177. akatakaluptos

Lexical Summary

akatakaluptos: Uncovered, unveiled, bare

Original Word: ἀκατακάλυπτος
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: akatakaluptos
Pronunciation: ah-kah-tah-KAH-loo-ptos
Phonetic Spelling: (ak-at-ak-al'-oop-tos)
KJV: uncovered
NASB: uncovered
Word Origin: [from G1 (α - Alpha) (as a negative particle) and a derivative of a compound of G2596 (κατά - according) and G2572 (καλύπτω - cover)]

1. unveiled

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

uncovered.

From a (as a negative particle) and a derivative of a compound of kata and kalupto; unveiled -- uncovered.

see GREEK a

see GREEK kata

see GREEK kalupto

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from alpha (as a neg. prefix) and katakaluptó
Definition
uncovered
NASB Translation
uncovered (2).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 177: ἀκατακάλυπτος

ἀκατακάλυπτος, (κατακαλύπτω), not covered, unveiled: 1 Corinthians 11:5, 13. (Polybius 15, 27, 2; (the Sept., Philo).)

Topical Lexicon

Definition within Scripture

ἀκατακάλυπτος (akatakalyptos) appears twice, both in Paul’s pastoral instructions regarding public worship in Corinth (1 Corinthians 11:5, 13). In each verse the adjective describes a woman whose head is “uncovered,” a state Paul treats as incongruous with orderly, God-honoring assembly.

Biblical Context

1 Corinthians 11:2–16 addresses decorum in prayer and prophecy. Paul anchors his counsel in:
• the created order (“man is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man,” 1 Corinthians 11:7),
• the angels who observe worship (11:10), and
• nature’s testimony to gender distinctions (11:14–15).

Within that framework ἀκατακάλυπτος marks a visible breach of propriety. “Every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head” (1 Corinthians 11:5). The same term reappears in Paul’s rhetorical question: “Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered?” (1 Corinthians 11:13).

First-Century Cultural Background

In Greco-Roman society, head coverings for women signified modesty, marital fidelity, and respectability. Literary and artistic evidence shows that married women normally veiled themselves in public venues, especially religious gatherings. Corinth, a cosmopolitan port city, combined Jewish synagogue expectations, Roman social customs, and Greek civic cults. Paul’s guidance therefore regulated Christian worship so that believers neither scandalized local conscience nor obscured gospel witness.

Symbolism of Covering and Authority

Paul treats the head covering as a sign (11:10) that:

1. Honors the God-ordained headship pattern (Christ → man → woman, 11:3).
2. Affirms male and female complementarity without diminishing spiritual equality (11:11–12).
3. Bears testimony before unseen angelic beings to the church’s submission to divine order.

To appear ἀκατακάλυπτος is thus more than a fashion choice; it represents a symbolic negation of headship and a potential distraction within congregational prayer and prophecy.

Relationship to Prayer and Prophecy

The verses assume that women participate vocally in gathered worship (“prays or prophesies”), demonstrating the Spirit’s gifting irrespective of gender (cf. Acts 2:17–18). However, spiritual liberty operates inside creation’s structure. The covering guards against confusing egalitarian gifting with interchangeability of roles.

Historical Interpretation

• Early church fathers such as Tertullian and Chrysostom cited the passage as normative, urging veils for married and often unmarried women.
• Medieval and Reformation teachers generally retained the practice, though materials and styles changed.
• Modern discussion divides between those viewing the covering as an abiding practice and those seeing a cultural symbol that now may be expressed through other modest tokens of gender distinction.

Throughout these debates, ἀκατακάλυπτος remains the textual pivot around which interpretations turn.

Pastoral and Ministry Implications

1. Worship leaders should cultivate settings where outward appearance reinforces, rather than distracts from, reverence and biblical order.
2. Teaching on 1 Corinthians 11 ought to connect the sign (head covering) to the principle (honor to God-ordained headship), allowing congregations to apply the principle faithfully in their cultural milieu.
3. Conversations about modesty, gender identity, and public witness benefit from recognizing that the apostle links even personal attire to theology and mission.

Key Passages for Further Study

Genesis 24:65; Numbers 5:18; Isaiah 47:2 (Old Testament precedents)

1 Corinthians 11:2–16 (immediate context)

1 Timothy 2:9–10; 1 Peter 3:3–4 (parallel teachings on modesty)

Summary

Ἀκατακάλυπτος encapsulates the uncovered-head condition that Paul deems improper for women engaged in corporate prayer or prophecy. While the specific cultural expression of covering may vary, the underlying call to honor divine headship in visible, respectful ways persists, urging every generation to integrate doctrine, worship, and public testimony.

Forms and Transliterations

ακατακαλυπτον ακατακάλυπτον ἀκατακάλυπτον ακατακάλυπτος ακατακαλυπτω ακατακαλύπτω ἀκατακαλύπτῳ akatakalupto akatakaluptō akatakalupton akatakalypto akatakalyptō akatakalýptoi akatakalýptōi akatakalypton akatakálypton

Englishman's Concordance

1 Corinthians 11:5 Adj-DFS
GRK: ἢ προφητεύουσα ἀκατακαλύπτῳ τῇ κεφαλῇ
NAS: who has her head uncovered while praying
KJV: with [her] head uncovered dishonoureth
INT: or prophesying revealed with the head

1 Corinthians 11:13 Adj-AFS
GRK: ἐστὶν γυναῖκα ἀκατακάλυπτον τῷ θεῷ
NAS: to God [with her head] uncovered?
KJV: pray unto God uncovered?
INT: is it for a woman revealed to God

Strong's Greek 177
2 Occurrences

ἀκατακαλύπτῳ — 1 Occ.
ἀκατακάλυπτον — 1 Occ.