John 12:40

Citing Isaiah, John says God blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts so they would not turn and be healed. It describes God's judicial response to obstinate unbelief.

Cross-references · 39

• Isa 6:10Make the hearts of this people calloused; deafen their ears and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”
• Matt 13:13–15This is why I speak to them in parables: ‘Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.’
• 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 4:12so that, ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven.’”
• Isa 57:18–19I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will guide him and restore comfort to him and his mourners,
• 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.
• Hos 6:1Come, let us return to the LORD. For He has torn us to pieces, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bind up our wounds.
• Rom 11:7–11What then? What Israel was seeking, it failed to obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened,
• Hos 14:4I will heal their apostasy; I will freely love them, for My anger has turned away from them.
• 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.
• Luke 4:18“The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed,
• Matt 15:14Disregard them! They are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”
• 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?
• Jer 3:22“Return, O faithless children, and I will heal your faithlessness.” “Here we are. We come to You, for You are the LORD our God.
• John 9:39Then Jesus declared, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind may see and those who see may become blind.”
• Acts 3:19Repent, then, and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped away,
• Josh 11:20For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts to engage Israel in battle, so that they would be set apart for destruction and would receive no mercy, being annihilated as the LORD had commanded Moses.
• Ps 147:3He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
• Deut 29:4Yet to this day the LORD has not given you a mind to understand, eyes to see, or ears to hear.
• Ps 41:4I said, “O LORD, be gracious to me; heal me, for I have sinned against You.”
• Acts 28:26‘Go to this people and say, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.”
• Rom 9:18Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.
• Ezek 14:9But if the prophet is enticed to speak a message, then it was I the LORD who enticed him, and I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from among My people Israel.
• Jer 5:21“Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear.
• 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?
• Ps 6:2Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am frail; heal me, O LORD, for my bones are in agony.
• Mark 6:52for they had not understood about the loaves, but their hearts had been hardened.
• Exod 14:4And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart so that he will pursue them. But I will gain honor by means of Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.” So this is what the Israelites did.
• Acts 15:3Sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, recounting the conversion of the Gentiles and bringing great joy to all the brothers.
• Isa 26:11O LORD, Your hand is upraised, but they do not see it. They will see Your zeal for Your people and be put to shame. The fire set for Your enemies will consume them!
• Exod 7:13Still, Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.
• Jas 5:19–20My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back,
• Exod 14:17And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. Then I will gain honor by means of Pharaoh and all his army and chariots and horsemen.
• Exod 4:21The LORD instructed Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders that I have put within your power. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.
• Exod 14:8And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out defiantly.
• Exod 7:3But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I will multiply My signs and wonders in the land of Egypt,
• Isa 53:5But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.
• 1 Kgs 22:20And the LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab to march up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one suggested this, and another that.
• Ps 135:10–18He struck down many nations and slaughtered mighty kings:

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