2 Corinthians 3:16

16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

2 Corinthians 3:16 in Other Translations

KJV
16 Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
ESV
16 But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.
NLT
16 But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
MSG
16 Whenever, though, they turn to face God as Moses did, God removes the veil and there they are - face to face!
CSB
16 but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.

2 Corinthians 3:16 Meaning and Commentary

2 Corinthians 3:16

Nevertheless, when it shall turn to the Lord
The heart, upon which the veil now is; or the body of the Jewish nation, as in the latter day; when they "shall turn", or "be turned", by the Spirit, power, and grace of God, to the Lord Jesus Christ, and look upon him whom they have pierced, and mourn, and embrace him as the true Messiah and only Saviour:

the veil shall be taken away;
the veil of blindness and ignorance, respecting themselves, case, state, and condition, and the way of salvation by Christ; the veil of unbelief, with regard to his person, offices, and grace, and of error in points of the greatest moment and importance; then all the darkness and obscurity that is upon the books of Moses and the prophets, and which is now upon their hearts in reading them, will be gone. The prophecies of the Old Testament will be seen in their proper light, and to be evidently fulfilled in Christ; the true nature, use, and end of the law, will be discovered; and both they and that will be freed from all darkness that now attends them. The Jews themselves acknowledge, that though the law is light, yet there is an obscurity in it, by reason of the several ways of interpreting it; and therefore,

``he that studies in it, has need to remove, (hwom rxa hwom) , "veil after veil", which is upon the face of it, in order to come at the light of it F7:''

and intimate, that the veil on Moses's face was an emblem of this obscurity, which agrees with what the apostle hints in this context; and also own, that there is now upon them a veil of ignorance; and, say they F8, God has promised to remove, (wnlkv lem twlkoh Kom) , perhaps it should be (hwom) , "the veil of folly off of our understanding", referring, as is thought, to ( Isaiah 25:7 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F7 R. Abraham Seba in Tzeror Hammor, fol. 90. 2.
F8 Chobat Halebabot, par. 1. c. 3. apud L. Capell. in loc.

2 Corinthians 3:16 In-Context

14 But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away.
15 Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts.
16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Cross References 2

  • 1. Romans 11:23
  • 2. Exodus 34:34; Isaiah 25:7
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