Why is the phrase “a symbol of” (1 Cor 11:10) not in the Greek?
Before we tackle this question let’s take a look at 1 Cor 11:10. It reads:
Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.
In many Bibles you will find the phrase “a symbol of” appears in italics whereas the rest of the sentence does not. The reason it appears this way is to let you know that the words in italics have been added by the translators to improve clarity. It’s not that they’re adding words to Scripture, but rather they’re making sure what the author meant doesn’t get lost in translation. This is a necessary process when going from one language to another that should not cause concern. Read more