Matthew 27:51 · Bible study
Matthew 27:51 Commentary: The Torn Veil
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
The theological significance of the temple veil torn at Jesus' death, with commentary from Calvin, Gill, and others. Earthquake and rocks split.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The veil torn from top to bottom signifies that through Christ's death, the barrier between God and humanity is removed, granting free access to God's presence.
- Key words: katapetasma (veil), eschisthē (was torn, aorist passive, divine action), naos (sanctuary building, not whole temple).
- Main debate: Whether the veil was the inner curtain before the Holy of Holies (majority view) or the outer curtain at the temple entrance (minority view); also whether the tearing was directly miraculous or caused by the earthquake.
- Theological theme: Christ as the true High Priest who opens the way to God, fulfilling the Old Testament sacrificial system and making all believers a royal priesthood.
- Best use: A hinge point in redemptive history; preached in connection with Hebrews 9, 10 to show the end of the old covenant and the beginning of bold access to God through Christ.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
At that moment the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked and the rocks were split.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom. The earth quaked and the rocks were split.
KJV King James Version 1769
And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And behold, the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake; and the rocks were rent;
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and lo, the vail of the sanctuary was rent in two from top unto bottom, and the earth did quake, and the rocks were rent,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And lo, the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top to the bottom, and the earth was shaken, and the rocks were rent,
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And behold the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top even to the bottom: and the earth quaked and the rocks were rent.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y he aquí, el velo del templo se rompió en dos, de alto á bajo: y la tierra tembló, y las piedras se hendieron;
E eis que o véu do Templo se rasgou em dois, de cima até embaixo, a terra tremeu, e as pedras se fenderam.
Et voici, le voile du temple se déchira en deux, depuis le haut jusqu’ en bas, la terre trembla, les rochers se fendirent,
Und siehe da, der Vorhang im Tempel zerriß in zwei Stücke von obenan bis untenaus.
En ziet, het voorhangsel des tempels scheurde in tweeen, van boven tot beneden; en de aarde beefde, en de steenrotsen scheurden.
Ed ecco, la cortina del tempio si squarciò in due, da cima a fondo, e la terra tremò, e le rocce si schiantarono,
A oto zasłona kościelna rozerwała się na dwoje od wierzchu aż do dołu, i trzęsła się ziemia, a skały się rozpadały.
И вот, завеса в храме раздралась надвое, сверху донизу; и земля потряслась; и камни расселись;
忽然，殿 裡的幔子 從 上 到 下 裂 為 兩半，地 也 震動，磐石 也 崩裂，
And the curtain of the Temple was parted in two from end to end; and there was an earth-shock; and the rocks were broken;
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Matthew 27:51
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators from every tradition agree on the main point: the veil that tore was the inner curtain separating the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies (Exodus 26:31). Adam Clarke, John Calvin, and Matthew Henry all read the event as God's own act, the tear runs from top to bottom, not from the ground up. Vincent's Word Studies notes the rabbinic tradition that the veil was a handbreadth thick, woven of 72 twisted plaits, requiring hundreds of priests to handle. That such a heavy curtain split in two at the precise moment of Jesus' death, the hour of the evening sacrifice, points beyond coincidence. As Calvin writes, Christ 'having abolished the figures of the law, opened up for us by his blood the way to the heavenly sanctuary.' The earthquake and splitting rocks underscore that the Creator was present in the death of the Son. While Barnes cautions that Scripture says little directly about the veil's 'design,' the consensus across the commentaries is clear: the torn veil announces free access to God through Christ.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Inner veil (Holy of Holies): Supported by Exodus 26:31, Leviticus 16, and the typology in Hebrews 9–10; most commentators (Calvin, Clarke, Gill, Cambridge Bible) hold this view.
- Outer veil (temple entrance): A minority view, mentioned by some older interpreters (e.g., Michaelis, refuted by Heubner in Lange), that the veil was the one at the main entrance to the sanctuary.
- Direct miracle vs. earthquake effect: Some see the tearing as a direct act of God (Calvin, Wesley), while others (Lange, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown) view the earthquake as the physical cause.
