2 Corinthians 3:16

THE MESSAGE

Whenever, though, they turn to face God as Moses did, God removes the veil and there they are—face-to-face! They suddenly recognize that God is a living, personal presence, not a piece of chiseled stone. And when God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old, constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete. We're free of it! All of us! Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him.

Parallel Translations

Simplified Cowboy Version
But when someone changes and believes in the Lord and decides once and for all to ride for him, that covering is stripped away.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

Legacy Standard Bible
but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

Bible in Basic English
But when it is turned to the Lord, the veil will be taken away.

Darby Translation
But when it shall turn to [the] Lord, the veil is taken away.)

Christian Standard Bible®
but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.

World English Bible
But whenever one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away.

Weymouth's New Testament
But whenever the heart of the nation shall have returned to the Lord, the veil will be withdrawn.

King James Version (1611)
Neuerthelesse, when it shall turne to the Lord, the vaile shall be taken away.

Literal Translation
But whenever it turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Ex. 34:34

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Neuertheles wha they turne to the LORDE, the vayle shalbe taken awaye.

Mace New Testament (1729)
but when their mind shall turn to the Lord, that veil too shall be taken away.

Amplified Bible
but whenever a person turns [in repentance and faith] to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

American Standard Version
But whensoever it shall turn to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

Revised Standard Version
but when a man turns to the Lord the veil is removed.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Neverthelesse when they tourne to ye Lorde the vayle shalbe taken awaye.

Update Bible Version
But upon turning to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

Webster's Bible Translation
Nevertheless, when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.

Young's Literal Translation
and whenever they may turn unto the Lord, the vail is taken away.

New Century Version
But when a person changes and follows the Lord, that covering is taken away.

New English Translation
but when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.

Berean Standard Bible
But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

Contemporary English Version
with a covering that is removed only for those who turn to the Lord.

Complete Jewish Bible
"But," says the Torah, "whenever someone turns to Adonai , the veil is taken away."

English Standard Version
But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Neuertheles when their heart shall be turned to the Lord, the vaile shalbe taken away.

George Lamsa Translation
Nevertheless whenever a man turns to the LORD, the veil is taken away.

Hebrew Names Version
But whenever one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

International Standard Version
But whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.Exodus 34:34; Isaiah 25:7; Romans 11:23,26;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
And when any one of them is converted unto the Lord, the veil from him is uplifted.

Murdock Translation
But when any of them is turned unto the Lord, the vail is taken from him.

New King James Version
Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

New Living Translation
But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

New Life Bible
But whenever a man turns to the Lord, the covering is taken away.

English Revised Version
But whensoever it shall turn to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

New Revised Standard
but when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Howbeit, whensoever he turneth unto the Lord, he taketh off the veil:

Douay-Rheims Bible
But when they shall be converted to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away.

King James Version
Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.

Lexham English Bible
but whenever one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Neuerthelesse, when it shall turne to the Lorde, the vayle shalbe taken away.

Easy-to-Read Version
But when someone changes and follows the Lord, that covering is taken away.

New American Standard Bible
but whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

Good News Translation
But it can be removed, as the scripture says about Moses: "His veil was removed when he turned to the Lord."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
But whanne Israel schal be conuertid to God, the veil schal be don awei.

Contextual Overview

¹²With that kind of hope to excite us, nothing holds us back. Unlike Moses, we have nothing to hide. Everything is out in the open with us. He wore a veil so the children of Israel wouldn't notice that the glory was fading away—and they didn't notice. They didn't notice it then and they don't notice it now, don't notice that there's nothing left behind that veil. Even today when the proclamations of that old, bankrupt government are read out, they can't see through it. Only Christ can get rid of the veil so they can see for themselves that there's nothing there. ¹⁶Whenever, though, they turn to face God as Moses did, God removes the veil and there they are—face-to-face! They suddenly recognize that God is a living, personal presence, not a piece of chiseled stone. And when God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old, constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete. We're free of it! All of us! Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

when: Exodus 34:34, Deuteronomy 4:30, Deuteronomy 30:10, Lamentations 3:40, Hosea 3:4, Hosea 3:5, Romans 11:25-27

the veil: Isaiah 25:7, Isaiah 29:18, Isaiah 54:13, Jeremiah 31:34, John 6:45, John 6:46

Reciprocal: Leviticus 26:45 - for their Deuteronomy 30:2 - return unto Isaiah 11:11 - set his hand Acts 9:35 - turned Acts 26:20 - turn Romans 11:23 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 3:1
The serpent was clever, more clever than any wild animal God had made. He spoke to the Woman: "Do I understand that God told you not to eat from any tree in the garden?"

