But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
Parallel translations
- WEB But whenever one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
- KJV Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
- BSB But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
- NKJV Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
- NASB but whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken 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
Whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Conversion to Christ brings spiritual sight.
Overview
Drawing on the language of Moses turning to the Lord, Paul declares that turning to Christ removes the veil of blindness. Understanding and freedom come not by effort but by turning to the Lord in faith. This is the gospel remedy for spiritual blindness, opening the eyes of the heart to behold God's glory in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Exod 34:34But when Moses went in before Yahweh to speak with him, he took the veil off, until he came out; and he came out, and spoke to the children of Israel that which he was commanded.
- Isa 25:7He will destroy in this mountain the surface of the covering that covers all peoples, and the veil that is spread over all nations.
- Isa 29:18In that day, the deaf will hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind will see out of obscurity and out of darkness.
- John 6:45–46It is written in the prophets, ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who hears from the Father, and has learned, comes to me.
- Jer 31:34and they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know Yahweh;’ for they shall all know me, from their least to their greatest,” says Yahweh: “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin will I remember no more.”
- Rom 11:23They also, if they don’t continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
- Rom 11:25–27For I don’t desire you to be ignorant, brothers, of this mystery, so that you won’t be wise in your own conceits, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in,
- Lam 3:40Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to Yahweh.
- Isa 54:13All your children will be taught by Yahweh; and your children’s peace will be great.
- Deut 4:30When you are in oppression, and all these things have come on you, in the latter days you shall return to Yahweh your God, and listen to his voice.
- Deut 30:10if you will obey Yahweh your God’s voice, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law; if you turn to Yahweh your God with all your heart, and with all your soul.
- Hos 3:4–5For the children of Israel shall live many days without king, and without prince, and without sacrifice, and without sacred stone, and without ephod or idols.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 3:16 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.