Second Corinthians 3:13 explains that Paul does not act like Moses, who covered his face with a veil so the Israelites would not stare at the fading glory on it. Paul speaks openly and boldly because the glory of the new covenant lasts, rather than fading away like the glory that shone from Moses. The verse is written by the apostle Paul to the church in Corinth, a community he had founded and cared for deeply.
And not as Moses, who put a veil on his face, that the children of Israel wouldn’t look steadfastly on the end of that which was passing away.
2 Corinthians 3:13 (WEB)
What 2 Corinthians 3:13 Means
The verse begins by contrasting Paul’s manner of speaking with Moses. When Moses came down from Mount Sinai carrying the law, his face shone with God’s glory. Because that brightness faded over time, Moses put a veil over his face. Paul suggests the veil was not only about shielding people from the light, but about hiding the fact that the glory was temporary.
The phrase “that the children of Israel wouldn’t look steadfastly on the end of that which was passing away” points to this hidden meaning. The “end” here means the purpose or conclusion of the old covenant, which was passing away. Paul is saying that the old system was meant to give way to something greater, and the veil kept people from seeing that its glory was fading.
The verse does not promise that everyone will understand this right away, and it does not say Paul is criticizing Moses. It describes a contrast between an old covenant that was temporary and a new covenant that remains. Paul’s boldness rests on the lasting nature of what God has done in Christ.
The Context of 2 Corinthians 3:13
Second Corinthians is one of Paul’s letters to the church in Corinth, written to a congregation that was divided and that questioned his authority as an apostle. Paul defends his ministry in the earlier chapters and turns in chapter 3 to describe the difference between the old covenant written on stone and the new covenant written on the heart by the Spirit.
Just before verse 13, Paul argues that if the ministry of condemnation came with glory, the ministry of the Spirit comes with even greater glory (verses 7 to 11). Verse 12 gives the conclusion: “having therefore such a hope, we use great boldness of speech.” Verse 13 then sets Paul’s open speech against Moses’s veil. Verses 14 to 16 explain that the veil still lies over hearts that do not turn to the Lord, and that the veil is removed when a person turns to Him. Read in this setting, verse 13 is part of a larger argument about how people come to see God’s glory clearly.
Key Phrases in 2 Corinthians 3:13
2 Corinthians 3:16
But whenever one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
(WEB)
This verse finishes the thought begun in verse 13 by saying that the veil is taken away when a person turns to the Lord. It shows that the removal of the veil is not a matter of effort but of turning toward God in faith.
Exodus 34:33
When Moses was done speaking with them, he put a veil on his face.
(WEB)
This is the original account of Moses putting the veil over his face after speaking with the Lord. Reading it alongside Paul’s comment helps you see how he draws on the story to explain the difference between the old and new covenants.
A Short Prayer From 2 Corinthians 3:13
Lord, thank You that the glory You give does not fade the way the glory of Moses did. Help me to speak honestly and boldly about the hope I have in You, without hiding behind fear or pretense. Where I have kept a veil over my heart, I ask You to take it away, so that I may turn to You and see Your goodness clearly. Keep my words and my life open before You and before others. Amen.
