Ἀλλ’ ἕως σήμερον ἡνίκα ἂν ἀναγινώσκεται Μωϋσῆς, κάλυμμα ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτῶν κεῖται· ἡνίκα δ’ ἂν ἐπιστρέψῃ πρὸς Κύριον, περιαιρεῖται τὸ κάλυμμα. (2 Corinthians 3:15–16)
But until today, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; but whenever one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.
Exegetical Analysis
The adversative conjunction ἀλλ’ (“but”) marks a continued contrast with the preceding verses, shifting attention from general statements about glory to the ongoing spiritual blindness of some Israelites. The temporal phrase ἕως σήμερον (“until today”) situates Paul’s statement in the present, emphasizing the enduring nature of this condition. The dependent clause ἡνίκα ἂν ἀναγινώσκεται Μωϋσῆς introduces a recurring circumstance: whenever Moses is read, that is, whenever the Torah is publicly proclaimed. The subject of the main clause is κάλυμμα (“veil”), and the predicate κεῖται (“lies”) is in the present indicative, describing a fixed, enduring condition. The veil is not over the eyes, but ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν – “upon their heart.” This deepens the metaphor, suggesting not physical blindness but spiritual blockage. The next clause, ἡνίκα δ’ ἂν ἐπιστρέψῃ πρὸς Κύριον introduces a conditional shift: whenever one turns to the Lord, the passive verb περιαιρεῖται (“is taken away”) describes divine action upon the veil. The subject remains τὸ κάλυμμα, and the divine passive implies that the Lord Himself removes the veil when the heart turns.
Interpreting the Sacred Patterns
Paul masterfully weaves Exodus imagery into a theological reflection on revelation and unbelief. The reading of Moses – ἀναγινώσκεται Μωϋσῆς –functions as a liturgical shorthand for engagement with the Torah. Yet instead of illumination, this reading is veiled, κάλυμμα, obscuring rather than revealing. The twist is striking: the problem is not with the Scripture but with the condition of the heart. The veil rests not over the scroll but over the inner being. Paul implies that the old covenant, when read without turning to Christ, cannot yield unveiled glory. The turning point comes with the verb ἐπιστρέψῃ, a classic Septuagint term for repentance or returning to God. Only when this occurs does the veil lift. Importantly, the text avoids naming who the ἐπιστρέψῃ subject is – it is anyone, making the promise universal. The use of the divine passive περιαιρεῖται preserves reverence: only God can remove what blinds the heart. The Lord to whom one turns is identified in the next verse as the Spirit, suggesting a trinitarian interplay beneath the veil-lifting event.
Where Word Meets Worship
This passage speaks directly to the mystery of Scripture reading that fails to transform. Many hear Moses, yet remain veiled. The veil is not ignorance but hardness. It lies not over eyes but over καρδία – the seat of will and worship. Paul does not dismiss Torah; he laments a posture toward it that lacks encounter with Christ. Worship, in this view, is not the reading of sacred words alone but the turning of the heart to the living Lord. And when that turning occurs, the veil falls. The heart, once obstructed, sees. This is not intellectual enlightenment but spiritual unveiling. The presence of the Spirit, though implicit in this verse, is the silent actor who lifts the veil. Worship, then, is both turning and being turned. We read, but we must also be read. And when the heart turns, the Word unveils glory.
Exegetical Feature Table
| Greek Word | Form | Lexical Meaning | Interpretive Role | Exegetical Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| κάλυμμα | Nominative neuter singular | “veil, covering” | Subject | Represents spiritual obstruction, echoing Exodus 34 |
| κεῖται | Present middle/passive indicative 3rd singular | “lies, is placed” | Predicate verb | Describes the continuous presence of the veil |
| ἐπιστρέψῃ | Aorist active subjunctive 3rd singular | “turns, returns” | Conditional protasis | Marks repentance or reorientation toward the Lord |
| περιαιρεῖται | Present passive indicative 3rd singular | “is taken away, is removed” | Divine passive | Implies God’s sovereign act of unveiling the heart |
When the Heart Turns, the Text Opens
This passage invites every reader of Scripture into humility. The veil is not the fault of the text, but of the soul. Paul does not accuse Moses, but speaks of the failure to turn fully to the Lord. The turning is not outward but inward – it is the reorientation of the heart toward divine glory. And in that moment of surrender, the veil that once obscured becomes weightless. Scripture becomes revelation. Reading becomes beholding. And the Word no longer returns void but radiates with unveiled light. The text becomes transparent not because it changes, but because we do. And in this transformation, worship becomes vision, and vision becomes joy.
