2 Corinthians 3:13 BSB

2 Corinthians 3:13

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.

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

and are not as Moses, who put a veil upon his face, that the children of Israel should not look stedfastly 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:

⋯

Commentary

3 voices

Theophylact of Ohrid

Commentary on 2 Corinthians (1107)

That is, we do not need to cover ourselves, like Moses. For you can look upon that glory which we have, I mean the glory of the Gospel, although it is far more radiant than that of Moses. That is, you can understand the mysteries …

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)

And we do not act as Moses did, who put a veil over his face - Which is to be understood with regard to his writings also. So that the children of Israel could not look steadfastly to the end of that dispensation which is now abolished - The end of this was Christ.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

Albert Barnes

1798–1870

Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)

And not as Moses - Our conduct is not like that of Moses. We make no attempt to conceal anything in regard to the nature, design, and duration of the gospel. We leave nothing designedly in mystery. Which put a vail over his face - That is, when he came down from Mount Sinai, and when his face shone.

Voices on this verse

loading…

Original language & word study

22 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
καὶ	kai	and	G2532 →
οὐ	ou	not	G3756 →
καθάπερ	kathaper	as	G2509 →
Μωϋσῆς	Mōusēs	Moses	G3475 →
ἐτίθει	etithei	was putting	G5087 →
κάλυμμα	kalumma	a veil	G2571 →
ἐπὶ	epi	over	G1909 →
τὸ	to	the	G3588 →
πρόσωπον	prosōpon	face	G4383 →
αὐτοῦ	autou	of himself	G846 →
πρὸς	pros	for	G4314 →
τὸ	to	<the>	G3588 →
μὴ	mē	not	G3361 →
ἀτενίσαι	atenisai	to look intently	G816 →
τοὺς	tous	the	G3588 →
υἱοὺς	huious	sons	G5207 →
Ἰσραὴλ	Israēl	of Israel	G2474 →
εἰς	eis	into	G1519 →
τὸ	to	the	G3588 →
τέλος	telos	end	G5056 →
τοῦ	tou	of that	G3588 →
καταργουμένου·	katargoumenou	fading away;	G2673 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
Colossians 2:17
These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body that casts it belongs to Christ.
leads to
- Hebrews 10:1
  For the law is only a shadow of the good things to come, not the realities themselves. It can never, by the same sacrifices offered year after year, make perfect those who draw near…
- Hebrews 8:5
  The place where they serve is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you…
- John 1:17
  For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
- Hebrews 9:9
  It is an illustration for the present time, because the gifts and sacrifices being offered were unable to cleanse the conscience of the worshiper.
Through
2 Corinthians 3:7
Now if the ministry of death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at the face of Moses because of its fleeting glory,
leads to
- 2 Corinthians 3:9–11
  For if the ministry of condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry of righteousness!
- Exodus 31:18
  When the LORD had finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, He gave him the two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God.
- Romans 10:4
  For Christ is the end of the law, to bring righteousness to everyone who believes.
- 1 Corinthians 13:10
  but when the perfect comes, the partial passes away.

Featured studies on this passage

On 2 Corinthians 3:13

The New Covenant — Jeremiah 31:31–34

Open the study →

On 2 Corinthians 3:13

The Unveiled Face, MannaFest

Open the study →

Walks through 2 Corinthians 3

The Heart

Open the study →

About 2 Corinthians

The Crown of Thorns — Gustave Doré (engraving, public domain)

2 Corinthians: the study guide →Read chapter 3 →The featured study →

PersonExodus and Wilderness PeriodMosesIsrael's deliverer from Egyptian slavery, covenant mediator, and lawgiver.

Continue: 2 Corinthians 3 →

01Commentary

The record, by era

Voices on this verse

02Original language & word study

03The walk

Where the connections lead

04Related verses

05Featured studies on this passage

06About 2 Corinthians

The record, by era

Where the connections lead

Commentary

Original language & word study

The walk

Related verses

Featured studies on this passage

About 2 Corinthians