Head kephale CS

LXGNTLEX: κεφαλή Multi-Term Noun Usage 1.cornerstone† — the first stone laid in the construction of a building at the outer corner of two intersecting masonry walls. Related Topic: Cornerstone. Related Entity: Cornerstone. Mt 21:42||Λίθον the stone ὃν which ἀπεδοκίμασαν rejected οἱ the οἰκοδομοῦντες builders οὗτος this ἐγενήθη has become εἰς [-] κεφαλὴν the head γωνίας· of the corner Mk 12:10||Λίθον the stone ὃν which ἀπεδοκίμασαν rejected οἱ the οἰκοδομοῦντες, builders οὗτος this one ἐγενήθη has become εἰς [-] κεφαλὴν the head γωνίας· of the corner Lk 20:17||Λίθον the stone ὃν which ἀπεδοκίμασαν rejected οἱ the οἰκοδομοῦντες, builders οὗτος this ἐγενήθη has become εἰς [-] κεφαλὴν the head γωνίας; of the corner Ac 4:11ὁ [-] γενόμενος that has become εἰς [-] κεφαλὴν the head γωνίας. of the corner 1 Pe 2:7εἰς into κεφαλὴν the head γωνίας of the corner

Brannan, R., ed. (2020). In Lexham Research Lexicon of the Greek New Testament. Lexham Press. Note: Head here is used in the sense of the cornerstone, first stone laid. Clipped: June 23, 2023

LXGNTLEX: κεφαλή Used in a Multi-Term Verb 1. to shake one’s head† — to shake one’s head back and forth (at someone) as a sign of condescending disdain, ridicule, and scorn. See also κινέω. Mt 27:39|| κινοῦντες τὰς κεφαλὰς αὐτῶν
Mk 15:29|| κινοῦντες τὰς κεφαλὰς αὐτῶν
2. to hang off one’s head† — to have something hanging down from one’s head; perhaps as from long hair or a garment on one’s head. See also κατά. 1 Co 11:4 κατὰ κεφαλῆς

Brannan, R., ed. (2020). In Lexham Research Lexicon of the Greek New Testament. Lexham Press. Note: The head can be used to disdain someone or scorn them. Also 1Co 11:4 is noted as it is about the head but something hanging down from the head. This appears to be a hiding, or covering up like as what happened in Eden when the man and the woman covered for their shame. Clipped: June 23, 2023

AF:ET: 37 (5) Let us take our body as an example. The head without the feet is nothing; likewise, the feet without the head are nothing. Even the smallest parts of our body are necessary and useful to the whole body, yet all the members work together and unite in mutual subjection, that the whole body may be saved.

Holmes, M. W. (1999). The Apostolic Fathers: Greek texts and English translations (Updated ed., p. 71). Baker Books. Note: Head with the body is mutual submission. Tags: 1Cl 37.5 Clipped: June 23, 2023

AF:ET: 38 38. So in our case let the whole body be saved in Christ Jesus, and let each man be subject to his neighbor, to the degree determined by his spiritual gift.

Holmes, M. W. (1999). The Apostolic Fathers: Greek texts and English translations (Updated ed., p. 71). Baker Books. Note: Subjection is based on the degree determined by one's spiritual gift (not based on gender). Tags: 1Cl 38 Clipped: June 23, 2023

AF:ET: 41 41. Let each of you,101 brothers, in his proper order give thanks to102 God, maintaining a good conscience, not overstepping the designated rule of his ministry, but acting with reverence.

Holmes, M. W. (1999). The Apostolic Fathers: Greek texts and English translations (Updated ed., pp. 73–75). Baker Books. Note: One's ministry determines their "rule" and should not be overstepped. Tags: 1Cl 41 Clipped: June 23, 2023

NASB95: Chapter 2 Now a river flowed out of Eden to water •the garden; and from there it divided and became •four rivers.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 update (Ge 2:10). (1995). The Lockman Foundation. Note: The last word "rivers" is the word meaning "head". Because Hebrew has two beginnings for a rope rather than two "ends" the ending of a river can also be called a second beginning. Tags: Ge 2:10 Clipped: June 23, 2023

BEB: Head Greek philosophers used the image of the body to represent the universe. The head of this body—called Zeus or Reason—was considered responsible for the creation and sustenance of the remaining members (celestial beings, humans, animals, plants, and inanimate objects). The universe or “body” owed its existence to the “head.”

Elwell, W. A., & Beitzel, B. J. (1988). Head. In Baker encyclopedia of the Bible (Vol. 1, p. 935). Baker Book House. Note: Head of the body was considered responsible for the creation and sustenance of the remaining members. So the "body" owed its existence to the head. This fits in well with 1 Corinthians 11.

Factbook under head: 11. first ⇔ head — the first or highest in an ordering or series, conceived of as a head; sometimes with the implication of being the best. Related Topic: Head.

Head is an extension from a source. Louw-Nida. Louw, Johannes P., and Eugene Albert Nida. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains. New York: United Bible Societies, 1996.

Tags: Head Clipped: June 26, 2023

PG:RAVMWC: 1.6.8. The Relationship between “Head” and Veiling The English language does not have the same range of metaphorical meanings for “head” that the word κεφαλή had in ancient and Koine Greek, and the assumed connection between “head” and our phrase “head of the household” is a bond that is quickly forged and difficult to break, particularly since we know that the brain is the control center of the body. But neither of these associations is part of the Greek culture or language. Joseph Fitzmyer suggests a range of meaning that is fair as a starting point. He breaks down the semantic range of κεφαλή into four meanings. First, it means “head” in the anatomical sense of the word (the vast majority of occurrences). Second, it is a synecdoche for the whole person in a number of occurrences. Third, it has the metaphoric sense of “source” in seven sources. Fourth, he finds that the word is a metaphor for “leader, ruler, person in authority” in sixteen passages.110 Fitzmyer concludes, These examples show us that kephalē could indeed be used in the sense of “source.” Though it does not occur in as many instances as kephalē in the sense of “ruler, leader,” there is no reason to see it as the meaning intended in 1 Corinthians 11:3, as claimed by writers such as Barrett, Bruce, Cervin, Cope, Delobel, the Mickelsens, or Murphy-O’Connor. For the question still remains whether the meaning “source” is any better than the traditional understanding of kephalē as “leader, ruler.”111

Westfall, C. L. (2016). Paul and gender: reclaiming the apostle’s vision for men and women in christ (pp. 38–39). Baker. Note: 15. Ephesians 5:21–33 and Colossians 3:18–19: Husband-Wife Relationships the theme in verses 21–23 of reconciliation “by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight.” This all reinforces that Christ is the source of the church as he is the source of creation, “in him all things were created . . . all things were created through him” (v. 16). The reference to Christ as the head of the body follows a series of other affirmations of Christ as the source of all things as Creator (Col 1:15–17). The meaning of κεφαλή (“head”) in this context is that Christ is the source of the church through his redemptive death and resurrection. Because of who Christ is, the creator of all things and of the church, he is rightly first55 in everything (Col 1:18). The parallels with Eph 5:23 and its goal in verse 27 are striking: Eph 5:23 Christ head of…

Man and Woman, One in Christ: An Exegetical and Theological Study of Paul's Letters (1 time) Tags: Man and Woman, One in Christ: An Exegetical and Theological Study of Paul's Letters - in Cheryl's print library; Important Clipped: June 26, 2023

