2619. katakaluptó

Lexical Summary

katakaluptó: To cover, to veil

Original Word: κατακαλύπτω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: katakaluptó
Pronunciation: kat-ak-al-OOP-to
Phonetic Spelling: (kat-ak-al-oop'-to)
KJV: cover, hide
NASB: cover, covered
Word Origin: [from G2596 (κατά - according) and G2572 (καλύπτω - cover)]

1. to cover wholly, i.e. veil

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

cover, hide.

From kata and kalupto; to cover wholly, i.e. Veil -- cover, hide.

see GREEK kata

see GREEK kalupto

HELPS Word-studies

2619 katakalýptō (from 2596 /katá, "down, according to" and 2572 /kalýptō, "to cover") – properly, cover down to make appropriate (complete), i.e. to wear a veil.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from kata and kaluptó
Definition
to cover up
NASB Translation
cover (2), covered (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 2619: κατακαλύπτω

κατακαλύπτω: the Sept. for כִּסָּה; from Homer down; to cover up (see κατά, III. 3); middle present κατακαλύπτομαι, to veil or cover oneself: 1 Corinthians 11:6; τήν κεφαλήν, one's head, 1 Corinthians 11:7.

Topical Lexicon

Overview

The verb κατακαλύπτω appears only in 1 Corinthians 11, where the Apostle Paul regulates head coverings in public worship. Built on the imagery of “covering down over,” it functions not as a casual accessory but as a visible sign that undergirds Paul’s teaching on creation order, gender distinction, and worship propriety.

Biblical Context and Usage

1 Corinthians 11:6–7 sets the contrast:
• “For if a woman will not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off. But if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved, let her cover her head” (1 Corinthians 11:6).
• “A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man” (1 Corinthians 11:7).

Paul frames the directive with four arguments: creation (verses 7–9), nature (verse 14), propriety (verses 13, 16), and angelic observation (verse 10). The verb therefore stands at the intersection of theology, anthropology, and liturgy.

Historical Setting

Veiling was common for married women in many first–century cultures, including Roman, Greek, and Jewish societies. In Corinth—a cosmopolitan seaport with a spectrum of social norms—some believing women evidently laid aside the veil, perhaps claiming new freedom in Christ. Paul does not condemn their newfound liberty but channels it so that public worship reflects godly order rather than cultural confusion.

Creation and Headship

Paul’s reasoning reaches back to Genesis. By noting that man is “the image and glory of God” and woman “the glory of man” (1 Corinthians 11:7), he ties the covering to headship rather than value. The veil symbolizes willing submission within God-ordained structures, not inferiority. The same logic guards the man from donning a covering: to do so would blur the created distinctions.

Angelic and Eschatological Dimensions

“Because of the angels” (1 Corinthians 11:10) places the practice before unseen heavenly witnesses who value reverent order. Worship on earth mirrors the holiness of heaven; thus the covering becomes an eschatological rehearsal, signaling that the congregation stands before the throne of God.

Old Testament Echoes

Genesis 24:65 describes Rebekah veiling herself when meeting Isaac—an act of modesty and covenant expectation. Conversely, Moses veiled his face after speaking with the Lord (Exodus 34:33), illustrating separation between divine glory and human sight. In both cases a covering communicates respect for God-given boundaries, a theme carried into Paul’s instructions.

Ministry Significance

1. Worship Integrity: The practice protects the gathered body from importing casual or culturally ambiguous signals into the sacred assembly.
2. Catechetical Value: It offers a tangible teaching aid for headship, reminding new believers of created order without lengthy explanation.
3. Missional Testimony: A congregation embodying orderly gender distinction quietly confronts a culture of confusion with a lived apologetic.

Practical Application Today

While debates persist over material form (scarf, hat, length of hair) and cultural transference, the conservative reading affirms three enduring principles:
• Distinction—male and female roles remain complementary in the new covenant.
• Submission—voluntary, joyful alignment under Christ-ordained authority.
• Decorum—visible practices in worship should communicate reverence, not self-expression.

Churches may contextualize the symbol, yet the theological freight carried by κατακαλύπτω cannot be dismissed without forfeiting apostolic instruction. Whatever outward application is chosen, it must continue to honor God’s created order, respect angelic spectators, and edify the gathered saints.

Forms and Transliterations

καλυπτεσθαι κατακαλυπτεσθαι κατακαλύπτεσθαι κατακαλυπτεσθω κατακαλυπτέσθω κατακαλυπτεται κατακαλύπτεται κατακαλύπτον κατακαλύψαι κατακαλύψει κατακαλύψεις κατακαλύψομαι κατακαλύψουσιν κατακαλύψω κατάκαρπος κατάκαρπως κατακάρπωσιν κατάκαυμα κατακαύματι κατακαύματος κατακαύματός κατεκάλυπτον κατεκαλύφθη κατεκαλύψατο κατεκάλυψε κατεκάλυψέν κατεκάμφθην κατέκαμψαν katakaluptesthai katakaluptestho katakaluptesthō katakaluptetai katakalyptesthai katakalýptesthai katakalyptestho katakalyptesthō katakalyptéstho katakalyptésthō katakalyptetai katakalýptetai

Englishman's Concordance

1 Corinthians 11:6 V-PIM/P-3S
GRK: γὰρ οὐ κατακαλύπτεται γυνή καὶ
NAS: a woman does not cover her head, let her also
KJV: be not covered, let her also
INT: indeed not be concealed a woman also

1 Corinthians 11:6 V-PMM/P-3S
GRK: ἢ ξυρᾶσθαι κατακαλυπτέσθω
NAS: her head shaved, let her cover her head.
KJV: or shaven, let her be covered.
INT: or to be shaven let her be concealed

1 Corinthians 11:7 V-PNM/P
GRK: οὐκ ὀφείλει κατακαλύπτεσθαι τὴν κεφαλήν
NAS: not to have his head covered, since he is the image
KJV: not to cover [his] head,
INT: not ought to have concealed the head

Strong's Greek 2619
3 Occurrences

κατακαλύπτεσθαι — 1 Occ.
κατακαλυπτέσθω — 1 Occ.
κατακαλύπτεται — 1 Occ.