2 Corinthians 3:13 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Bible Comments

Could not steadfastly look, &c.— St. Paul is here justifying in himself, and to other ministers of the gospel, the plainness and openness of their preaching, which he had asserted in the preceding verse. These words therefore here must, of necessity, be understood, not of Moses, but of the ministers of the gospel; namely, that it was not the obscurity of their preaching, not any thing veiled in their way of proposing the Gospel, which was the cause why the children of Israel did not understand the law perfectly, and see Christ the end of it in the writings of Moses. What is said in the next verse plainly determines the words to this sense: "We the ministers of the Gospel speak plainly and openly, and put no veil upon ourselves, (as Moses did,) whereby to hinder the Jews from seeing Christ in the law; but that which now hinders them is a wilful blindness of their minds." This seems to be obviating an objection, which some of the Corinthians might make to the Apostle's boasting of so much plainness and clearness in his preaching; as much as to say, "If you preach the Gospel, and Christ contained in the law, with such a shining clearness and evidence, how comes it that the Jews are not converted to it?"—His reply is, "Their unbelief comes not from any obscurity in our preaching, but from a wilful blindness." See Romans 10:2-4. Some, instead of, that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look, &c. read, denoting, that the children of Israel did not look, &c.

2 Corinthians 3:13

13 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: