Yet the LORD hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day.
Parallel translations
- WEB But Yahweh has not given you a heart to know, eyes to see, and ears to hear, to this day.
- BSB Yet to this day the LORD has not given you a mind to understand, eyes to see, or ears to hear.
- NKJV Yet the Lord has not given you a heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear, to this very day.
- NASB Yet to this day the Lord has not given you a heart to know, nor eyes to see, nor ears to hear.
- NLT But to this day the Lord has not given you minds that understand, nor eyes that see, nor ears that hear!
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
Despite all they saw, God had not yet given them hearts to truly understand. Spiritual insight is a divine gift, not a human achievement.
Overview
This profound verse acknowledges that genuine understanding, perceiving eyes, and hearing ears come from God himself. Israel's persistent dullness reveals the human heart's need for inward renewal beyond outward witness. It anticipates the new-covenant promise of a transformed heart, fulfilled when Christ opens blind eyes and the Spirit grants understanding to those who believe.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Isa 6:9–10And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.
- Eph 4:18Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
- Prov 20:12The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the LORD hath made even both of them.
- John 8:43Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
- Matt 13:11–15He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
- Isa 63:17O LORD, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants’ sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.
- Rom 11:7–10What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.
- 2 Cor 3:15But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.
- Ezek 36:26A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
- Jas 1:13–17Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
- John 12:38–40That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?
- Acts 28:26–27Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive:
- 2 Th 2:10–12And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
- Deut 2:30But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him: for the LORD thy God hardened his spirit, and made his heart obstinate, that he might deliver him into thy hand, as appeareth this day.
- 2 Tim 2:25In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Moses promised a Prophet like himself to whom Israel must listen (18:15); Jesus is that Prophet, the one who keeps the covenant we broke and becomes the curse for us by hanging on a tree (Gal 3:13).
How Deuteronomy 29:4 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.