LXHOTLEX: רֹאשׁ 1 (rōʾš 1), n. head; hair; person, individual; height, peak, upper end; beginning; topmost, outermost, best; leader, chief; value, total amount, sum. Greek equiv. fr. LXX: κεφαλή (238), ἄρχων (90). LTW רֹאשׁ (Civil Leaders), רֹאשׁ (Authority), רֹאשׁ (Body). Noun Usage 1. head — the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains. Related Topics: Face; Temple (Body Part); Head. Related Entity: Head. ‏Nu 6:5 לֹא־יַעֲבֹ֣ר עַל־רֹאשׁ֑וֹ
‏Jdg 9:53 וַתַּשְׁלֵ֞ךְ אִשָּׁ֥ה אַחַ֛ת פֶּ֥לַח רֶ֖כֶב עַל־רֹ֣אשׁ אֲבִימֶ֑לֶךְ
‏2 Sa 15:30 וְרֹ֥אשׁ לוֹ֙
‏Hab 3:14 רֹ֣אשׁ פְּרָזוֹ יִסְעֲר֖וּ
‏La 2:10 הֶֽעֱל֤וּ עָפָר֙ עַל־רֹאשָׁ֔ם
— 2. leader ⇔ head — a person who is in charge; understood as a head which is the uppermost part of a human body. Related Topics: Commander; Head. ‏Jdg 11:8 וְהָיִ֤יתָ לָּ֙נוּ֙ לְרֹ֔אשׁ
‏2 Sa 23:8|| תַּחְכְּמֹנִ֣י׀ רֹ֣אשׁ הַשָּׁלִשִׁ֗י
‏Is 7:8 וְרֹ֥אשׁ דַּמֶּ֖שֶׂק רְצִ֑ין
‏Mic 3:1 שִׁמְעוּ־נָא֙ רָאשֵׁ֣י יַעֲקֹ֔ב
‏Hab 3:13 מָחַ֤צְתָּ רֹּאשׁ֙ מִבֵּ֣ית רָשָׁ֔ע
— 3. beginning (event)† — the event consisting of the start of something. Sense Antonym: ending (event). See also רִאשׁוֹן, רֵאשִׁית, תְּחִלָּה. Related Topic: Principles. ‏Nu 28:11 וּבְרָאשֵׁי֙ חָדְשֵׁיכֶ֔ם
‏Ec 3:11 מֵרֹ֥אשׁ וְעַד־סֽוֹף׃ — 4. hair (collective)† — a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth hair (as on the human head). See also שֵׂעָר, שַׂעֲרָה. Related Topic: Hair. Related Entity: Hair. ‏2 Sa 14:26 וּֽבְגַלְּחוֹ֮ אֶת־רֹאשׁוֹ֒
— 5. top ⇔ head — the top of something conceived of as its head. Related Topic: Head. ‏Jdg 9:25 עַ֚ל רָאשֵׁ֣י הֶהָרִ֔ים
‏Jdg 16:3 אֶל־רֹ֣אשׁ הָהָ֔ר
‏2 Sa 15:32 בָּ֣א עַד־הָרֹ֔אשׁ
‏Am 9:3 בְּרֹ֣אשׁ הַכַּרְמֶ֔ל
‏Mic 4:1 בְּרֹ֣אשׁ הֶהָרִ֔ים
— 6. beginning part — the first part or section of something. Sense Antonym: end (part). See also רֵאשִׁית, תְּחִלָּה. Related Topic: Principles. ‏Nu 10:10 וּבְרָאשֵׁ֣י חָדְשֵׁיכֶם֒
‏Is 51:20 בְּרֹ֥אשׁ כָּל־חוּצ֖וֹת
‏Eze 21:24 בְּרֹ֥אשׁ דֶּֽרֶךְ־עִ֖יר
‏Eze 40:1 בְּרֹ֨אשׁ הַשָּׁנָ֜ה
‏La 2:19 רֹ֣נִּי בַלַּיִל לְרֹאשׁ֙
— 7. division (military) — an army unit large enough to sustain combat. Related Topic: Division. ‏Jdg 7:16 וַיַּ֛חַץ אֶת־שְׁלֹשׁ־מֵא֥וֹת הָאִ֖ישׁ שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה רָאשִׁ֑ים
‏Jdg 9:34 וַיֶּאֶרְב֣וּ עַל־שְׁכֶ֔ם אַרְבָּעָ֖ה רָאשִֽׁים׃ ‏1 Sa 13:17 וַיֵּצֵ֧א הַמַּשְׁחִ֛ית מִמַּחֲנֵ֥ה פְלִשְׁתִּ֖ים שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה רָאשִׁ֑ים
‏Job 1:17 בָּ֣א וַיֹּאמַר֒ כַּשְׂדִּ֞ים שָׂ֣מוּ׀ שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה רָאשִׁ֗ים
‏1 Ch 12:24 מִסְפְּרֵ֞י רָאשֵׁ֤י הֶֽחָלוּץ֙
— 8. person ⇔ head — a human person understood according to the common trait of human persons having heads. Related Topic: Head. ‏Nu 6:7 כִּ֛י נֵ֥זֶר אֱלֹהָ֖יו עַל־רֹאשֽׁוֹ׃ ‏2 Sa 1:16 דָּמֶיךָ עַל־רֹאשֶׁ֑ךָ
‏1 Ki 2:32 וְהֵשִׁיב֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֶת־דָּמ֜וֹ עַל־רֹאשׁ֗וֹ
‏Joe 4:4 אָשִׁ֥יב גְּמֻלְכֶ֖ם בְּרֹאשְׁכֶֽם׃ ‏1 Ch 12:20 בְּרָאשֵׁ֕ינוּ יִפּ֖וֹל אֶל־אֲדֹנָ֥יו שָׁאֽוּל׃ — 9. choice thing† — a thing that is the best among other things to choose from. Related Topics: Portent; Wonder; Miracle. ‏Ex 30:23 וְאַתָּ֣ה קַח־לְךָ֮ בְּשָׂמִ֣ים רֹאשׁ֒
‏Dt 33:15 וּמֵרֹ֖אשׁ הַרְרֵי־קֶ֑דֶם
‏Eze 27:22 בְּרֹ֨אשׁ כָּל־בֹּ֜שֶׂם
‏So 4:14 עִ֖ם כָּל־רָאשֵׁ֥י בְשָׂמִֽים׃ — 10. beginning (time)† — the indefinite time at which something begins or began. See also רִאשׁוֹן, רֵאשִׁית, תְּחִלָּה. Related Topic: Principles. ‏Ex 12:2 הַחֹ֧דֶשׁ הַזֶּ֛ה לָכֶ֖ם רֹ֣אשׁ חֳדָשִׁ֑ים
‏Le 3:13 וְסָמַ֤ךְ אֶת־יָדוֹ֙ עַל־רֹאשׁ֔וֹ
‏Jdg 7:19 רֹ֚אשׁ הָאַשְׁמֹ֣רֶת הַתִּֽיכוֹנָ֔ה
— 11. first ⇔ head — the first or highest in an ordering or series, conceived of as a head; sometimes with the implication of being the best. Related Topic: Head. ‏Is 2:2 בְּרֹ֣אשׁ הֶהָרִ֔ים
‏Ps 137:6 עַ֝֗ל רֹ֣אשׁ שִׂמְחָתִֽי׃ ‏Pr 8:26 וְ֝רֹ֗אשׁ עָפְר֥וֹת תֵּבֵֽל׃ ‏1 Ch 23:8 הָרֹ֧אשׁ יְחִיאֵ֛ל וְזֵתָ֥ם וְיוֹאֵ֖ל
‏1 Ch 24:21 לִבְנֵ֣י רְחַבְיָ֔הוּ הָרֹ֖אשׁ יִשִּׁיָּֽה׃ — 12. front ⇔ head — the part in the front or nearest the viewer. Related Topics: Forefront; Head. ‏Dt 20:9 בְּרֹ֥אשׁ הָעָֽם׃ ‏1 Ki 21:9 בְּרֹ֥אשׁ הָעָֽם׃ ‏Am 6:7 לָכֵ֛ן עַתָּ֥ה יִגְל֖וּ בְּרֹ֣אשׁ גֹּלִ֑ים
‏Mic 2:13 וַיהוָ֖ה בְּרֹאשָֽׁם׃ ‏2 Ch 13:12 וְהִנֵּה֩ עִמָּ֨נוּ בָרֹ֜אשׁ
— 13. sum† — the whole amount. ‏Le 5:24 וְשִׁלַּ֤ם אֹתוֹ֙ בְּרֹאשׁ֔וֹ
‏Ps 119:160 רֹאשׁ־דְּבָרְךָ֥ אֱמֶ֑ת
‏Ps 139:17 מֶ֥ה עָ֝צְמוּ רָאשֵׁיהֶֽם׃ — 14. headwater† — the source of a river. ‏Ge 2:10 וְהָיָ֖ה לְאַרְבָּעָ֥ה רָאשִֽׁים׃ — 15. lead nation ⇔ head† — a nation that is above others; perhaps with an emphasis on the person being uppermost in leadership among lesser leaders. ‏Jos 11:10 רֹ֖אשׁ כָּל־הַמַּמְלָכ֥וֹת הָאֵֽלֶּה׃ ‏Je 31:7 בְּרֹ֣אשׁ הַגּוֹיִ֑ם
‏Je 52:24|| אֶת־שְׂרָיָה֙ כֹּהֵ֣ן הָרֹ֔אשׁ
‏Eze 38:2 רֹ֖אשׁ מֶ֣שֶׁךְ וְתֻבָ֑ל
‏Eze 38:3 רֹ֖אשׁ מֶ֥שֶׁךְ וְתֻבָֽל׃ — 16. capital ⇔ head† — a capital of a country perceived as a head. Related Topic: Head. ‏Is 7:8 כִּ֣י רֹ֤אשׁ אֲרָם֙ דַּמֶּ֔שֶׂק
‏Is 7:9 וְרֹ֤אשׁ אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙ שֹׁמְר֔וֹן
— 17. end (extremity) ⇔ head† — either extremity of something that has length, conceived of as a head. Related Topic: Head. ‏2 Ch 5:9||

Brannan, R., ed. (2020). In Lexham Research Lexicon of the Hebrew Bible. Lexham Press. Note: CS: This is the Hebrew word for "head" that is translated in the Greek as kephale in the LXX.

See #14 as headwater meaning the source of a river. Also #6, beginning part, #10 as beginning

11 as first

13 as sum for the whole amount

17 as extremity or end

Clipped: January 19, 2024

LWC: רֹאשׁ ‎רֹאשׁ (Figurative Senses) • front ⇔ head — the part in the front or nearest the viewer. • capital ⇔ head — a capital of a country perceived as a head. • end (extremity) ⇔ head — either extremity of something that has length, conceived of as a head. • first ⇔ head — the first or highest in an ordering or series, conceived of as a head; sometimes with the implication of being the best. • leader ⇔ head — a person who is in charge; understood as a head which is the uppermost part of a human body. • lead nation ⇔ head — a nation that is above others; perhaps with an emphasis on the person being uppermost in leadership among lesser leaders. • person ⇔ head — a human person understood according to the common trait of human persons having heads. • top ⇔ head — the top of something conceived of as its head.

