Exodus 34:33

And [till] Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face.

And till Moses {H4872} had done {H3615} speaking {H1696} with them, he put {H5414} a vail {H4533} on his face {H6440}.

Once Moshe had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face.

When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face.

And when Moses had done speaking with them, he put a veil on his face.

Commentary

Context of the Veil

Exodus 34:33 describes a pivotal moment following Moses' second descent from Mount Sinai, where he had been in God's presence for forty days and forty nights to receive the second set of tablets containing the Ten Commandments. Upon his return, Moses' face was radiant with divine glory, so much so that the Israelites, including Aaron, were afraid to approach him (Exodus 34:29-30). This verse states that after Moses finished speaking God's commands to the people, he placed a veil over his face. This practice was maintained: he would remove the veil when speaking with the Lord in the Tabernacle, but put it back on when addressing the people or when he was not in direct communion with God (Exodus 34:34-35).

Key Themes and Significance

  • Divine Glory and Human Capacity: The veil highlights the overwhelming nature of God's glory, even when reflected on a human being. The people could not endure the direct manifestation of God's radiance, necessitating a covering.
  • Moses as Mediator: Moses served as the primary mediator between God and Israel, delivering divine laws and messages. The veil symbolized a necessary barrier, allowing the people to interact with him without being overwhelmed by the reflected glory, and perhaps also signifying the temporary nature of this direct, yet mediated, access to God's presence under the Old Covenant.
  • Concealment of Fading Glory: As later interpreted in the New Testament, the veil also served to hide the fact that the glory on Moses' face was temporary and would fade over time. This foreshadows the temporary nature of the Old Covenant itself, which was destined to be superseded by the eternal glory of the New Covenant in Christ.

Linguistic Insight

The Hebrew word for "veil" used here is masveh (ΧžΦ·Χ‘Φ°Χ•ΦΆΧ”), which specifically denotes a covering or shroud. Its usage emphasizes the act of concealment and the barrier it created, a physical object with profound spiritual and theological implications.

New Testament Connection and Practical Application

The Apostle Paul offers a profound theological interpretation of Moses' veil in 2 Corinthians 3:7-18. He explains that the veil symbolized the spiritual blindness of the Israelites, who could not perceive the true nature of the Old Covenant's glory or its temporary purpose, which pointed towards Christ. Paul contrasts the fading glory of the Law with the enduring and ever-increasing glory of the New Covenant in Christ.

Practical Application: This verse, especially through Paul's commentary, provides powerful insights for believers today:

  • It reminds us that through Jesus Christ, the veil has been removed. We no longer need a mediator like Moses or a physical covering to approach God. We have bold and direct access to God's presence through Christ's sacrifice (Hebrews 10:19-22).
  • It challenges us to live with "unveiled faces," allowing the Holy Spirit to transform us as we gaze upon the Lord's glory, rather than clinging to old ways of understanding or remaining spiritually blind (2 Corinthians 3:18). This means actively seeking truth, embracing spiritual revelation, and living in the freedom and clarity that the New Covenant offers.
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Cross-References

  • 2 Corinthians 4:4 (5 votes)

    In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

  • 2 Corinthians 4:6 (5 votes)

    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.

  • 2 Corinthians 3:13 (4 votes)

    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:

  • 2 Corinthians 3:18 (4 votes)

    But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, [even] as by the Spirit of the Lord.

  • Romans 10:4 (2 votes)

    For Christ [is] the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.