Genesis 3:6
When the Woman saw that the tree looked like good eating and realized what she would get out of it—she'd know everything!—she took and ate the fruit and then gave some to her husband, and he ate.

Genesis 3:7
Immediately the two of them did "see what's really going on"—saw themselves naked! They sewed fig leaves together as makeshift clothes for themselves.

Genesis 3:8
When they heard the sound of God strolling in the garden in the evening breeze, the Man and his Wife hid in the trees of the garden, hid from God.

Genesis 3:9
God called to the Man: "Where are you?"

Genesis 3:10
He said, "I heard you in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked. And I hid."

Genesis 3:11
God said, "Who told you you were naked? Did you eat from that tree I told you not to eat from?"

Genesis 3:12
The Man said, "The Woman you gave me as a companion, she gave me fruit from the tree, and, yes, I ate it." God said to the Woman, "What is this that you've done?"

Genesis 3:16
He told the Woman: "I'll multiply your pains in childbirth; you'll give birth to your babies in pain. You'll want to please your husband, but he'll lord it over you."

Genesis 3:17
He told the Man: "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree That I commanded you not to eat from, ‘Don't eat from this tree,' The very ground is cursed because of you; getting food from the ground Will be as painful as having babies is for your wife; you'll be working in pain all your life long. The ground will sprout thorns and weeds, you'll get your food the hard way, Planting and tilling and harvesting, sweating in the fields from dawn to dusk, Until you return to that ground yourself, dead and buried; you started out as dirt, you'll end up dirt."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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, מסוה אחר מסוה, "veil after veil", which is upon the face of it, in order to come at the light of it g:''

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 h, God has promised to remove, מסך הסכלות מעל שכלנו, perhaps it should be מסוה, "the veil of folly off of our understanding", referring, as is thought, to Isaiah 25:7.

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

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Nevertheless - This is not always to continue. The time is coming when they shall understand their own Scriptures, and see their true beauty.

When it shall turn to the Lord - When the Jewish people shall be converted. The word “it” here refers undoubtedly to “Israel” in 2 Corinthians 3:13; and the sense is, that their blindness is not always to remain; there is to be a period when they shall turn to God, and shall understand his promises, and become acquainted with the true nature of their own religion. This subject the apostle has discussed at much greater length in the eleventh chapter of the Epistle to the Romans; see the notes on that chapter.

The vail shall be taken away - They shall then understand the true meaning of the prophecies, and the true nature of their own institutions. They shall see that they refer to the Lord Jesus, the incarnate Son of God, and the true Messiah. The genuine sense of their sacred oracles shall break upon their view with full and irresistible light. There may be an allusion in the language here to the declaration in Isaiah 25:7, “And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations.” This verse teaches:

(1) That the time will come when the Jews shall be converted to Christianity; expressed here by their turning unto the Lord, that is, the Lord Jesus; see the note, Acts 1:24.

(2) It seems to be implied that their conversion will be a conversion of “the people” at large; a conversion that shall be nearly simultaneous; a conversion “en masse.” Such a conversion we have reason to anticipate of the Jewish nation.

(3) The effect of this will be to make them acquainted with the true sense of their own Scriptures, and the light and beauty of the sayings of their own prophets, Now they are in deep darkness on the sub ject; then they will see how entirely they meet and harmonize in the Lord Jesus.

(4) The true and only way of having a correct and full meaning of the Bible is by turning unto God. Love to Him, and a disposition to do His will, is the best means of interpreting the Bible.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 16. When it shall turn to the Lord — When the Israelitish nation shall turn to the LORD Jesus, the veil shall be taken away; the true light shall shine; and they shall see all things clearly.

There is an evident allusion here to the case of Moses, mentioned Exodus 34:34. When he came from the Lord, and spoke to the Israelites, he put the veil over his face; but when he returned to speak with the Lord, then he took off the veil. So, when the Israelitish nation shall return to speak with and pray to the Lord Jesus, the veil of darkness and ignorance shall be taken away from their hearts; but never before that time. The words seem to imply:

1. That there will be a conversion of the Jews to Christianity; and,

2. That this conversion will be en masse; that a time will come when the whole nation of the Jews, in every place, shall turn to Christ; and then the Gentiles and Jews make one fold, under one Shepherd and Bishop of all souls.