Thompson, J., ed. (2020). Lists of Words and Concepts. Faithlife. Note: CS: This is the Hebrew word for head. Notice that it can mean the first or highest in an ordering or series. Also end, top, front, person. Clipped: January 19, 2024

ALV: caput caput n.c., head. 519× Hebrew Alignments ‎רֹאשׁ 1 n., head; hair; person, individual; height, peak, upper end; beginning; topmost, outermost, best; leader, chief; value, total amount, sum: Ge 2:10; 3:15; 40:16, 19; 47:31; 48:14, 17–18; 49:26; Ex 12:9; 29:6–7, 10, 17, 19; Le 1:4, 8, 12, 15; 3:2, 8, 13; 4:4, 11, 15, 24, 29, 33; 5:8; 8:9, 12, 14, 18, 20, 22; 9:13; 10:6; 13:12, 29–30, 40, 45; 14:9 … (276×)

Hoogendyk, I., & Curtis, A., eds. (2018). In Analytical Lexicon of the Vulgate. Faithlife. Note: CS: meanigs from the Vulgate for the Hebrew word "head". Can mean upper end, beginning, total amount Clipped: January 19, 2024

HCIGloss: ראש 1 ‎ראש 1 first, beginning; head, top; chief, leader; elite troops; extremity

Heiser, M., Hardy, H. H., II, & Otte, C., III. (2007). Glossary to the Hebrew and Canaanite Inscriptions. Lexham Press. Note: CS: head in Hebrew is given the first meaning of "first". Clipped: January 19, 2024

BSV135: 1 Corinthians 11:2–16: An Interpretation Bedale has demonstrated that κεφαλή, like the Hebrew word ראשׁ which it translated in the Septuagint, has two senses: a literal meaning referring to the anatomy, and a metaphorical sense of “priority.”2 In this latter usage two ideas are present: (1) a chronological priority including the notion of “source” and “origin,” and (2) a resulting positional priority including the notion of “chief among” or “head over.” Concerning this enlarged and metaphorical use of the term Bedale reasons that “this idea of ‘authority’ would seem to be connected, not with the controlling influence of the head over the limbs [a scientific deduction anachronistic for Paul] but with the idea of priority.… A chieftain’s authority in social relationships is largely dependent upon his ‘seniority,’ or ‘priority,’ in the order of being.”3 Thus κεφαλή is a metaphorical equivalent of ἀρχή, “first,” “ruler.”

Waltke, B. K. (1978). 1 Corinthians 11:2–16: An Interpretation. Bibliotheca Sacra, 135, 48. Note: CS: Bedale lists the #1 idea of kephale as chronological priority including the notion of "source" and "origin". There is also a metaphorical equivalent of "first". Tags: 1 Corinthians 11:2–16: An Interpretation Clipped: January 19, 2024

CBTELVIXZ: Head Head is also used for what is highest, uppermost: the top, summit of a mountain (Gen. 8:5; Exod. 17:9, 10; 19:20). The mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established at the head of the mountains, and shall be higher than the hills, i.e. it shall be a prince among the mountains (Isa. 2:2). Four heads of rivers, i.e. four rivers into which the waters divide themselves (Gen. 2:10). Head stone of the corner (Psa. 118:22), either the highest, forming the top or coping of the corner; or lowest, which forms the foundation of the building. See Corner

M’Clintock, J., & Strong, J. (1891). Head. In Cyclopædia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature (Vol. 4, p. 110). Harper & Brothers, Publishers. Note: CS: Four heads of rivers is the four sources. Head stone is the first most important stone, the foundational stone Tags: Head Clipped: January 19, 2024

BrillDAG: κεφᾰλικός κεφᾰλικός -ή -όν [κεφαλή] ⓐ medic. of or for the head, cephalic Diosc.1 3.48 (v.l.), 88 Asclep.3 (Gal. 13.543) P APF 3.270 I 4 (IIICE) ⓑ relating to life, capital, of affairs, trials, punishments P PGM 12.153 P Oxy. 2104.15 (IIICE) Cod. Iust. 1.12.3.2 (Theodosius II) Iust. Nov. 85.3.1, 123.31 ⓒ individual P Cair.Masp. 151.89 (VICE) ⓓ of a knife κ. δέλτοι Gal. 2.607 dub. signf. ♦ adv. [κεφαλικῶς] ⓐ in a way suitable for the head CH 10.11 ⓑ capitally: κ. κολασθήσεσθαι to

Montanari, F. (2015). In M. Goh & C. Schroeder (Eds.), The Brill Dictionary of Ancient Greek. Brill. Note: GE says it means relating to life which is equal to the source or origin of life. Clipped: March 6, 2024

DCH: רֹאשׁ I I 599.26.133.3 n.m. head—Q רואש, Q ראוש, Q רוש; cstr. רֹאשׁ (Q רואש, Q ראוש, Q רוש); sf. רֹאשִׁי, רֹאשְׁךָ (רֹאשָֽׁךָ, Q רושכה, Q רואשכה, Q ראושכה), רֹאשֵׁךְ, רֹאשׁוֹ (Q ראושו), רֹאשָׁהּ (ראושה), רֹאשֵׁ֫נוּ, רֹאשְׁכֶם, רֹאשָׁם, רֹאשָׁן; pl. רָאשִׁים (Q רשים); cstr. רָאשֵׁי (Q רואשי, Q ראושי, רשי); sf. רָאשָׁיו (רֹאשָׁיו), רָאשֶׁ֫יהָ, רָאשֵׁ֫ינוּ, רָאשֵׁיכֶם, רָאשֵׁיהֶם (Q ראשיהמה), רָאשֵׁיהֶן. 1. head, sometimes perh. hair of head, p. 366a a. of human being, p. 366b b. of animal, p. 366b c. of Y., p. 366b d. of image, p. 366b e. of gates, as personified, p. 366b f. in contrast to tail, p. 366b 2a. head, top, summit, p. 369b 2b. topmost (one), highest (one), p. 369b 2c. end, tip, p. 369b 3a. head (person), chief, leader, p. 370b 3b. chief (angelic being), p. 373b 3c. chief (nation), chief (city), p. 374a 3d. chief (one), choicest (one), p. 374a 3e. head (place, position), chief (place, position), p. 374b 4. of place, a. front one, p. 375a b. head, beginning of conduit, headwater, branch of river, p. 375a 5. of time, a. beginning, (time) of old, p. 375a b. first (one), p. 376a 6. sum, full amount, total number, value, p. 376a 7. company, band, column (of troops), p. 376a

Clines, D. J. A., ed. (1993–2011). In The Dictionary of Classical Hebrew (Vol. 7, pp. 365–366). Sheffield Academic Press; Sheffield Phoenix Press. Note: Clines, David J. A., ed. The Dictionary of Classical Hebrew. Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press; Sheffield Phoenix Press, 1993–2011. Clipped: June 16, 2025

Our Reasonable Faith: Chapter XII: The Origin, Essence, and Purpose of Man The woman is not merely created alongside of him but out of him (1 Cor. 11:8). Just as the stuff for making Adam’s body was taken from the earth, so the side of Adam is the basis of the life of Eve.

Bavinck, H. (2016). Our Reasonable Faith (H. Zylstra, Trans.; p. 171). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. Clipped: July 5, 2025

HIBD: Head The word “head” often has the meaning of “source” or “beginning,” that of rivers (Gen. 2:10), streets (Ezek. 16:25), or of periods of time (Judg. 7:19, translated here as “beginning”). In Ps. 118:22 “head of the corner” (KJV; HCSB, cornerstone) refers metaphorically to a king delivered by God when others had given him up (cp. Matt. 21:42; Acts 4

Gautsch, D. R. (2003). Head. In C. Brand, C. Draper, A. England, S. Bond, E. R. Clendenen, & T. C. Butler (Eds.), Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (p. 728). Holman Bible Publishers. Tags: Head Clipped: July 25, 2025

TJV11: The Meaning of Κεφαλή (“Head”): A Response to Recent Studies* On the other hand, the evidence for the meaning “source” is far weaker, and it is fair to say that the meaning has not yet been established. There are some texts which indicate that the physical head was thought of as the source of energy or life for the body, and therefore the possibility exists that the word κεφαλή might have come to be used as a metaphor for “source” or “source of life.” There are two texts in Philo and one in the Orphic Fragments where such a meaning is possible, but it is not certain, and the meaning “leader, ruler” would fit these texts as well

(1990). Trinity Journal, 11. Note: CS: Here in the Trinity Journal, Wayne Grudem admits that it is "possible" that head can be a metahor for source.Grudem says it is a "weak" meaning The Meaning Of Κεφαλή (“Head”): 
A Response To Recent Studies
* Wayne Grudem

Grudem, W. (1990). The Meaning of Κεφαλή (“Head”): A Response to Recent Studies. Trinity Journal, 11(1), 2.

Tags: The Meaning of Κεφαλή (“Head”): A Response to Recent Studies Clipped: July 25, 2025

TJV11: The Meaning of Κεφαλή (“Head”): A Response to Recent Studies* There are still no unambiguous examples before or during the time of the NT in which κεφαλή has the metaphorical sense “source,” and no lexicon specializing in the NT period lists such a meaning, nor does the TrinJ 11:1 (Spring 1990) p. 72 Liddell and Scott lexicon list such a meaning as applied to persons or as applied to things that are not also the endpoint of something else. In fact, we may well ask those who advocate the meaning “source” an important question: Where is even one clear example of κεφαλή used of a person to mean “source” in all of Greek literature before or during the time of the New Testament? Is there even one example that is unambiguous? Moreover, even if the meaning “source” or (as Cervin and Lie-feld propose) “prominent part” were adopted for some examples of the word κεφαλή, we would still have no examples of “source” or “prominent part” without the additional nuance of authority or rule. Even in the texts where “source” or “prominent part” is alleged as the correct meaning, the person who is called “head” is always a person in leadership or authority. Therefore there is no linguistic basis for proposing that the NT texts which speak of Christ as the head of the church or the husband as the head of the wife can rightly be read apart from the attribution of authority to the one designated as “head.”

