καταπέτασμα

a veil, curtain

Definition

The word καταπέτασμα refers to a heavy curtain or veil, specifically the large, ornate hangings that separated different sections of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. In the New Testament, it primarily denotes the inner veil that separated the Most Holy Place (the Holy of Holies) from the outer sanctuary (the Holy Place), as described in Hebrews 9:3. However, in the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew 27:51, Mark 15:38, Luke 23:45), the tearing of this veil at Jesus's crucifixion likely refers to the outer curtain at the entrance to the Holy Place. A final, metaphorical usage in Hebrews 10:20 describes Jesus's flesh as the 'veil' through which believers now have access to God.

Biblical Usage

This word is used six times in the New Testament, appearing in the Synoptic Gospels' crucifixion accounts and in the Epistle to the Hebrews. In the Gospels (Matthew 27:51, Mark 15:38, Luke 23:45), it describes the temple veil being torn supernaturally at the moment of Jesus's death, a dramatic sign. In Hebrews, it is used three times: once to identify the inner temple veil (Hebrews 9:3), once as a metaphor for hope that enters behind the veil (Hebrews 6:19), and once metaphorically for Jesus's flesh, which is the new and living way to God (Hebrews 10:20).

Etymology

Derived from the preposition κατά (kata), meaning 'down,' and the root related to πέτασμα (petasma), meaning 'something spread out' or 'a curtain.' The compound word thus literally means 'that which is spread out or hung down,' accurately describing a large, hanging veil.

Semantic Range

This word is theologically significant as it is central to the imagery of access to God. The tearing of the veil at Jesus's death (Matthew 27:51) symbolizes the end of the old covenant's separation between a holy God and sinful humanity, and the opening of direct access to God through Christ's sacrifice. In Hebrews, it becomes a powerful metaphor: our hope anchors us behind the veil (Hebrews 6:19), and Jesus's flesh is the veil through which we enter the true Holy Place (Hebrews 10:20). Understanding this Greek term enriches the reading of these passages by connecting the physical temple object to its profound New Testament fulfillment.

In its original setting, the καταπέτασμα was not a flimsy fabric but a thick, heavy curtain in the Jerusalem temple. According to Jewish tradition (e.g., Josephus, Mishnah), the inner veil was massive, intricately woven, and symbolized the impenetrable barrier between God's manifest presence in the Holy of Holies and the rest of the world. Only the High Priest could pass through it, and only once a year on the Day of Atonement. The Gospel accounts of its tearing would have been understood as a cataclysmic, divine act signifying a radical change in how humanity relates to God.

παραπέτασμα (parapetasma, G3855) — A more general term for a curtain or hanging, sometimes used interchangeably but less specific to the temple veil. κάλυμμα (kalymma, G2571) — A covering or veil, often used metaphorically for spiritual blindness (2 Corinthians 3:13-16) rather than the physical temple curtain.

Word Details

Scripture References