and we are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not stare at the end of what was fading away.
Parallel translations
- WEB and not as Moses, who put a veil on his face, that the children of Israel wouldn’t look steadfastly on the end of that which was passing away.
- KJV And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:
- BSB We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at the end of what was fading away.
- NKJV unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away.
- NLT We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so the people of Israel would not see the glory, even though it was destined to fade away.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Unlike Moses, who veiled his face so Israel would not see the fading glory, Paul ministers without concealment. The veil pointed to a glory that was passing away.
Overview
Paul reads the veil of Moses (Exodus 34) as connected to the temporary, fading nature of the old covenant glory. Moses covered the radiance that was diminishing; Paul, by contrast, speaks openly of an abiding glory. This introduces the theme of veiling and unveiling that Paul applies to understanding Christ in the Scriptures.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Exod 34:33–35When Moses was done speaking with them, he put a veil on his face.
- Eph 2:14–15For he is our peace, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of partition,
- 2 Cor 3:7But if the service of death, written engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the children of Israel could not look steadfastly on the face of Moses for the glory of his face; which was passing away:
- Col 2:17which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ’s.
- Heb 10:1–9For the law, having a shadow of the good to come, not the very image of the things, can never with the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect those who draw near.
- Gal 3:23–24But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, confined for the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
- Rom 10:4For Christ is the fulfillment of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
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Christ at the center
In Christ all God's promises are 'Yes and Amen'; though rich, he became poor to make us rich, and in him God reconciles the world, making us new creations.
How 2 Corinthians 3:13 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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