(1990). Trinity Journal, 11. Note: CS: This is how Grudem tries to get around it. He cannot say that it isn't there, but he defines it out of existence. He does not take into consideration that Paul has a habit of using words in a way that no one else uses them because Paul is so brilliant he has his own way of bringing a point out. Tags: The Meaning of Κεφαλή (“Head”): A Response to Recent Studies Clipped: July 25, 2025

NT343: Using the Louw-Nida Lexicon and Numbers to Study Kephalē Using the Louw-Nida Lexicon and Numbers to Study Kephalē Next let’s open three resources in the tile next to the Bible. First, search your library for the Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains by Louw and Nida, and open it. Next, search for An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon, and open it to the same tile. Finally, search for the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, and open it to the same tile. Now, let’s create a Link set between these three resources. Open the resource menu of the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, and set this resource to “Link set: A.” Let’s repeat this process for Louw-Nida’s lexicon and An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon. Now we can search all three resources at once. Click on “head” in Eph 5:23 to open the context menu. Choose its lemma from the right (κεφαλή), and then on the left from your prioritized resources choose one that is in the Link set. The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament has jumped to the entry kephalē and so has the Louw-Nida lexicon. The two options for translating kephalē that the Louw-Nida gives us are “head” and “superior.” Dr. Cohick said that scholars try to interpret kephalē as “authority,” which would correspond to “superior” in Eph 5:23. Logos allows us to search the entire nt for each of these two senses separately. To search for where kephalē is used in the sense of “head,” we’ll use a Louw-Nida number. Open a Search panel, and select “Bible.” Next, set the parameters to the nt in our preferred Bible. Now type “” into the Reference box and press Enter. We have 57 results. We can add the other sense of kephalē, “superior,” to this search by adding “OR ” after what we already have in the Reference box ( OR ). Press Enter. Now we have 65 results—eight more than before. Logos has color-coded the results. The original search for the sense of “head” are in the light orange, and the results for “superior” are in blue. We can see that kephalē, for “head,” occurs many more times than it does for any other sense, just as Dr. Cohick said it would. Ephesians 5:23 is in blue, and so is tagged by the Louw-Nida to mean “superior” or “authority,” just as Dr. Cohick said many scholars would interpret it. But this is why we are using three resources. The Louw-Nida resource is an analysis of the nt. However, Paul’s vocabulary was informed by the wider Greek world and its literature. To see how kephalē was used in the wider Greek world we can take a quick look at An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon.

Cohick, L. H. (2015). NT343 Book Study: Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. Lexham Press. Note: CS This is from NT343 from Lynn Cohick's video on Paul's letter to the Ephesians where she teaches people how to research on the meaning of kephale. I have this video, although I have not yet watched it. It comes with the book which I think just records her words. Clipped: July 25, 2025

PPV32: Kephalē as Fountainhead in 1 Corinthians 11:3 Kephalē as Fountainhead in 1 Corinthians 11:3 Haley Gabrielle From the 1950s to the present, there have been three major scholarly positions on the metaphorical meaning of Paul’s use of kephalē (“head”): “leader,” “source,” and “preeminence.” Over the years, scholarly consensus has shifted from the traditional meaning “leader,”1 to “source” in the 1980s and 1990s,2 and most recently to “preeminence” around the turn of the century.3 This article analyzes major studies by prominent representatives of each view, namely, Wayne Grudem, Stephen Bedale, and Richard Cervin. The argumentation in these publications is considered in order to come to a conclusion on the most common meaning of kephalē, and then the most appropriate meaning in the specific context of 1 Cor 11:3 is evaluated. It is then concluded that of these proposed meanings, “source” is both the most common and the most appropriate to this passage. Finally, the English translation “fountainhead” is affirmed as the most suitable term for communicating the meaning “source” in 1 Cor 11:3.

Gabrielle, H. (2018). Kephalē as Fountainhead in 1 Corinthians 11:3. Priscilla Papers, 32(3), 21. Tags: Kephalē as Fountainhead in 1 Corinthians 11:3 Clipped: July 25, 2025

NT343: A Metaphorical Meaning? Does kephalē, in a metaphorical way, mean leader? Well, if it does, then it does so in very, very few places. It’s not a natural metaphor for leader like it is in English. There are others who argue that kephalē means “source”—like we would say, “The headwaters of a river” meaning where it starts, and contrast that with the mouth of the river, where it empties into the sea. A Representative of the Whole A third option may be our best option. That would mean that Paul is referring to kephalē here as the prominent one, a synecdoche for the whole. Here, Paul would be using head to reference the whole family. “The head of the wife is the husband” would then mean that when one looks at the family, one sees, as standing for the whole family, sees the husband. When Paul talks about head, he’s obviously meaning it in a metaphorical sense. So we have to understand a little bit about what a metaphor is for us to make a good decision on how to interpret the head of the wife as her husband.

Cohick, L. H. (2015). NT343 Book Study: Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. Lexham Press. Note: CS Here Cohick is arguing that the head is a representative of the whole. Clipped: July 25, 2025

TJV11: The Meaning of Κεφαλή (“Head”): A Response to Recent Studies* 5. Astronomy, “head of the world” This outline indicates that the definition “source” (II.d.) was never intended by Liddell-Scott to be taken as a general definition applied to all sorts of “sources.” They were simply indicating that the general category “Of things, extremity” was illustrated by the fact that both the beginning point and end point (the source and the mouth) of a river could be referred to with the term κεφαλή.12 TrinJ 11:1 (Spring 1990) p. 16 Neither Cervin nor Liddell-Scott give any citations where κεφαλή is applied to a person and clearly means “source.”

(1990). Trinity Journal, 11. Note: CS: They apparently missed Paul who was clearly talking about origin or source in 1 Corinthians 11 Tags: The Meaning of Κεφαλή (“Head”): A Response to Recent Studies Clipped: July 25, 2025

TJV10: Does Κεφαλή Mean “Source” Or “Authority Over” In Greek Literature? A Rebuttal Payne also cites six occurrences of κεφαλή meaning “source” from Artemidorus Daldianus (2nd c. A.D.), whose Onirocriticon13 is a collection of dreams and their interpretations. In Book 1 of his collection, Daldianus sets up a system for the interpretation of dreams whereby parts of the human body represent members of the household: the head represents the father; the feet represent the slaves; the right hand represents a male member while the left hand represents a female member; and so forth (Onirocriticon 1.2). Daldi-anus uses this system throughout his book. Several of the passages cited by Payne do not warrant the interpretation of “source,” however. The passages cited by Payne (with more context than he gives), are as follows: 1.2 (in Pack’s text: p. 7, 1.20 - p. 8, 1.1): καὶ πάλιν ἔδοξέ τις τετραχηλοκοπῆσθαι συνέβη καὶ τούτου τὸν πατέρα ἁποθανεῖ, ὅς καὶ τοῦ ζῆν καὶ τοῦ φωτὸς αἴτιος ἧν ὥσπερ καὶ ἡ κεφαλὴ τοῦ παντὸς σώματος. οἷον δέ ἐστι καὶ τὸ τετυφλῶσαθαι τέκνοις ὄλεθρον καὶ οὐχὶ τῷ ἰδόντι σημαῖνον καὶ πολλὰ ἄλλα ὅσα τοιαῦτα εἴπου τις ἄν. TrinJ 10:1 (Spring 1989) p. 93 And again, someone thought that he had been decapitated. It turned out that this man’s father had died, who [the father] was the source of both life and light, just as the head is [the source] of the entire body. For example, to be blind is destructive for children, and not just for the one who sees a vision [lit. sign], but [who sees] many other things which one would speak of.

(1989). Trinity Journal, 10. Note: CS: my highlights Tags: Does Κεφαλή Mean “Source” or “Authority Over” in Greek Literature? A Rebuttal Clipped: July 25, 2025

NIGTC 1Co: κεφαλή and Its Multiple Meanings Similarly, Dawes concludes that the precise force of the metaphor must be contextually determined: in Eph 5:22–24 it can have no other meaning than “authority over,” but this depends on context rather than on lexicography. The problem about translating κεφαλή as head in 1 Cor 11:3 remains that, as R. Cervin notes, in English-speaking contexts “the head” almost always implies leadership and authority, as in headmaster, Head of School, Head of Department, head steward.80 As we noted earlier, Perriman convincingly urges that the equivalent assumption in first-century hellenistic contexts would be to construe the metaphorical force of head not as authoritative leader in charge, but as one who is “prominent, foremost, uppermost, preeminent.”81

Thiselton, A. C. (2000). The First Epistle to the Corinthians: a commentary on the Greek text (p. 817). W.B. Eerdmans. Note: CS: The highlight here is in the original. Tags: 1 Co 11:3 Clipped: July 25, 2025

AnLexHeb: רֵאשׁ Aram. rēʾš, n.c., head; beginning. 14× Root: ראש 3 Bible Senses head n., the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains: Da 2:32, 38; 3:27; 7:6, 9, 20 (6×) mind ⇔ head n., a person’s mind perceived in terms of the head: Da 2:28; 4:2, 7, 10; 7:1, 15 (6×) beginning part n., the first part or section of something: Da 7:1 (1×) leadership ⇔ head n., the body of people who lead a group, perceived as a head: Ezr 5:10 (1×) Greek Alignments κεφαλή n., head of man or beast; head: Da 2:32, 38; 7:1, 6, 9, 20 (6×) ἄρχων n., ruler; commander: Ezr 5:10 (1×) κεφάλαιος n., head: Da 7:1 (1×) Inflections ‎רֵאשׁ

NC-SC (1)

‎רֵאשׁ

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‎רֵאשִׁי

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NCMPC (1)

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NCMPA (1)

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NC-SC (1)

