H4533 H4533
veil, covering worn on face
A noun denoting a veil or face covering, appearing only in the account of Moses descending from Mount Sinai. After speaking with God, Moses' face shone so brightly that he placed a veil over his face when addressing the people (Exodus 34:33, 35). He would remove the veil when entering God's presence (34:34). The veil mediated between the divine glory reflected on Moses' face and the people's inability to bear that radiance, prefiguring later theological reflections on veiled revelation.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Translations uniformly identify a face veil or covering: Spanish 'velo' (veil), English 'veil,' French 'voile.' Exodus 34:33 describes Moses placing the veil on his face after the people saw its radiance. Verse 34 establishes his pattern: removing it in God's presence, replacing it when teaching the people. Verse 35 confirms this became regular practice. Paul later uses this imagery in 2 Corinthians 3 to discuss veiled and unveiled revelation, giving Moses' veil enduring theological significance. 3×
AR["البُرقُعَ", "بُرقُعاً"]·ben["আবরণ"]·DE["der-Vorhang", "ein-Vorhang"]·EN["a-veil", "the-veil"]·FR["le-voile", "un-voile"]·heb["ה-מסווה", "מסווה"]·HI["परदा"]·ID["selubung"]·IT["il-velo", "un-velo"]·jav["kudung", "kudung."]·KO["그-수건을", "수건을"]·PT["o-véu", "véu"]·RU["покрывало"]·ES["el-velo", "un-velo"]·SW["utaji"]·TR["-örtüyü", "örtü"]·urd["پردہ", "پردے"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† מַסְוֶה n.[m.] veil;—abs. מ׳ עַל־פָּנָיו Ex 34:33 cf. v 34:35 (P).