‘Go to this people and say, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.”
Parallel translations
- WEB saying, ‘Go to this people, and say, in hearing, you will hear, but will in no way understand. In seeing, you will see, but will in no way perceive.
- KJV Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive:
- NKJV saying, ‘Go to this people and say: “Hearing you will hear, and shall not understand; And seeing you will see, and not perceive;
- NASB saying, ‘Go to this people and say, “You will keep on hearing, and will not understand; And you will keep on seeing, and will not perceive;
- NLT ‘Go and say to this people: When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Paul quotes Isaiah 6:9: the people will hear and see yet neither understand nor perceive. Persistent unbelief brings judicial blindness.
Overview
Citing Isaiah's commission, Paul applies the ancient warning of dull hearing and unseeing eyes to those who reject the gospel. Jesus used the same passage to explain why many would not grasp his message (Matt. 13:14-15). The quotation shows that Israel's mixed response to Christ was itself foretold in their own Scriptures.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 19
- Isa 6:9–10And He replied: “Go and tell this people, ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’
- Ezek 12:2“Son of man, you are living in a rebellious house. They have eyes to see but do not see, and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious house.
- Isa 42:19–20Who is blind but My servant, or deaf like the messenger I am sending? Who is blind like My covenant partner, or blind like the servant of the LORD?
- Matt 13:14–15In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
- Mark 4:12so that, ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven.’”
- 2 Cor 4:4–6The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
- Luke 24:45Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.
- Rom 11:8–10as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see, and ears that could not hear, to this very day.”
- John 12:38–40This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: “Lord, who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
- Jer 5:21“Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear.
- Luke 24:25Then Jesus said to them, “O foolish ones, how slow are your hearts to believe all that the prophets have spoken!
- Luke 8:10He replied, “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, ‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’
- Mark 8:17–18Aware of their conversation, Jesus asked them, “Why are you debating about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Do you have such hard hearts?
- Isa 29:14Therefore I will again confound these people with wonder upon wonder. The wisdom of the wise will vanish, and the intelligence of the intelligent will be hidden.”
- Isa 29:10For the LORD has poured out on you a spirit of deep sleep. He has shut your eyes, O prophets; He has covered your heads, O seers.
- Isa 66:4So I will choose their punishment and I will bring terror upon them, because I called and no one answered, I spoke and no one listened. But they did evil in My sight and chose that in which I did not delight.”
- Deut 29:4Yet to this day the LORD has not given you a mind to understand, eyes to see, or ears to hear.
- Ezek 3:6–7not to the many peoples of unfamiliar speech and difficult language whose words you cannot understand. Surely if I had sent you to them, they would have listened to you.
- Ps 81:11–12But My people would not listen to Me, and Israel would not obey Me.
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