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‎רֹאשׁ 1 rōʾš 1, n.c., head; hair; person, individual; height, peak, upper end; beginning; topmost, outermost, best; leader, chief; value, total amount, sum. 600× Root: רֹאשׁ 1. Cognates: מְרַאֲשׁוֹת; מָרֵשָׁה 1; מָרֵשָׁה 2; רִאשָׁה; רֹאשָׁה … Bible Senses head n., the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains: Ge 3:15; 40:13, 16–17, 19–20; 48:14, 17–18; 49:26; Ex 12:9; 29:6–7, 10, 15, 17, 19; 30:12; Le 1:4, 8, 12, 15; 3:2, 8; 4:4, 11, 15, 24, 29, 33; 5:8; 8:9, 12, 14, 18, 20, 22; 9:13; 10:6; 13:12, 29–30, 40–41, 44–45; 14:9, 18, 29; 16:21; 19:27; 21:5, 10; 24:14; Nu 1:2; 4:2; 5:18; 6:5, 9, 11, 18; 8:12; 26:2; 31:49; Dt 21:12; 28:23; 32:42; 33:16; Jos 2:19; 7:6; Jdg 5:26, 30; 7:25; 8:28; 9:53, 57; 13:5 … (246×) leader ⇔ head n., a person who is in charge; understood as a head which is the uppermost part of a human body: Ex 6:14, 25; 18:25; Nu 1:4, 16; 7:2; 10:4; 13:3; 14:4; 17:18; 25:4, 15; 30:2; 31:26; 32:28; 36:1; Dt 1:13, 15; 5:23; 28:13, 44; 29:9; 33:5, 21; Jos 14:1; 19:51; 21:1; 22:14, 21, 30; 23:2; 24:1; Jdg 10:18; 11:8–9, 11; 1 Sa 15:17; 2 Sa 22:44; 23:8, 13, 18; 1 Ki 8:1; Is 7:8–9; 9:13–14; 19:15; Je 13:21; Eze 39:1; Ho 2:2; Mic 3:1, 9, 11; Hab 3:13; Ps 18:44; 110:6; Job 12:24; 29:25; La 1:5; Ezr 1:5; 2:68; 3:12; 4:2–3; 7:5, 28–8:1, 16–17; 10:16; Ne 7:69–70; 8:13; 9:17; 10:15; 11:3, 13 … (160×) top ⇔ head n., the top of something conceived of as its head: Ge 8:5; 11:4; 28:12, 18; 47:31; Ex 17:9–10; 19:20; 24:17; 26:24; 28:32; 34:2; 36:29, 38; 38:17, 19, 28; Nu 14:40, 44; 20:28; 21:20; 23:9, 14, 28; Dt 3:27; 34:1; Jos 15:8–9; Jdg 6:26; 9:7, 25, 36; 16:3; 1 Sa 26:13; 2 Sa 2:25; 5:24; 15:32; 16:1; 1 Ki 7:16–19, 22, 35, 41; 8:8; 10:19; 18:42; 2 Ki 1:9; Is 17:6; 28:1, 4; 30:17; 42:11; Je 22:6; Eze 6:13; 16:25, 31; 17:4, 22; 43:12; Ho 4:13; Joe 2:5; Am 1:2; 9:3; Mic 4:1; Zec 4:2; Ps 72:16; 118:22; Job 22:12; 24:24; Pr 8:2; 23:34; So 4:8; Es 5:2; 1 Ch 14:15; 2 Ch 3:15–16; 4:12; 25:12 (88×) person ⇔ head n., a human person understood according to the common trait of human persons having heads: Nu 1:49; 4:22; 5:7; 6:7; 31:26; 1 Sa 25:39; 28:2; 2 Sa 1:16; 3:29; 1 Ki 2:32–33, 37, 44; 8:32; 2 Ki 2:3, 5; Is 35:10; 51:11; Eze 9:10; 11:21; 16:43; 17:19; 22:31; 33:4; Joe 4:4, 7; Am 2:7; Ps 7:17; Pr 10:6; 11:26; 25:22; Ne 3:36; 1 Ch 12:20; 2 Ch 6:23 (35×) beginning part n., the first part or section of something: Nu 10:10; Is 40:21; 41:4, 26; 48:16; 51:20; Eze 21:24, 26; 40:1; 42:12; Na 3:10; Pr 1:21; 8:23; La 2:19; 4:1 (16×) division (military) n., an army unit large enough to sustain combat: Jdg 7:16, 20; 9:34, 37, 43–44; 1 Sa 11:11; 13:17–18; Job 1:17; 1 Ch 12:24 (14×) first ⇔ head n., the first or highest in an ordering or series, conceived of as a head; sometimes with the implication of being the best: Is 2:2; Ps 137:6; Pr 8:26; 1 Ch 23:8, 11, 19–20, 24; 24:21; 26:10 (11×) front ⇔ head n., the part in the front or nearest the viewer: Dt 20:9; 1 Sa 9:22; 1 Ki 21:9, 12; Am 6:7; Mic 2:13; 2 Ch 13:12; 20:27 (8×) to take a census⇔ lift the head v., to take a census, conceived of as lifting or numbering the heads of the people: Ex 30:12; Nu 1:2; 4:2, 22; 26:2; 31:49 (6×) lead nation ⇔ head n., a nation that is above others; perhaps with an emphasis on the person being uppermost in leadership among lesser leaders: Jos 11:10; Je 31:7; 52:24; Eze 38:2–3 (5×) choice thing n., a thing that is the best among other things to choose from: Ex 30:23; Dt 33:15; Eze 27:22; So 4:14 (4×) beginning (time) n., the indefinite time at which something begins or began: Ex 12:2; Le 3:13; Jdg 7:19 (3×) sum n., the whole amount: Le 5:24; Ps 119:160; 139:17 (3×) beginning (event) n., the event consisting of the start of something: Nu 28:11; Ec 3:11 (2×) capital ⇔ head n., a capital of a country perceived as a head: Is 7:8–9 (2×) helmet n., a protective headgear made of hard material to resist blows: Ps 60:9; 108:9 (2×) hair (collective) n., a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth hair (as on the human head): 2 Sa 14:26 (1×) headwater n., the source of a river: Ge 2:10 (1×) end (extremity) ⇔ head n., either extremity of something that has length, conceived of as a head: 2 Ch 5:9 (1×) Greek Alignments κεφαλή n., head of man or beast; head: Ge 3:15; 8:5; 11:4; 28:12; 40:16–17, 19; 48:14, 17–18; 49:26; Ex 12:9; 26:24; 29:6–7, 10, 15, 17, 19; Le 1:4, 8, 12, 15; 3:2, 8, 13; 4:4, 11, 15, 24, 29, 33; 5:8; 8:9, 12, 14, 18, 20, 22; 9:13; 10:6; 13:12, 29–30, 40–41, 44–45; 14:9, 18, 29; 16:21; 19:27; 21:5, 10; 24:14; Nu 5:18; 6:5, 7, 9, 11, 18; 8:12; Dt 21:12; 28:13, 23, 44; 32:42; 33:16; Jos 7:6; Jdg 5:26, 30; 7:25; 8:28; 9:25, 53 … (277×) ἄρχων n., ruler; commander: Nu 1:4; 25:15; 30:2; 31:26; 32:28; 36:1; Dt 33:5; Jos 14:1; 19:51; 22:14; 23:2; Jdg 10:18; 11:8–9; 2 Sa 23:8, 18; Is 29:10; Ps 24:7, 9; Job 12:24; 29:25; Ezr 1:5; 2:68; 3:12; 4:2–3; 7:28–8:1, 17; 10:16; Ne 8:13; 10:15; 11:3, 13; 12:7, 12, 22–24; 1 Ch 4:42; 5:7, 15, 24; 7:2–3, 7, 9, 11, 40; 8:6, 10, 13, 28; 9:9, 13, 17, 33–34; 11:6, 10, 15, 20, 42; 12:3, 10, 15, 19, 24; 15:12; 23:8–9, 11, 16–20, 24; 24:4, 6, 21, 31 … (104×) ἀρχή n., beginning; power; office: Ge 2:10; 40:13, 20; Ex 6:25; 12:2; Nu 1:2; 4:22; 26:2; Jdg 7:16, 19–20; 9:34, 37, 43–44; 1 Sa 11:11; 13:17–18; 1 Ki 21:9; Is 9:14; 40:21; 41:4, 26; 48:16; Je 13:21; 22:6; Eze 10:11; 16:25, 31; 21:24, 26; 42:12; Ho 2:2; Am 6:7; Mic 3:1; Na 3:10; Ps 119:160; 137:6; 139:17; Pr 8:23; So 4:8; Ec 3:11; La 2:19; 4:1; Ne 9:17; 1 Ch 16:7; 26:10; 2 Ch 13:12 (52×) κορυφή n., head; top: Ex 17:9–10; 19:20; 24:17; Nu 14:40, 44; 20:28; 21:20; 23:9, 14, 28; Dt 3:27; 33:15; 34:1; Jos 15:8–9; Jdg 6:26; 9:7; 16:3; 1 Sa 26:13; 2 Ki 1:9; Is 28:1; Eze 8:3; 17:22; 43:12; Ho 4:13; Joe 2:5; Am 1:2; 9:3; Mic 4:1; Pr 1:9 (32×) ἄκρος n., top; at the furthest point; toe: Ge 28:18; 47:31; Ex 34:2; Is 2:2; 17:6; 28:4; 42:11; 51:20; Eze 17:4; Ps 72:16; Pr 1:21; 8:26; 1 Ch 14:15; 2 Ch 25:12 (15×) ἄκρον n., top; at the furthest point; toe: Ge 28:18; 47:31; Ex 34:2; Is 2:2; 17:6; 28:4; 42:11; 51:20; Eze 17:4; Ps 72:16; Pr 1:21; 8:26; 1 Ch 14:15; 2 Ch 25:12 (15×) ἀρχηγός n., beginning; ruler; head; chief: Ex 6:14; Nu 10:4; 13:3; 14:4; 25:4; Dt 33:21; Jdg 9:44; La 2:10; Ne 7:69–70; 1 Ch 5:24; 12:21 (12×) ἡγέομαι v., go before; lead the way; lead: Dt 1:13, 15; 5:23; 1 Sa 15:17; Mic 2:13; 3:9, 11; 1 Ch 16:5; 2 Ch 19:11; 20:27 (10×)

(2017). In The Lexham Analytical Lexicon of the Hebrew Bible. Lexham Press. Clipped: July 26, 2025

HNT:SI: 5. Ascertaining the Sense of κεφαλή (kephalē, “Head”) in 1 Cor 11:3 Fitzmyer argues that we should admit that κεφαλή occasionally (albeit much more rarely) meant “source” (though not in 1 Cor 11:3), but this is not recognized by the lexicons,47 and we should consider it linguistically unsound.