What is clear: The veil was torn from top to bottom at the moment of Jesus' death, signifying God's own action to open the way into his presence through Christ's sacrifice.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Which veil was torn | The majority of commentators (Calvin, Gill, Clarke, Cambridge Bible) identify it as the inner veil separating the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. | A minority (some older interpreters mentioned in Lange) suggest it could have been the outer veil at the temple entrance. The inner veil is strongly favored by the cross-reference to Hebrews 10:19, 20. |
| Nature of the tearing | All agree the tear was from top to bottom, indicating supernatural agency (God's action), not human. | Some (Lange, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown) see the earthquake as the physical cause of the tearing, while others (Calvin, Gill) treat the rending as a direct miracle, with the earthquake as a separate but simultaneous sign. |
| Symbolic meaning | The rent veil signifies that the way to God is now open to all through Christ's sacrifice. This is the near-universal reading across traditions. | Some emphasize the abolition of Jewish ceremonial law (Calvin, Clarke), others focus on access to God's presence for both Jews and Gentiles (Wesley, Henry). Barnes says Scripture is silent on the exact 'design,' cautioning against over-interpretation. |
| Historical witness | The event occurred at the hour of the evening sacrifice (3 p.m.), making it possible for priests to witness the tearing. | There is no direct biblical record of priestly testimony, but the Cambridge Bible and Gill note that many priests later became believers (Acts 6:7), which may suggest they knew of the event. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The veil in view is the katapetasma, the inner curtain that divided the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies (Exodus 26:31, 33). By law, only the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies, and only once a year on the Day of Atonement, bearing sacrificial blood (Leviticus 16:2, 12, 15). The veil itself was a massive tapestry: according to rabbinic tradition cited by Gill and Vincent, it was a handbreadth thick, woven from 72 twisted plaits of 24 threads each, reaching 60 feet high and 30 feet wide. Two new veils were made every year, and it took three hundred priests to manipulate one. Matthew uses the word naos (the sanctuary building) rather than hieron (the whole temple complex), emphasizing the sacred inner chamber. The tearing occurred at 3 p.m., the time of the evening sacrifice, when the priest would be near the veil offering incense. An earthquake shook the ground, splitting rocks. The direction of the tear, from top to bottom, rules out human agency; this is God ripping open the barrier. The timing and nature of these events lead most commentators to see them as a divine sign: the old system of separation is ended, and the way into God's presence is now open to all through Christ's completed sacrifice.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Matthew 27:51. The reading is stable across the major Greek manuscripts and early translations. The only variation of note is in Luke's parallel (23:45), where some manuscripts include 'the sun was darkened' before the veil tearing, but this does not affect Matthew's text.
Reception History
The early church read this verse as the fulfillment of Christ's priestly work. The Epistle to the Hebrews directly interprets the torn veil as Christ's flesh (Hebrews 10:19, 20), a connection that became standard in patristic teaching. Augustine saw it as the end of the Jewish temple cult. During the Reformation, Calvin and Luther emphasized the tearing as the removal of every human barrier to God, grounding the priesthood of all believers. The medieval church often included it in passion narratives and art, depicting the veil split as Christ expires. The apocryphal Gospel of the Hebrews (cited by Jerome) exaggerates the event, claiming the temple's great lintel broke, likely an embellishment of the same tradition. Modern scholarship continues to debate the veil's precise symbolism, but the core meaning of open access through Christ remains unchallenged.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The veil is torn. God himself removes the barrier between a holy God and sinful humanity. The direction, top to bottom, shows it is his work, not ours.
- The earth shakes. Creation responds to its Creator's death. The earthquake is both a sign of judgment and a declaration that the world is being remade.
- The rocks split. The physical world cracks open, foreshadowing the opened tombs and the resurrection. Death itself begins to loosen its grip.
Five-point outline
- What was the veil? The barrier between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies, a thick tapestry that guarded the presence of God.
- Why does it tear from top to bottom? God acts; no human hand could reach the top. It is a sovereign declaration.
- What does the tearing mean? The writer of Hebrews explains: we now have boldness to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, through a new and living way (Hebrews 10:19, 20).
- Why an earthquake and splitting rocks? Nature itself bears witness. The earth quakes at the death of its Lord; rocks break open, anticipating the opened graves.
- What does this mean for us? Access to God is no longer limited to one priest one day a year. Every believer may draw near through Christ.
Illustration hooks
- A heavy curtain in a theater that is suddenly ripped from top to bottom, revealing the stage behind. Until the tear, the audience could only hear the actors; after it, they see everything.
- A locked door in a house that is kicked open from the outside, the owner breaking in, not a guest knocking for permission.
- A child who has been standing outside a parent's closed office door, waiting, until the parent throws the door open and says, 'Come in.'
Questions your congregation is asking
- Did the priests in the temple actually see the veil tear? (Gill notes they would have, as the incense altar was near the veil.)
- Is the tearing of the veil literal or symbolic? (The Gospels present it as an actual event with symbolic meaning; both are true.)
- How does this relate to the Day of Atonement? (Christ fulfills the high priest's work once for all, as Hebrews explains.)
Leading a Discussion
This verse sits at the center of the cross, not just as a physical event, but as a theological earthquake. The veil that for centuries guarded the Most Holy Place is torn open at the moment Jesus dies. The group's goal is to understand what this sign means for our relationship with God.
