the priest shall shut up him that hath the scall seven days more:

      And in the seventh day the priest shall look on the scall: and, behold, if the scall be not spread in the skin, nor be in sight deeper than the skin; then the priest shall pronounce him clean: and he shall wash his clothes, and be clean.

      But if the scall spread much in the skin after his cleansing;

      Then the priest shall look on him: and, behold, if the scall be spread in the skin, the priest shall not seek for yellow hair; he is unclean.

      But if the scall be in his sight at a stay, and that there is black hair grown up therein; the scall is healed, he is clean: and the priest shall pronounce him clean.”

    As we know leprosy was a ‘type’ of sin. Leprosy was cleansed not healed, just as we are cleansed from our sins. See I John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” If a man or woman had this plague upon the head or the beard, a part of the cleansing process was to be shaven and then shut up seven more days (verse 33).

    For a woman to be shaven, then, was indicative that she had leprosy, which we’ve said was a type or ‘shadow’ of sin. Thus she was shamed if she had to be shaven or shorn. Now let’s also look at Deuteronomy 21:10-13:

      “When thou goest forth to war against thine enemies, and the LORD thy God hath delivered them into thine hands, and thou hast taken them captive. And seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and hast a desire unto her, that thou wouldest have her to thy wife; Then thou shalt bring her home to thine house; and she shall shave her head, and pare her nails; And she shall put the raiment of her captivity from off her, and shall remain in thine house, and bewail her father and her mother a full month: and after that thou shalt go in unto her, and be her husband, and she shall be thy wife.”

    Notice that in verse 12 she is to “shave her head.” Why? She is no longer under the enemies authority. She is removed from her parents. She bewails her father and mother a full month (perhaps they have been killed in battle or perhaps she will not see them again). She removes her old covering by shaving off her hair. As her hair grows again after 30 days she becomes the wife of the man of Israel. She is now under a different covering.

    I Corinthians 11:6 says “For if the woman be not covered [under the authority of a man, a husband or a father] let her also be shorn [indicating she is in sin, specifically the sin of rebellion] but if it be shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven [the writer, Paul, assumes we know that it is a shame] then let her be covered [under authority].” See I Cor. 11:10; “For this cause ought the woman to have power [authority] on her head because of the angels.”

    If it is a sin and shame for a woman to have a rebellious attitude refusing to have a husband to rule over her, then Isaiah 4:1 makes much more sense. Isaiah 4:1 says “And in that day seven women shall take hold on one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach [shame].” There is no sin in the seven women being married to one man. There is sin in a woman’s rebellious attitude in refusing to be under submission to a man.

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    Author: AN

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    First created on 27 September 2001
    Updated on 20 June 2016

    Copyright ©1999 Andy Nonymousman
    Reproduced by permission and with thanks by HEM, 2001
    Endorsement of this book by HEM does not necesserily mean
    endorsement of the author's other publications or views.