2 Corinthians 3:14
New International Version
But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away.

New Living Translation
But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ.

English Standard Version
But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away.

Berean Standard Bible
But their minds were closed. For to this day the same veil remains at the reading of the old covenant. It has not been lifted, because only in Christ can it be removed.

Berean Literal Bible
But their minds were hardened; for until the present day, the same veil remains at the reading of the old covenant, not being lifted, which is being removed in Christ.

King James Bible
But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.

New King James Version
But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ.

New American Standard Bible
But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ.

NASB 1995
But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ.

NASB 1977
But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ.

Legacy Standard Bible
But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is brought to an end in Christ.

Amplified Bible
But [in fact] their minds were hardened [for they had lost the ability to understand]; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed [only] in Christ.

Christian Standard Bible
but their minds were hardened. For to this day, at the reading of the old covenant, the same veil remains; it is not lifted, because it is set aside only in Christ.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
but their minds were closed. For to this day, at the reading of the old covenant, the same veil remains; it is not lifted, because it is set aside only in Christ.

American Standard Version
but their minds were hardened: for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remaineth, it not being revealed to them that it is done away in Christ.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But they were blinded in their understanding; for until today whenever the Old Testament is read, that veil remains over them, and it is not revealed that it is being abolished by The Messiah.

Contemporary English Version
The people were stubborn, and something still keeps them from seeing the truth when the Law is read. Only Christ can take away the covering that keeps them from seeing.

Douay-Rheims Bible
But their senses were made dull. For, until this present day, the selfsame veil, in the reading of the old testament, remaineth not taken away (because in Christ it is made void).

English Revised Version
but their minds were hardened: for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remaineth unlifted; which veil is done away in Christ.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
However, their minds became closed. In fact, to this day the same veil is still there when they read the Old Testament. It isn't removed, because only Christ can remove it.

Good News Translation
Their minds, indeed, were closed; and to this very day their minds are covered with the same veil as they read the books of the old covenant. The veil is removed only when a person is joined to Christ.

International Standard Version
However, their minds were hardened, for to this day the same veil is still there when they read the old covenant. Only in union with the Messiah is that veil removed.

Literal Standard Version
but their minds were hardened, for to this day the same veil at the reading of the Old Covenant remains unwithdrawn—which in Christ is being made useless—

Majority Standard Bible
But their minds were closed. For to this day the same veil remains at the reading of the old covenant. It has not been lifted, because only in Christ can it be removed.

New American Bible
Rather, their thoughts were rendered dull, for to this present day the same veil remains unlifted when they read the old covenant, because through Christ it is taken away.

NET Bible
But their minds were closed. For to this very day, the same veil remains when they hear the old covenant read. It has not been removed because only in Christ is it taken away.

New Revised Standard Version
But their minds were hardened. Indeed, to this very day, when they hear the reading of the old covenant, that same veil is still there, since only in Christ is it set aside.

New Heart English Bible
But their minds were hardened, for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains, because in Christ it passes away.

Webster's Bible Translation
But their minds were blinded: for until this day the same vail remaineth untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.

Weymouth New Testament
Nay, their minds were made dull; for to this very day during the reading of the book of the ancient Covenant, the same veil remains unlifted, because it is only in Christ that it is to be abolished.

World English Bible
But their minds were hardened, for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains, because in Christ it passes away.

Young's Literal Translation
but their minds were hardened, for unto this day the same vail at the reading of the Old Covenant doth remain unwithdrawn -- which in Christ is being made useless --

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Glory of the New Covenant
13We 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. 14But their minds were closed. For to this day the same veil remains at the reading of the old covenant. It has not been lifted, because only in Christ can it be removed. 15And even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts.…

Cross References
Acts 13:15
After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue leaders sent word to them: "Brothers, if you have a word of encouragement for the people, please speak."

Acts 15:21
For Moses has been proclaimed in every city from ancient times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath."

Romans 11:7
What then? What Israel was seeking, it failed to obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened,

2 Corinthians 3:6
And He has qualified us as ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

2 Corinthians 3:15
And even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts.

2 Corinthians 4:3
And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.

2 Corinthians 4:4
The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.


Treasury of Scripture

But their minds were blinded: for until this day remains the same veil not taken away in the reading of the old testament; which veil is done away in Christ.

their.

2 Corinthians 4:3,4
But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: …

Psalm 69:23
Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake.

Isaiah 6:10
Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.

which vail.

2 Corinthians 4:6
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

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.

Matthew 16:17
And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

Jump to Previous
Agreement Ancient Blinded Book Christ Covenant Darkened Dull Hard Hardened Minds Passes Read Reading Removed Revealed Testament Thoughts Useless Vail Veil
Jump to Next
Agreement Ancient Blinded Book Christ Covenant Darkened Dull Hard Hardened Minds Passes Read Reading Removed Revealed Testament Thoughts Useless Vail Veil
2 Corinthians 3
1. Lest their false teachers should charge him with vain glory,
2. he shows the faith of the Corinthians to be a sufficient commendation of his ministry.
6. Whereupon entering a comparison between the ministers of the law and of the gospel,
12. he proves that his ministry is so far the more excellent,
17. as the gospel of life and liberty is more glorious than the law of condemnation.














(14) But their minds were blinded.--The Greek verb expresses strictly the callousness of a nerve that has become insensible, as in Mark 6:52; Mark 8:17; Romans 11:7. Here, as applied to the faculties of perception, "blinded" is, perhaps, a legitimate rendering.

Remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament . . .--The words are better translated: the same veil remaineth in the reading of the old covenant; the fact not being revealed (i.e., by the removal of the veil) that it (the old covenant) is being done away in Christ The figure is passing through a kind of dissolving change. There is still a veil between the hearers of the Law and its true meaning; but the veil is no longer on the face of the law-giver, but on their hearts; and the reason of this is that, the veil not being withdrawn, they do not see that the glory of the older covenant is done away by the brightness of the new. It is doing violence to the context to refer to the veil the words "is done away," which through the whole passage is applied to the Law itself; and in 2Corinthians 3:16 a new and appropriate word is used for the withdrawal of the veil. It is, the Apostle says, because the veil of prejudice and tradition hinders them from seeing the truth that the Jews of his own time still think of the Law as permanent, instead of looking on it as passing through a process of extinction. The "Old Testament" is clearly used, not, as in the modern sense, for the whole volume of the Law--Prophets and Psalms--but specially for the law which was the basis of the covenant. The other, but less adequate, rendering would be, the veil remaineth . . . unwithdrawn, for it (the veil) is abolished in Christ. If there was any authority for giving an active force to the middle form of the verb, we might translate with a perfectly satisfactory meaning, the same veil remaineth . . . not revealing the fact that it is being done away in Christ; but unfortunately there is no such authority. The English, "which veil is done away," fails to give, in any case, the true force of the Greek.

Verse 14. - Their minds. This word is rendered" devices" in 2 Corinthians 2:11; "minds" in 2 Corinthians 3:14 and 2 Cor 4:4; and "thought" in 2 Corinthians 10:5. It means that their powers of reason were, so to speak, petrified. Were blinded; rather, were hardened. The verb cannot mean" to blind." By whom were their minds hardened? It would be equally correct to say by themselves (Hebrews 3:8), or by Satan (2 Corinthians 4:4), or by God (Romans 11:7, 8). The same veil. Of course the meaning is "a veil of which the veil of Moses is an exact type." The veil which prevented them from seeing the evanescence of the light which shone on the face of Moses was symbolically identical with that which prevented them also from seeing the transitory character of his Law. It had been as it were taken from his face and laid on their hearts (see Acts 13:27-29; Romans 11.). Many commentators have seen in this verse a reference to the Jewish custom of covering the head with the tallith, a four-cornered veil, when they were in the synagogues. But this is doubtful, since the tallith did not cover the eyes. More probably his metaphor may have been suggested by Isaiah 25:7, "And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast ever all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations." Untaken away. There are two other ways of rendering this verse:

(1) "For until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remaineth unlifted; which veil is done away in Christ," as in the Revised Version; or

(2) "The same veil remaineth, it not being revealed that it is done away in Christ," as it is taken by Chrysostom and many others, and in the margin of the Revised Version. The latter seems to be the better view. It is not the veil, but the old covenant, which is being done away in Christ. To the Jews that truth still remained under a veil. The present tense, "is in course of annulment," might naturally be used until the utter abrogation of even the possible fulfilment of the Mosaic Law at the fall of Jerusalem. In the reading of the old testament; rather, the old covenant. There is no allusion to the Old Testament as a book, but the phrase is equivalent to "Moses is read" in the next verse. (On this obduracy of the Jews, see Romans 11:7, 8, 25.)

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
But
Ἀλλὰ (Alla)
Conjunction
Strong's 235: But, except, however. Neuter plural of allos; properly, other things, i.e. contrariwise.

their
αὐτῶν (autōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

minds
νοήματα (noēmata)
Noun - Nominative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3540: From noieo; a perception, i.e. Purpose, or the intellect, disposition, itself.

were closed.
ἐπωρώθη (epōrōthē)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 4456: To harden, render callous, petrify. Apparently from poros; to petrify, i.e. to indurate.

For
γὰρ (gar)
Conjunction
Strong's 1063: For. A primary particle; properly, assigning a reason.

to
ἄχρι (achri)
Preposition
Strong's 891: As far as, up to, until, during. Or achris akh'-rece; akin to akron; until or up to.

[this]
σήμερον (sēmeron)
Adverb
Strong's 4594: Today, now. Neuter of a presumed compound of the article ho and hemera; on the day; generally, now.

day
ἡμέρας (hēmeras)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 2250: A day, the period from sunrise to sunset.

the
τὸ (to)
Article - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

same
αὐτὸ (auto)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative Neuter 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

veil
κάλυμμα (kalymma)
Noun - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 2571: A covering, especially a covering of head and face, a veil. From kalupto; a cover, i.e. Veil.

remains
μένει (menei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3306: To remain, abide, stay, wait; with acc: I wait for, await. A primary verb; to stay.

at
ἐπὶ (epi)
Preposition
Strong's 1909: On, to, against, on the basis of, at.

the
τῇ (tē)
Article - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

reading
ἀναγνώσει (anagnōsei)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 320: Recognition, reading; public reading (of the law and prophets in synagogue or church). From anaginosko; reading.

of the
τῆς (tēs)
Article - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

old
παλαιᾶς (palaias)
Adjective - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 3820: Old, ancient, not new or recent. From palai; antique, i.e. Not recent, worn out.

covenant.
διαθήκης (diathēkēs)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 1242: From diatithemai; properly, a disposition, i.e. a contract.

It has not been lifted,
ἀνακαλυπτόμενον (anakalyptomenon)
Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 343: To unveil, uncover. From ana and kalupto; to unveil.

[because] only
ὅτι (hoti)
Conjunction
Strong's 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.

in
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

Christ
Χριστῷ (Christō)
Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5547: Anointed One; the Messiah, the Christ. From chrio; Anointed One, i.e. The Messiah, an epithet of Jesus.

can it be removed.
καταργεῖται (katargeitai)
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2673: From kata and argeo; to be entirely idle, literally or figuratively.


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NT Letters: 2 Corinthians 3:14 But their minds were hardened for until (2 Cor. 2C iiC 2Cor ii cor iicor)
2 Corinthians 3:13
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