1 Corinthians 11

shames
The Greek word rendered “shames” here is καταισχύνω (kataischynō), and readers will find this to be a consistent gloss for the term throughout the New Testament in this translation (cf. Luke 13:17; Rom 5:5; 9:33; 10:11; 1 Cor 1:27; here; 11:5, 22; 2 Cor 7:14; 9:4; 1 Pet 2:6; 3:16). Some translations render this as “disgrace,” which may fit the semantic range more generically, but rendering it with “shame” helps the reader see the distinction of a similar term Paul uses in verse 6 (αἰσχρός; aischros), which this translation renders consistently with “disgrace” when possible (cf. 1 Cor 11:6; 14:35; Eph 5:2). Though καταισχύνω (kataischynō) and αἰσχρός (aischros) are similar and share the same root, there is a distinction between the terms (see also note on v. 6 below). Thus, the former is translated with “shame” and the latter with “disgrace.” Here and in verse 5, Paul seems to be showing through the use of this term that when a man covers his head, or a woman does not have her head covered, they bring shame upon themselves by not following the divine design of creation as to give glory to Christ their Head (11:4–16).

shames
Refer to the discussion on verse 4 above.

cut short
The word κείρω (keirō) here, more than just the general idea of cutting, is usually used to communicate cutting short something that was long. In this sense, it is used to describe “shearing” a sheep’s wool once it had grown long (e.g., Acts 8:32) and is used when Paul “cut” his hair after it had grown long during a vow he was keeping (Acts 18:18). Thus, in the present context describing a woman’s hair, “cut short” is an apt translation. This specific word is distinguished both from shaving one’s head completely (v. 6) and from having particularly “long hair” (vv. 14–15). For this reason, “cut short” best captures the idea while preserving the nuances of Paul’s argument.

disgraceful
The Greek word αἰσχρός (aischros) is rendered as “disgraceful” here to distinguish it from καταισχύνω (kataischynō; “shame”) in verses 4 and 5 above and to maintain consistency with other occurrences in the New Testament. While both terms are similar in meaning (as are “shame” and “disgrace”), their distinct and consistent translations allow readers to recognize each anywhere it appears. Here, Paul instructs women in the Corinthian church that, as it is disgraceful to have hair cut short or a shaved head, to refuse to cover their heads would likewise be a “disgrace.” Rather, Paul instructs the Corinthians to pursue corporate worship that glorifies God in the local church, even in matters like head coverings.

authority
The word “authority” here (ἐξουσία; exousia) translates the same word likewise translated as “authority” in chapter 9. This chapter is also still a part of Paul’s larger discussion concerning the Christian’s rights or authority in 1 Corinthians 8–10. Paul’s point here is that one’s authority as a Christian does not supersede the authority that God has set up. Consistently tranlsating ἐξουσία (exousia) in this section of 1 Corinthians helps the reader to see this more clearly in English, providing a clearer window to the original text.

Nevertheless
Although the term πλήν (plēn) has been rendered as “however” in some translations, the rendering “nevertheless” better captures the essence of the term in English, since it generally refers to something “that is contrastingly added for consideration” (see BDAG on πλήν). “Nevertheless” gives a clearer sense of how Paul is not simply steering his argument in another direction, but rather he is taking something else into consideration alongside what he has already developed, so that readers consider both ideas alongisde each other. In this context, the different ideas he is developing derive from Genesis. First, in the creation of man and woman, woman was created from man, and therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head (1 Cor 11:7–11; Gen 2:20–23). Second, and “nevertheless,” in God’s design, the woman also became the “mother of all the living” (Gen 3:20), and therefore while there is an order and hierarchy between the genders, the two genders are intimately connected and even interdependent (1 Cor 11:11–12). By his use of “nevertheless,” Paul is not discounting what he has already taught or pitting one of these truths against the other. Rather, he is showing the bigger picture in which they both illustrate an interdependence between the genders.

in the same place
The phrase “in the same place” is simply not carried over into English in some translations, likely because it is deemed redundant following “meet together.” However, it is specified in the Greek text (ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ; epi to auto, lit. “at/upon the same”). Paul is simply assuming here that it is a given that members of the church will be meeting and fellowshipping together in a close and personal format. They are together not just in spirit (cf. 5:3; Col 2:5), but physically as well. This is important because the true and physical congregating of believers in the same place glorifies God by demonstrating visibly the unity that believers have together in Him. Thus, it follows also that they should not be gathering, each to enjoy his own meal separately merely to satisfy hunger or indulge in wine (v. 11), but to eat the Lord’s supper together as an expression of unified fellowship and worship.

For
Some translations render the conjunction γὰρ (gar) here as an exclamatory “What,” because there is some degree of variation in Paul’s thought and it does not initially seem that he is continuing to explain the thought of verse 21. However, this same conjunction also begins both verse 21 and verse 23, and thus it is best to conclude that Paul intends to use it the same way here. The vast majority of occurrences are translated as “for,” and the same translation is likewise used here. In this verse, Paul’s logical conjunction explains a larger contextual thought, namely, his chastisement upon their gatherings that fail to exhibit a proper approach to the Lord’s supper (v. 20), which the Lord Himself instituted (vv. 23–26).

being betrayed
“Being betrayed” captures the imperfect tense of the Greek verb παραδίδωμι (paradidōmi). Since the imperfect tense portrays an action vividly as ongoing in the moment being recorded, the translation “was being” helps to present this verb in such a way that the readers envision Jesus’ betrayal as unfolding when He gave the bread that symbolized His body for His people. This term helps to dramatically set the context in which Jesus gave this memorial to His disciples.

test
Some translations render this verse as “examine,” but because “examine” is already used for another Greek word (ἀνακρίνω; anakrinō), “test” better captures the meaning of this word (δοκιμάζω; dokimazō). And because this term refers to testing or examining with view to an outcome, not simply inspecting something, “test” communicates more of the nuance in English than “examine.” With this verb, readers are better equipped to see that Paul is calling for a kind of self-examination that should result in a proper judgment of one’s approach to the Lord’s table. Ideally, this testing should result in the awareness that one is indeed partaking of the bread and cup in a worthy manner (v. 27).

direct
While some translations have “arrange” here, “direct” is a more consistent way of rendering the Greek verb διατάσσω (diatassō), which is used in several places where Jesus gives orders (Matt 11:1; Luke 8:55). Rather than simply “arrange,” the term clarifies that Paul is the one personally giving orders to do achieve a type of arrangement.