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Another question that sometimes arises for people is the tiny Greek word “anti” that appears in the Greek in 1 Corinthians 11:1-16.
If you look at verses 13-15 with an interlinear, you will find the end of the sentence in verse 15 reads: “For the long hair instead of a covering is given to her.”
The Greek word for “instead” in the interlinear that I use is “anti” which is defined as:
Strong’s Concordance 473e
anti: over against, opposite, hence instead of, in comp. denotes contrast, requital, substitution, correspondence
Original Word:
Part of Speech: Preposition
Transliteration: anti
Phonetic Spelling: (an-tee’)
Definition: over against, opposite, instead of
Usage: (a) instead of, in return for, over against, opposite, in exchange for, as a substitute for, (b) on my behalf, (c) wherefore, because.
HELPS Word-studies
473 antí (a preposition) – properly, opposite, corresponding to, off-setting (over-against); (figuratively) “in place of,” i.e. what substitutes (serves as an equivalent, what is proportional).
One common use of the English use of “anti” is well-illustrated by the venom injected by a snake bite. The snake injects venom that is poisonous to the human. The doctor gives the “anti-venom” or the drug to counteract or do the exact opposite reaction of what the snake intended to do to you.
However, many translations don’t use “anti” as the opposite, like in the snake bite example.
The majority of Bible translations render the word “anti” as our English word “for.”
“For” in English is more likely to mean with a purpose, “I run for exercise.”
“For” is also used to mean in connection with, “The equipment is for the army.”
“For” can mean as suiting the purpose or need of something, “Medicine is for the sick person.”
In Greek, “anti” is translated in other places as the word “for.” A good example is, “an eye for an eye.” See Matthew 5:38
Because verses 13-15 are a metaphor or analogy, then translating “anti” as “for” better fits the passage.
Translating “anti” to meaning “opposing” would interfere with the analogy being presented by Paul.
If verses 13-15 are to be read with “anti” translated to mean “opposed” then verse 13-15 would read the hair is not the covering.
In the context of the figurative speech device that Paul employs in verses 13-15, consistency requires a meaning that fits the context.
The English word “for” is consistent with Paul’s analogy of comparing the lack of hair in the natural world to the shame a woman should have for praying or prophesying without a covering.
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