A Prayer for the Overthrow of Zion's Enemies

1291 Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth up, Let Israel now say, 2 Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth up: Yet they have not prevailed against me. 3 The plowers plowed upon my back; They made long their furrows. 4 Jehovah is righteous: He hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked.

5 Let them be put to shame and turned backward, All they that hate Zion. 6 Let them be as the grass upon the housetops, Which withereth before it groweth up; 7 Wherewith the reaper filleth not his hand, Nor he that bindeth sheaves his bosom. 8 Neither do they that go by say, The blessing of Jehovah be upon you; We bless you in the name of Jehovah.

Hope in the LORD's Redemption

1301 Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Jehovah. 2 Lord, hear my voice: Let thine ears be attentive To the voice of my supplications. 3 If thou, Jehovah, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? 4 But there is forgiveness with thee, That thou mayest be feared.

5 I wait for Jehovah, my soul doth wait, And in his word do I hope. 6 My soul [waiteth] for the Lord More than watchmen [wait] for the morning; [Yea, more than] watchmen for the morning. 7 O Israel, hope in Jehovah; For with Jehovah there is lovingkindness, And with him is plenteous redemption. 8 And he will redeem Israel From all his iniquities.

Childlike Repose in the LORD

1311 Jehovah, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty; Neither do I exercise myself in great matters, Or in things too wonderful for me. 2 Surely I have stilled and quieted my soul; Like a weaned child with his mother, Like a weaned child is my soul within me. 3 O Israel, hope in Jehovah From this time forth and for evermore.

111 Be ye imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ.

The Covering of Women's Heads

2 Now I praise you that ye remember me in all things, and hold fast the traditions, even as I delivered them to you. 3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. 4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoreth his head. 5 But every woman praying or prophesying with her head unveiled dishonoreth her head; for it is one and the same thing as if she were shaven. 6 For if a woman is not veiled, let her also be shorn: but if it is a shame to a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be veiled. 7 For a man indeed ought not to have his head veiled, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man. 8 For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man: 9 for neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man: 10 for this cause ought the woman to have [a sign of] authority on her head, because of the angels. 11 Nevertheless, neither is the woman without the man, nor the man without the woman, in the Lord. 12 For as the woman is of the man, so is the man also by the woman; but all things are of God. 13 Judge ye in yourselves: is it seemly that a woman pray unto God unveiled? 14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a dishonor to him? 15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering. 16 But if any man seemeth to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.

Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Corinthians 11:1-16

Commentary on 1 Corinthians 11:1

(Read 1 Corinthians 11:1)

The first verse of this chapter seems properly to be the close to the last. The apostle not only preached such doctrine as they ought to believe, but led such a life as they ought to live. Yet Christ being our perfect example, the actions and conduct of men, as related in the Scriptures, should be followed only so far as they are like to his.

Commentary on 1 Corinthians 11:2-16

(Read 1 Corinthians 11:2-16)

Here begin particulars respecting the public assemblies, 1 Corinthians 14. In the abundance of spiritual gifts bestowed on the Corinthians, some abuses had crept in; but as Christ did the will, and sought the honour of God, so the Christian should avow his subjection to Christ, doing his will and seeking his glory. We should, even in our dress and habit, avoid every thing that may dishonour Christ. The woman was made subject to man, because made for his help and comfort. And she should do nothing, in Christian assemblies, which looked like a claim of being equal. She ought to have "power," that is, a veil, on her head, because of the angels. Their presence should keep Christians from all that is wrong while in the worship of God. Nevertheless, the man and the woman were made for one another. They were to be mutual comforts and blessings, not one a slave, and the other a tyrant. God has so settled matters, both in the kingdom of providence and that of grace, that the authority and subjection of each party should be for mutual help and benefit. It was the common usage of the churches, for women to appear in public assemblies, and join in public worship, veiled; and it was right that they should do so. The Christian religion sanctions national customs wherever these are not against the great principles of truth and holiness; affected singularities receive no countenance from any thing in the Bible.