2 Corinthians 3:16
New International Version
But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

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

English Standard Version
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.

Berean Literal Bible
But whenever one shall have turned to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

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

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

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

NASB 1995
but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

NASB 1977
but whenever a man 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.

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

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

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

American Standard Version
But whensoever it shall turn 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.

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

GOD'S WORD® Translation
But whenever a person 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."

International Standard Version
But whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.

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

NET Bible
but when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.

New Heart English Bible
But whenever one turns 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.

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But whenever the heart of the nation shall have returned to the Lord, the veil will be withdrawn.

World English Bible
But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and whenever they may turn to the LORD, the veil is taken away.

Berean Literal Bible
But whenever one shall have turned to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

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

Smith's Literal Translation
And whenever it turn to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But when they shall be converted to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away.

Catholic Public Domain Version
But when they will have been converted to the Lord, then the veil shall be taken away.

New American Bible
but whenever a person turns to the Lord the veil is removed.

New Revised Standard Version
but when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Nevertheless whenever a man turns to the LORD, the veil is taken away.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And whenever anyone of them will be turned to THE LORD JEHOVAH, the veil is taken away from him.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
but whenever their heart shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.

Godbey New Testament
but when they may turn to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

Haweis New Testament
Nevertheless, when Israel shall turn unto the Lord, the veil shall be taken away.

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

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

Worrell New Testament
But, whensoever it shall return to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

Worsley New Testament
Though when it turneth unto the Lord, the veil is taken off:

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Glory of the New Covenant
15And even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 16But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.…

Cross References
Exodus 34:34
But whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with Him, he would remove the veil until he came out. And when he came out, he would tell the Israelites what he had been commanded,

Acts 9:18
At that instant, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and his sight was restored. He got up and was baptized,

Romans 11:23
And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.

Romans 11:26
And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come from Zion; He will remove godlessness from Jacob.

Isaiah 25:7
On this mountain He will swallow up the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations;

Isaiah 29:18
On that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, and out of the deep darkness the eyes of the blind will see.

Isaiah 32:3
Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen.

Isaiah 35:5
Then the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped.

Isaiah 42:7
to open the eyes of the blind, to bring prisoners out of the dungeon and those sitting in darkness out from the prison house.

Isaiah 42:16
I will lead the blind by a way they did not know; I will guide them on unfamiliar paths. I will turn darkness into light before them and rough places into level ground. These things I will do for them, and I will not forsake them.

Isaiah 45:22
Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.

Isaiah 54:13
Then all your sons will be taught by the LORD, and great will be their prosperity.

Jeremiah 31:33-34
“But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people. / No longer will each man teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sins no more.”

Ezekiel 11:19-20
And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them; I will remove their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh, / so that they may follow My statutes, keep My ordinances, and practice them. Then they will be My people, and I will be their God.

Ezekiel 36:26-27
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. / And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances.


Treasury of Scripture

Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away.

when.

Exodus 34:34
But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he took the vail off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded.

Deuteronomy 4:30
When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;

Deuteronomy 30:10
If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if thou turn unto the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.

the vail.

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.

Isaiah 29:18
And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.

Isaiah 54:13
And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.

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Heart Nation Nevertheless Removed Turn Turned Turns Vail Veil Whenever Whensoever Withdrawn
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Heart Nation Nevertheless Removed Turn Turned Turns Vail Veil Whenever Whensoever Withdrawn
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.














But whenever anyone turns to the Lord
This phrase introduces a conditional promise that is universally applicable. The Greek word for "turns" is "ἐπιστρέφω" (epistrephō), which implies a decisive change of direction or a conversion. In the historical context of Paul's ministry, this turning signifies a shift from the old covenant of the law to the new covenant of grace through faith in Christ. The act of turning to the Lord is not merely a physical or superficial change but a profound spiritual transformation. It reflects repentance and a heartfelt decision to embrace Jesus as Lord and Savior. This turning is a personal and individual act, emphasizing that salvation is available to "anyone" who chooses to turn to Christ, highlighting the inclusivity of the Gospel message.

the veil is taken away
The "veil" here is a metaphorical reference to the spiritual blindness or misunderstanding that prevents individuals from fully comprehending the glory and truth of God. In the context of 2 Corinthians 3, Paul contrasts the old covenant, represented by Moses' veil, with the new covenant in Christ. Historically, Moses wore a veil to shield the Israelites from the fading glory of the old covenant (Exodus 34:33-35). In the new covenant, however, the veil is removed, symbolizing the believer's ability to see and understand God's glory directly through Christ. The Greek word for "taken away" is "καταργέω" (katargeō), meaning to abolish or nullify. This signifies that the barriers to understanding and experiencing God's presence are removed when one turns to Christ. The removal of the veil represents the freedom and clarity that come with the Holy Spirit's indwelling, allowing believers to experience a direct and personal relationship with God. This transformation is not just intellectual but deeply spiritual, as believers are invited into a life of unveiled communion with the Lord.

(16) Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord.--Better, But when it shall turn. The allegorising process is still carried on. Moses removed the veil when he went into the tabernacle to commune with the Lord (Exodus 34:35); so, in the interpretation of the parable, the veil shall be taken away when the heart of Israel shall turn, in the might of a real conversion, to the Lord of Israel. The very word for "turn" is taken from the same context: "Moses called them, and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation turned to him" (Exodus 34:31).

Verse 16. - When it shall turn to the Lord. The nominative of the verb is not expressed. Obviously the most natural word to supply is the one last alluded to, namely, "the heart of Israel." The verb may have been suggested by Exodus 34:31. Shall be taken away; literally, is in course of removal. The tenses imply that "the moment the heart of Israel shall have turned to the Lord, the removal of the veil begins." Then "they shall look on him whom they pierced" (Zechariah 12:10); "He will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations" (Isaiah 25:7).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
But
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

whenever
ἡνίκα (hēnika)
Adverb
Strong's 2259: When, whenever, at which time. Of uncertain affinity; at which time.

[anyone] turns
ἐπιστρέψῃ (epistrepsē)
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1994: From epi and strepho; to revert.

to
πρὸς (pros)
Preposition
Strong's 4314: To, towards, with. A strengthened form of pro; a preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. Toward.

[the] Lord,
Κύριον (Kyrion)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2962: Lord, master, sir; the Lord. From kuros; supreme in authority, i.e. controller; by implication, Master.

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.

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.

is taken away.
περιαιρεῖται (periaireitai)
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 4014: From peri and haireomai; to remove all around, i.e. Unveil, cast off; figuratively, to expiate.


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NT Letters: 2 Corinthians 3:16 But whenever one turns to the Lord (2 Cor. 2C iiC 2Cor ii cor iicor)
2 Corinthians 3:15
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