2 Corinthians 3:16

when it shall turn to the Lord The A. V. makes (1) Israel's heartthe nominative to the verb in this sentence. Wiclif and the other Protestant translators (2) make Israel itselfthe nominative, while (3) the Rhemish version makes Mosesthe nominative, referring to the fact that in the narrative in Exodus 34 he is said in almost the same words as here, to remove the veil when he turns to God. Origen (4) would supply any one. Each rendering is defended by commentators of note, but the first seems preferable. Cf. Romans 11:23; Romans 11:26; Romans 11:32.

the vail shall be taken away The tense in the original is present, not future, and may be interpreted, (1) with Bp. Wordsworth, -is in process of removal," or perhaps better, (2) with Dean Alford, is there and then removed, i.e. at the moment when the heart turns to the Lord, just as Moses took off the veil when he turned to speak to God. See also Isaiah 25:7. It is to be observed that these words are a quotation of the LXX. of Exodus 34:34, substituting, however, the presentfor the pasttense.