Bible Strands

Isaiah 6:9

And He replied: “Go and tell this people, ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The Lord speaks to Isaiah immediately after Isaiah's "Send me" (6:8), commissioning him not to heal but to deliver a message that will harden.

The words — שָׁמֹעַ (shamoa') is the infinitive absolute of the same root as the imperative שִׁמְעוּ (shim'u) in the same verse; the absolute form marks repeated, unceasing action, so the contrast is between endless hearing and zero comprehension.

The thread — Jesus applies this verse directly to his own parabolic teaching in Matthew 13:14, Mark 4:12, and Luke 8:10, framing it as the mechanism by which the kingdom's mysteries remain hidden from those outside.

Why it lands — The verse locates the failure in the hearer, not the speaker: the messenger fulfilled his duty, the sound reached the ear, and understanding still did not occur. It forces the reader to ask whether their own repeated exposure to the text is producing comprehension or merely familiarity.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וַיֹּ֕אמֶרva/i.Yo.merand/ he saidלֵ֥ךְlekhgoוְאָמַרְתָּ֖ve./'a.mar.Taand/ you will sayלָעָ֣םla./'Amto the/ peopleהַזֶּ֑הha./Zeh<the>/ thisשִׁמְע֤וּshim.'Uhearשָׁמ֙וֹעַ֙sha.Mo.a'continually <to hear>וְאַל־ve./'al-and/ may notתָּבִ֔ינוּta.Vi.nuyou understandוּרְא֥וּu./re.'Uand/ seeרָא֖וֹra.'Ocontinually <to see>וְאַל־ve./'al-and/ may notתֵּדָֽעוּ׃te.Da.'uyou perceive

King James Version

And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.

Cross-references