Veil

Several distinct objects are called a veil or vail in Scripture. The most theologically significant is the great curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place in the tabernacle and later the temple, woven of blue, purple, and crimson thread and embroidered with cherubim (Exodus 26:31–33). Only the high priest could pass through it, and only on the Day of Atonement. When Jesus died on the cross, this veil was torn from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51), signifying that his atoning death had opened the way into God's presence for all people—the central theme of the Epistle to the Hebrews (Hebrews 10:19–20).

A different kind of veil appears in the story of Moses: after speaking with God, his face shone with such reflected glory that he covered it with a veil when addressing the people (Exodus 34:33). Paul interprets this veil in 2 Corinthians 3:13–16 as a type of the spiritual blindness that prevents Israel from recognizing the glory of the new covenant in Christ—a veil removed only "when one turns to the Lord." Women's veils, described in Ruth 3:15 and Isaiah 3:22, served as everyday garments in the ancient Near East, distinct from the bridal and religious contexts.