Word study · Greek
katapetasma
curtain, veil
Say it: kah-tah-PEH-tahs-mah (approximate)
καταπέτασμα
What it means
A curtain or veil, used in the Greek Old Testament for the curtains of the tabernacle and temple. Which curtain is torn in 27:51 isn't stated. The inner curtain screened the Holy of Holies, and Hebrews later reads the torn curtain as opening the way into God's presence.
Open question Debated
Whether the inner curtain before the Holy of Holies or the outer curtain is meant is debated; Matthew doesn't say.
Range of meaning
- VeilA hanging curtain.
- Temple curtainThe curtain in the tabernacle or temple.
In Matthew
- Chapter 27
"The veil of the temple was torn in two" (27:51).
Every verse (1)
Verses where G2665 is tagged in the Hebrew text: STEPBible Data (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. About our sources