Turner, M. (2010). Modern Linguistics and Word Study in the New Testament. In J. B. Green (Ed.), Hearing the New Testament: Strategies for Interpretation (Second Edition, p. 210). William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. Note: CS This is an interpretative thought although he admits that head can mean source. Tags: Modern Linguistics and Word Study in the New Testament Clipped: July 26, 2025

HSB:GRH: The Evidence Cited for This Egalitarian Claim THE EVIDENCE CITED FOR THIS EGALITARIAN CLAIM We turn now to the lines of evidence used to support this claim. For the first of these we may again return to Bedale’s appeal to the occasional use of kephale in the LXX to translate the Hebrew word for “head,” ro’sh. The Hebrew word, he says, not only means the literal head, but also bears the connotation of “first” or “beginning” or “source” of something. In this latter sense it sometimes refers to a chief or the head of a family, since such a one usually has seniority or priority. Now, when it does mean “first” or “beginning,” ro’sh is often translated in the LXX with the Greek word arche, which has a similar meaning. But occasionally it is translated with kephale. The result is that in the biblical context the meaning of kephale tended to drift toward arche, so that the former also took on the meaning of “beginning” or “source.” Thus Bedale posits “a virtual equation of kephale with arche,” which must have influenced the way Paul used kephale in 1 Corinthians 11 and Ephesians 5 (212–215). The second line of evidence for the meaning of “source” for kephale is the testimony of the Greek lexicons. Especially emphasized is the entry in LS-GEL: “in pl., source of a river … generally, source, origin” (945). This lexicon lists only two examples of these uses from Greek literature, neither later than the fifth century BC; but these are prized like trophies among egalitarians. The example for “source of a river” is Herodotus 4.91, which speaks about the “heads” (plural) of the Tearus River, i.e., the springs from which it begins to flow.5 The general example is Orphic Fragments 21a, which speaks of Zeus thus: “Zeus the head [kephale], Zeus the middle, Zeus from whom all things are perfected.” Egalitarians insist that Liddell and Scott have appropriately cited this as a case where kephale means “source.”6 Although LS-GEL is usually the only Greek-English lexicon cited to show that kephale sometimes meant “source” in ancient literature, Kroeger cites a 1577 Greek-Latin dictionary which lists origo as a possible meaning. She lists some other similar dictionaries (e.g., Greek-German, Greek-Italian) and implies that they also give lexical entries equivalent to “source” (“Concept,” 267–268).

Cottrell, J. (2008). Headship, Submission and the Bible: Gender Roles in the Home (pp. 133–134). College Press Publishing Co. Clipped: July 26, 2025

ChMag 11:5: “Kephalé”: Head or Source? In his work, The Meaning Of Kephalé (Recovering Biblical Manhood And Womanhood), John Piper & Wayne Grudem, Ed., Wheaton, IL, Crossway Books, 1991), Wayne Grudem says, “The evidence to support the claim that kephalé can mean “source” is surprisingly weak and, in fact, unpersuasive” (p. 425). Grudem’s statement is made after he examined 2,336 instances of the word in Greek literature. Grudem found only two places where kephalé is translated “source.” One was in the work of Herodotus (4.91) where the word is used to describe the head or source of a river. The other was from the Orphic Fragments in which Zeus is referred to as “head” of all things, but the context makes it impossible to ascertain whether “the first one” or “source” is meant. Both these examples were nearly 400 years removed from the New Testament.

Bowman, D., & Henry, G., eds. (1994). “Kephalé”: Head or Source? Christianity Magazine, 11(5), 16. Tags: “Kephalé”: Head or Source? Clipped: July 26, 2025

SBE:12LOPGS: Hebrew Word Ro’sh (Head) and Greek Word Kephale (Head) HEBREW WORD RO’SH (HEAD) AND GREEK WORD KEPHALE (HEAD) The Hebrew word ro’sh (meaning “head”) occurs approximately 600 times in the Old Testament. Usually it means the physical head of a person or animal. However, in about 180 times, the word ro’sh means chief man, chief city, chief nation, and chief priest, i.e., leader of a group. In these instances, the Hebrew ro’sh (head) is used metaphorically in a way similar to the way we use the English word “head” to mean a leader or someone in authority. Basically, head means extremity. The Greek word for “head,” kephale did not have this meaning, however. Liddell, Scott, Jones, McKenzie, (the most complete Greek-English lexicon on the market) lists approximately 25 meanings of kephale. The most common ones are: A. Physical head of a person’s body—one extremity; feet are the other extremity. B. Metaphorical meaning of “head” with things or persons. Here we find: 1. Top or brim of a vessel. 2. Coping of a wall. 3. Capital of a column. 4. Source of a river. 5. Mouth of a river. 6. Source, origin, or starting point. 7. Apex (anatomy, heart.) 8. Base (anatomy, heart.) 9. Top or crown of anything. 10. Completion or consummation of something. 11. Noblest part (paraphrases for the whole person.) 12. Military band of men; right hand of a phalanx.1 Note: There are no common meanings that imply authority over, superior rank, chief, leader, etc. The closest meaning would be “top or crown.” The figurative meanings of top, brim, capital, source, origin, extremity, crown, or completion are possible meanings of “head” in the New Testament.

Mickelsen, B., & Mickelsen, A. (2007). Studies on Biblical Equality: 12 Lesson Outlines for Personal or Group Study (pp. 30–31). Christians for Biblical Equality. Clipped: July 26, 2025

SBE:12LOPGS: Hebrew Word Ro’sh (Head) and Greek Word Kephale (Head) Between 250 and 150 B.C. a group of Hebrew-Greek scholars translated the Old Testament into Greek. (It was the first translation of any book from one language to another!) How did they translate the Hebrew word ro’sh (head) when it meant chief or leader? If the Greek word kephale (head) had been commonly known to have that meaning, translators would surely have used it. It would have been the simplest. But these skilled translators seemed to take pains to use other words instead of kephale when possible. They used 14 different Greek words to translate the Hebrew ro’sh (head) the 180 times when it meant leader or chief. (They always used kephale when it meant physical head.) A. Here are the Greek words the Septuagint used when the Hebrew ro’sh (head) meant leader or chief. 1. archon meaning ruler, commander, leader? 109 times. 2. archegos captain, leader, chief, prince? 10 times. 3. arche es, he authority, magistrate, officer? 9 times. 4. hegeomai to be a leader, rule, have dominion? 9 times. 5. protos, e, on first, foremost? 6 times. 6. patriarches, ou ho father or chief of a race, patriarch? 3 times. 7. chiliarches commander? 3 times. 8. archiphules, ho chief of a tribe? 2 times. 9. archipatriotes head of a family? 1 time. 10. archo, verb rule, be ruler of? 1 time. 11. megs, megale, mega great, mighty, important? 1 time. 12. proegeomai take the lead, go first, lead the way? 1 time. 13. prototokos first born or first in rank? 1 time. 14. kephale where head can mean top or crown? 7 times. 15. kephale in head-tail metaphor? 4 times. 16. kephale where various manuscripts have different readings? 6 times. Why was kephale used so few times when it would have been the “natural” word to use if the Greek term was commonly known to mean leader or chief? A. Translators recognized that kephale did not normally mean in Greek “leader” or “authority over” so they used other Greek words that clearly expressed that idea. B. In the seven times (out of 180) where they did use kephale, the context permitted the Greek meaning of “top or crown” to convey the leader idea.2 Since the Septuagint translators recognized that the Greek word kephale did not carry the Hebrew meaning of leader, authority, or superior rank, we must be sure that we do not read our similar English meaning of head into the term.

Mickelsen, B., & Mickelsen, A. (2007). Studies on Biblical Equality: 12 Lesson Outlines for Personal or Group Study (pp. 31–32). Christians for Biblical Equality. Clipped: July 26, 2025

SBE:12LOPGS: Metaphorical Meanings of Kephale in the NT and Their Significance for Christology, Church, Marriage METAPHORICAL MEANINGS OF KEPHALE IN THE NT AND THEIR SIGNIFICANCE FOR CHRISTOLOGY, CHURCH, MARRIAGE Root Meaning of kephale (Head) = “Extremity” Literal meaning of the word kephale (head) is the physical “head” which is one extremity of the body while “feet” are the other extremity. To follow are metaphorical meanings of kephale found in the New Testament. I. Exalted Originator and Completer—Col. 1:18 (see 1:14–20) Context

Origin …

• “beginning,” “first cause” (Col. 1:18) • “in Him,” “through Him,” (Col. 1:16–17) • “through him to reconcile all things to himself,” (Col. 1:19, 20)

II. Source of Life—Col. 2:19 (see 2:16–19); Eph. 4:15 (see 4:11–16) Context • “from whom” (Col. 2:19) • Preposition + relative pronoun Puts whole emphasis on source. /nourished and knit together /grows (Col. 2:19) /joined & knit together makes /bodily growth (Eph. 4:16)

III. Source, Base or Derivation—1 Cor. 11:3 (see 1 Cor. 11:2–16) Context “not from woman … but from man (11:8) “from man … from God (11:12) Christ

man

God

man

woman (shares very being of man)

Christ (shares very being of God)

IV. Top, crown. Col. 2:10 (see 2:6–15); Eph. 1:22 (see 1:13–23) A. Context—Colossians 1. As you have received Christ Jesus to be Lord, live, conduct yourself in him. (2:6) 2. Top, crown (or extremity) of all rule and authority. (2:10) 3. Having disarmed the rulers and authorities. (2:15) B. Context—Ephesians 1. He sat him (Christ) at his right hand in the heavenlies. 2. Above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named. (1:21) 3. Has put all under his feet. (1:22) 4. And He (God) gave Him (Christ) as head over all things to the church. (1:22)

V. One who brings to completion (enabler) A. Context 1. Christ’s action toward church; husbands’ action to wives. 2. Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. (5:25) 3. “that he might present the church without spot or wrinkle … holy and without blemish.” (5:27) 4. “in this manner husbands ought to love their wives.” (5:28)

Mickelsen, B., & Mickelsen, A. (2007). Studies on Biblical Equality: 12 Lesson Outlines for Personal or Group Study (pp. 33–34). Christians for Biblical Equality. Clipped: July 26, 2025

SBE:12LOPGS: Meanings of Kephale (Head) When Used Metaphorically by Paul MEANINGS OF KEPHALE (HEAD) WHEN USED METAPHORICALLY BY PAUL I. Col. 1:18 (context 1:13–20) Head = Exalted Originator and Completer Context: Who is the Christ in whom we have redemption? Meaning of “head” in this passage: 1:18: He is the “head” [originator and completer] of the body, the church. Support in context for this meaning: 1:18: Christ is the beginning or first cause; 1:20: God reconciles all things to himself through Christ. II. Col. 2:19 (context 2:16–19) Head = Source of Life Context: Warning about various heretical teachings. Meaning of “head” here: “Not holding fast to the ‘head’ [source of life] from whom …” Support in context for this meaning: 2:19 prepositional phrase “from whom.” Christ is the source of life from whom all the body grows. III. 1 Cor. 11:3 (context 11:2–16) Head = Source as Base Context: Hairstyle and hair covering when praying or prophesying in a public gathering. Meaning of “head” here: “… the ‘head’ [source] of every man … ‘head’ [source] of woman … ‘head’ [source] of Christ …” Support in context for this meaning: 1 Cor. 11:8, 12 “Because man is not from the woman but woman from the man, so also the man is through the woman; indeed all things are from God.” IV. Col. 2:10 (context 2:8–15) Head = Source of Life and Top or Crown Context: Warning against philosophy and human tradition. Meaning of “head” here: “… who is the ‘head’ [top, crown] of all rule and authority.” Support in context for this meaning: vs. 10: Believers have been made complete in their relationship with Christ. Vs. 11–14: Christ defeated evil, demonic powers on the cross; disarmed and exposed them; he triumphed over them. V. Eph. 1:22 (context 1:14–23) Head = Top or Crown Context: A prayer of Paul for his readers. Meaning of “head” here: “And He [God] gave him [Christ] to the church as the ‘head’ [top or crown] over all things.” Support in context for this meaning: vs. 20–22: Christ is at God’s right hand, above all beings, all things under his feet, he is over all things. VI. Eph. 4:15 (context 4:11–16) Head = Source of Life Context: Gifts or gifted people are to build up the body of Christ. Meaning of “head” here: “Let us grow up into him in every way who is ‘head’ [source of life]. Christ, from whom … the whole body … makes bodily growth and upbuilds itself in love.” Support in context for this meaning: vs. 16, prepositional phrase from whom growth comes. VII. Eph. 5:23 (context 5:18–23) Head = One who brings to completion Context: What it means to be filled with the Spirit; instructions to husbands. Meaning of “head” here: “… husband is ‘head’ [enabler] of the wife as Christ is the ‘head’ [enabler] of the church.” Support in context for this meaning: vs. 25–26: Christ loved the church, and gave himself up for her, that he might consecrate her, present her … glorious … in this same manner husbands ought to love their wives …”

Mickelsen, B., & Mickelsen, A. (2007). Studies on Biblical Equality: 12 Lesson Outlines for Personal or Group Study (pp. 35–36). Christians for Biblical Equality. Clipped: July 26, 2025

MWC:FLBT: Paul’s kephalē metaphor The use of ‘head’ to mean the person in charge was unknown in classical Greek. But Paul would have been aware of such a metaphor in Hebrew, from his reading of the Old Testament. After Paul’s time this metaphor gained wider currency in Greek, partly as a result of the way that commentators living in patriarchal cultures interpreted Paul’s writings. However, when Paul wrote to the Ephesians, ‘head’ as chief or ruler was not a standardized or widely used metaphor in the Greek language. As far as studies show, it had only started to creep slowly into Greek usage as a result of a translation choice made in the Septuagint (about second century bc). In the Septuagint there is a very small number of instances where the Hebrew word for ‘head’, possibly used as a figure of speech for the leading person (or sometimes the most prominent person), was translated literally as kephalē.3 Writers are free to create, adapt or reuse a metaphor as they wish, provided they make their meaning clear. In Ephesians 5 Paul uses the term ‘head’ in conjunction with ‘body’. It may therefore help to notice some possibilities of how kephalē could potentially be used in a head and body metaphor, given how people thought about the functions of the head in relation to the body at the time when Paul was writing.

Bartlett, A. (2019). Men and Women in Christ: Fresh Light from the Biblical Texts. IVP. Clipped: July 26, 2025

NIGTC 1Co: κεφαλή and Its Multiple Meanings This argument comes up against three problems among others. (a) Is it convincing to ignore the weight of evidence adduced by Fitzmyer about the Hebrew and LXX and by Grudem about uses of κεφαλή in Greek literature? At times the debate degenerates into a confrontation over which meaning is allegedly “rare.”70 Certainly the LXX usage cannot be ignored. Scroggs presents a one-sided and incautious view, while arguably even the ever judicious Murphy-O’Connor may perhaps tend to overstate his case. (b) Granted that (as cannot be denied) the physiological use of κεφαλή hugely preponderates, can a metaphorical extension of the physical head readily mean source? We have to envisage a two-stage process in which a direct or level-one metaphor (preeminence, foremost, top) becomes a second-level metaphor for that preeminence from which other existence flows. However, this does not entail the total eclipse of the preeminence, top-stone dimension. (c) Much depends on drawing inferences about the christological relation to God in other Pauline passages. Here, although it is true that God is regarded as source (ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ) in contrast to mediate ground of existence (διʼ οὗ τὰ πάντα καὶ ἡμεῖς διʼ αὐτοῦ, 8:6), it remains the case for Paul that Christ’s work is “for” God as preeminent (3:23; 15:24–28). The valid point in all of the arguments for “source” is not that κεφαλή necessarily means source but that (pace Grudem) it does not seem to denote a relation of “subordination” or “authority over.”

Thiselton, A. C. (2000). The First Epistle to the Corinthians: a commentary on the Greek text (pp. 815–816). W.B. Eerdmans. Tags: 1 Co 11:3 Clipped: July 26, 2025

PWW:MWMLP: The Husband as the Head: 1 Corinthians 11:3–6 Paul’s argument here involves two analogies: an analogy between a wife’s literal head (part of her body) and her figurative head (her husband), and an analogy between her artificial head covering (a veil) and her natural head covering (her hair). Before we can grasp Paul’s first argument about head coverings, we must understand his play on the word “head.”100 Although an argument based on a play on words may sound irrational to us today, to many ancient readers it would have made sense.101 Paul knew his audience, and he knew the most effective ways to convince them to change their behavior. So Paul initiates a play on the word “head”: it is both the part of the woman’s body whose covering is in dispute, and the woman’s husband. But right at the outset, we are faced with a problem. When Paul calls the husband the “head” of the wife (as Christ is the “head” of the man, and God of Christ),102 what does he mean? To be the “head” of something today normally means to be in charge, but was this the way the phrase would have normally been taken in Paul’s day? This modern sense of “head” is rare, though not unknown, in ancient Greek. The oldest Greek lexicons do not attest this meaning,103 but it is attested in the one document Greek Christians knew best: the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament. The Hebrew word for “head” (rôš) usually referred to a part of the body, but when it was used figuratively, it could mean “leader” or “boss.” Yet the Septuagint rarely translates rôš (in the sense of leader) literally as “head”; most often it uses other Greek words that mean “leader.” It retains “head” for leader less than one tenth of the time, despite the Hebrew usage.104 In other words, “leader” is not a very common meaning for the Greek word for “head.”105

Keener, C. S. (1992). Paul, Women & Wives: Marriage and Women’s Ministry in the Letters of Paul (p. 32). Hendrickson Publishers. Clipped: July 26, 2025