Discussion questions
- Read Exodus 26:31, 33 and Leviticus 16:2. What was the veil's purpose in the tabernacle and temple? What did it communicate about access to God?
- Matthew says the veil was torn “from the top to the bottom.” Why is that detail significant? What does it suggest about who tore it?
- Several commentators link the torn veil to Hebrews 10:19, 20, where the veil is called Christ's flesh. How does Jesus' death function as a “new and living way” into God's presence?
- The earthquake and splitting rocks accompany the tearing. What do these cosmic signs add to the meaning of the event? How does creation respond to the death of its Maker?
- Barnes notes that Scripture does not explicitly state the “design” of the tearing. Even so, what do the Gospel writers seem to be telling us by placing this sign here?
- How does the torn veil change the way you approach prayer, worship, or confession? Does it affect how you think about the presence of God in your daily life?
- If the torn veil means free access to God, what might that look like practically this week? Where might you be holding back from drawing near?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 26:31 | “You shall make a veil of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cherubim. It shall be the work of a skillful workman. |
| Exodus 26:37 | You shall make for the screen five pillars of acacia, and overlay them with gold. Their hooks shall be of gold. You shall cast five sockets of bronze for them. |
| Exodus 40:21 | He brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up the veil of the screen, and screened the ark of the covenant, as Yahweh commanded Moses. |
| Leviticus 16:2 | and Yahweh said to Moses, “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at just any time into the Most Holy Place within the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark; lest he die; for I will appear in the cloud on the mercy seat. |
| Leviticus 16:12 | He shall take a censer full of coals of fire from off the altar before Yahweh, and two handfuls of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the veil. |
| Leviticus 16:15 | “Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering that is for the people, and bring his blood within the veil, and do with his blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat. |
| Leviticus 21:23 | He shall not come near to the veil, nor come near to the altar, because he has a defect; that he may not profane my sanctuaries, for I am Yahweh who sanctifies them.’” |
| II Chronicles 3:14 | He made the veil of blue, purple, crimson, and fine linen, and ornamented it with cherubim. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
11 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke reads the torn temple veil as a deliberate emblem: the barrier between Jews and Gentiles was removed, and the high priest's exclusive privilege was opened to everyone. All people now have direct access to God's mercy through Jesus, the one mediator and atonement.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that while the torn veil is commonly seen as opening heaven's way through Christ, he insists the Bible gives no explicit explanation for its meaning, making further speculation pointless. He adds that the earthquake was a miraculous sign, attested even by Roman writers, and that split rocks on Calvary were still visible in his day.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin stresses the veil was not torn until the sacrifice of expiation was complete. This timing shows Christ as the true Priest abolished the old ceremonial shadows and opened direct
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentary connects the torn temple veil directly to Hebrews' teaching about Christ's flesh as the new and living way into God's presence. It also notes that priests witnessed the event, and many of them later became believers, as Acts records.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes draw attention to the literal, supernatural signs that immediately followed Christ's death: the temple veil torn from top to bottom by divine action, the earthquake, and rocks splitting apart. The note presents these events as straightforward historical facts without added interpretation, underscoring their dramatic significance.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill dwells on the extraordinary thickness and size of the temple veil, citing Jewish traditions that it was a handbreadth thick, woven with multiple doubled threads, and forty cubits long. Its rending from top to bottom was therefore a stunning physical miracle. He interprets it as a token of divine mourning and the end of the ceremonial law.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB observes that the earthquake was local, intended specifically to split rocks and open graves. For them, the physical creation proclaimed the moral upheaval taking place at history’s most critical moment — a dramatic witness that still leaves visible fissures near the spot.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange treats the crucifixion as a series of divine contrasts where mockery becomes praise and nature itself mourns. The darkness, earthquake, and opened graves are not mere accompaniments but essential signs that Christ's death transforms the curse of the cross into the world's redemption.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry draws attention to the precise timing of Christ's death, noting it coincided with the evening sacrifice and the killing of the paschal lamb. This typologically fulfills Christ as our Passover sacrificed for us. He further observes this may mark the exact fulfillment of Daniel's seventy weeks prophecy to the very day and hour.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent clarifies which temple veil is meant, distinguishing the one that covered the entrance to the holy of holies from the main entrance veil. He also notes that by this period the holy of holies contained only a large stone where the high priest sprinkled blood on the day of atonement, the ark and mercy-seat being gone.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley sees the torn veil as God removing the barrier of Jewish ceremonies, granting Jews and Gentiles equal access to God. The earthquake expresses God's wrath against the Jewish nation for crucifying Christ.