καταπέτασμα (katapetasma)
katapetasma
curtain
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 6 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun katapetasma refers to a heavy curtain or veil that hung down from above. In the New Testament, it specifically describes the inner partition of the Jewish Temple that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. This thick barrier marked the boundary between the sacred space where priests served and the invisible presence of God, which no one could enter except the high priest once a year.
The word appears in four Gospels to describe the dramatic event at Jesus’ death, when this curtain tore from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38). The author of Hebrews uses the term more frequently, noting that Christ entered the true sanctuary behind this veil (Hebrews 6:19; 9:3). In a striking metaphor, Hebrews identifies Jesus’ flesh as this very curtain, meaning his body provided the new path for believers to approach God directly.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word katapetasma describes the heavy curtain in the Jewish Temple that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. This thick barrier marked a clear boundary between the sacred space where priests served and the presence of God, which no one could enter except the high priest once a year.
In a dramatic moment recorded in the Gospels, this curtain tore from top to bottom when Jesus died (Matthew 27:51). This event signified that the separation between God and humanity was removed. The author of Hebrews expands on this by identifying Jesus’ flesh as the new path for believers to approach God directly (Hebrews 10:20).
For your faith, this means you do not need a human mediator or a physical barrier to reach God. Through Christ’s sacrifice, the way is open for everyone to come into God’s presence with confidence and peace.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 6 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- veil4×
- veil,2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- καταπέτασμα4×
- καταπετάσματος,2×
Key Verses
-
Matthew 27:51
Behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom. The earth quaked and the rocks were split.
This verse records the physical tearing of the veil at Jesus' death, symbolizing the removal of the barrier between God and humanity.
-
Hebrews 6:19
This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and entering into that which is within the veil,
Here the author uses the veil as a metaphor for hope, describing it as an anchor that enters into the divine presence.
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Hebrews 10:20
by the way which he dedicated for us, a new and living way, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh,
This passage explicitly identifies Jesus' flesh as the new and living way through the veil, allowing direct access to God.