PWW:MWMLP: The Husband as the Head: 1 Corinthians 11:3–6 This is not to say that “head” never means “leader” in Greek: the few uses of the term that did come through the Greek translation naturally influenced Jewish and Christian writers like Philo106 or the church fathers.107 The question is whether this figurative use of the term “head” is common enough that we should automatically read it into the present passage, and the answer is that it is not. Indeed, as Fee points out, the only “authority” mentioned in the entire passage is the woman’s own (11:10), and 11:11–12 “explicitly qualify vv. 8–9 so that they will not be understood” hierarchically.108 The woman is not the man’s subordinate in this passage; she is his “glory” (or “reputation,” “honor,” “splendor”), the one who brings him shame or honor.109 Other possible nuances of the term “head” exist, such as “the honored part.” “Head” is sometimes contrasted with “tail” in the Old Testament because the head, as the most prominent part of the body (and the part that on men was normally uncovered) was the most honored part.110 Paul seems to imply in the next chapter that those parts of the body which need to be covered are more honored, the covering representing the special attention and honor given to them (12:22–24), but there is no indication that he has the discussion of 11:2–16 in view as he writes this. More likely, in 11:2–16 he is speaking of the natural honor accruing to the head, and suggesting that the wife by virtue of the creation order owes her husband reverence. Husbands receive glory or shame from their wives, just as Christ receives glory or shame from the behavior of men.111

Keener, C. S. (1992). Paul, Women & Wives: Marriage and Women’s Ministry in the Letters of Paul (pp. 32–33). Hendrickson Publishers. Clipped: July 26, 2025

PWW:MWMLP: The Husband as the Head: 1 Corinthians 11:3–6 But if Paul means this argument in this way (which he may), he seems to be making an argument that he would not wish to enforce universally. Cannot women in the church also bring reproach or honor on the cause of Christ (cf. 1 Tim. 5:13–15)? If Paul is referring to the husband’s honor—which in some sense, we shall argue, he is—the nature of his argument cannot extend very far beyond the particular application he wishes to draw from it. Other scholars have argued that “head” means “source.”112 A number of scholars have compiled references to this sense of the term “head” in antiquity,113 a sense which occurs in Paul’s own usage elsewhere.114 This meaning of “head” certainly makes sense in this context, where Paul states that woman was derived from man (11:8).115 The only objection to interpreting head as “source” here seems to be the statement that God is the source of Christ, but this objection fails if the text refers to Jesus’ source as the Father from whom he proceeded at his incarnation as a human being.116 If the incarnation is in view, then 11:3 is in chronological sequence, as Bilezikian points out: Christ is the source of Adam, Adam of Eve, and God of Christ.117 The meaning “source” has been hotly disputed. Evangelical scholar Wayne Grudem argues that this meaning for “head” is not attested, whereas the metaphorical use of “head” usually implies authority.118 His argument has, however, been seriously challenged by other evangelical scholars.119 Gordon Fee observes that only forty-nine uses of “head” in ancient Greek literature are metaphorical, and of these: (1) Twelve appear in the New Testament, which is the subject under consideration and thus must not be included in the count (especially since some of them do mean “source”). (2) Eighteen are from the Greek translations of the Old Testament, where they represent a very small percentage of exceptions to the rule that the translators usually bent over backward to avoid translating “head” in this way. (3) In most of the remaining nineteen instances the sense “authority over” that Grudem finds is disputable. (4) Finally, Philo clearly does use “head” to mean “source” sometimes. Fee concludes that Grudem has shown that “head” can sometimes mean “leader,” although even in these cases it need not mean “authority over.” But in Fee’s view, Grudem has failed to bring into question the meaning “source” or to show that “head” is normally a term of authority.120 That “head” sometimes means “authority,” sometimes means “prominence, honor, or respect” in other ways, and probably sometimes means “source” does not tell us which possible meaning is in view in our text. Context is the key to determining how a particular term is being used in a given passage, and the context here indicates nothing about the husband’s “authority.” But for the sake of argument, let us assume that “head” here means “authority,” which I believe Grudem has shown is a possible nuance of the term. If Paul is using “head” here in the sense of “authority,” he could simply mean that the husband was the one in the position of authority over the wife in that culture, without demonstrating that all husbands are to rule over their wives in all cultures (cf. Rom. 13:1; 1 Pet. 2:13); he might have expressed himself very differently to an audience in whose culture husbands were not in a position of authority over wives. Thus the debate about the meaning of the term cannot ultimately settle the issue unless Paul plainly argues for the husband’s transcultural rule over his wife.

Keener, C. S. (1992). Paul, Women & Wives: Marriage and Women’s Ministry in the Letters of Paul (pp. 33–35). Hendrickson Publishers. Clipped: July 26, 2025

CSC:BULMS: Paul’s Theology and Corinthian Customs Sometimes being first or uppermost might mean having a kind of authority. At other times being first might mean being at the start or being a source. These multiple meanings, then, provide a theological foundation for the Corinthian custom. Paul begins to break up their hierarchy even in the way he describes it. This three-part “headship” sentence is not written in descending order. Paul purposefully broke up the top-down thinking of his opponents, even in his description of their ideas. He begins his description with “I want you to know.” This phrase (and its equivalent, “I don’t want you to be ignorant”) was a cliché in Greek letter-writing in Paul’s time. He uses it in an ironic way throughout 1 Corinthians 10–12. In all three of these chapters, Paul in fact wants to correct the Corinthians in an area they thought they already knew better than he did! In 1 Corinthians 10:1 he reminds them of the story of Moses, but of course they already knew such elementary things (cf. 1 Cor. 4:10). In 12:1 he corrects them in the area of spiritual gifts, again a place where they were already “experts” (cf. 1 Cor. 1:5). Likewise, here in 11:3 the phrase “I want you to know” is used in an ironic manner. In Paul’s description he is simply repeating back to the Corinthians their own views. This sets up his correction of their theology in 11:7b–16. Just what was the meaning of the three-part headship formula? The sense of “head” in 11:2–16 is that of being first in time or of being the origin. The idea of authority is foreign to 11:3. By reading from the bottom up, we already know that Paul will talk about who comes first in time, man or woman. So we have a good clue as to the meaning of “head” in this verse. Paul must have taught the Corinthians that Christ came from God (the origin of Christ is God). Likewise, Paul must have taught them that Christ is the origin (“head”) of the church; but the Corinthians had restricted the “headship” of Christ to the male alone (“the head of man is Christ”; cf. v. 7a). Finally, Paul and the Bible taught that woman was created out of man (“the head of woman is man”). The theology of verse 3 was used as the basis for the head-covering custom of verses 4–6.

Padgett, A. G. (2011). As Christ Submits to the Church: A Biblical Understanding of Leadership and Mutual Submission (pp. 121–122). Baker Academic. Clipped: July 26, 2025

ATJV412009: The History of the Debate The history of the debate Stephen Bedale (1954) We begin with an early seminal article by Stephen Bedale.1 Amazingly brief for the firestorm it sparked (4 pages), the points Bedale raised continue to be played out in the current debate. Bedale argued that since the normal Greek metaphorical meaning of kephalē would not be understood as ‘ruler’ or ‘chief,’ Paul must have been influenced by the Greek version of the Old Testament (LXX) where kephalē was used sometimes to translate the Hebrew ro’sh (when it meant ‘ruler’ or ‘chief’). However, ro’sh could have a second figurative meaning as well in other contexts, ‘first’ or ‘beginning’ (translated by the Gk. archē, ‘first,’ ‘beginning,’ ‘principal’). The two words (archē and kephalē) became “approximate in meaning” in ‘biblical Greek’ (i.e., Greek influenced by the LXX). Thus in Colossians 1:18, kephalē in the sense of ‘ruler’ or ‘chief’ would be an “irrelevant intrusion into the context which is wholly concerned with Christ as archē, the ‘beginning’ and ‘first principle’ alike in Creation and Redemption (cf. Rev. 3:14, he archē tēs ktisews)” (213). Likewise in Colossians 2:19 and Ephesians 4:15 where the body is said to derive its growth and development from the head, it is very difficult to make any sense of it at all so long as kephalē is understood as ‘overlord.’ But when Christ is understood to be archē in relation to the church, it is possible to see how Christians can grow up into him, as the archetypal image of the Second Adam is progressively realized in them. At the same time it is possible to think of the body as the ‘fullness’ or ‘fulfillment’ of the kephalē (Eph. 1:23).

Johnson, A. F. (2009). A Review of the Scholarly Debate on the Meaning of “Head” (κεφαλη) in Paul’s Writings. Ashland Theological Journal, XLI, 41–42. Tags: A Review of the Scholarly Debate on the Meaning of “Head” (κεφαλη) in Paul’s Writings Clipped: July 26, 2025

12C:BCWT: 2. Tradition 1: There Is No Longer “Male and Female” (11:3–16) On the one hand, the sense of a “head” as a point of origin is indeed one nuance of headship, as is the idea of the human head as the source of the body’s nourishment. Notice in 1 Cor. 11:12 Paul’s mention that the “woman came from man,” making the man her “head” as a point of origin. Even more noteworthy in this vein is Col. 2:19, which speaks of Christ as the head of the church, “from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.” The head clearly nourishes the body in this verse.

Schenck, K. (2006). 1 & 2 Corinthians: a commentary for Bible students (pp. 153–154). Wesleyan Publishing House. Tags: 1 Co 11:3–16 Clipped: July 26, 2025

WBComp 1-2Co: Grace and Gender (1 Corinthians 11:2–16) But Paul also uses this word as a metaphor for people’s relationships (in 11:3). What did he mean by this? The English use of “head” to mean “leader, person in authority” was not very common in ancient Greek. So a meaning like “source” or “origin of life” may be more likely in this verse.

Proctor, J. (2015). First and Second Corinthians (P. D. Miller & D. L. Bartlett, Eds.; First edition, pp. 86–87). Westminster John Knox Press. Tags: 1 Co 11:2–16 Clipped: July 26, 2025