Mark 4:12

so that, ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven.’”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Jesus speaks privately to his disciples, explaining why he addresses "those on the outside" in parables (Mark 4:11, 4:13).

The words — The verse pairs two distinct Greek verbs: βλέπωσιν (blepōsin, "they may look") for physical sight, and ἴδωσιν (idōsin, "they may perceive") for comprehension. The contrast between looking and perceiving is the structural engine of the sentence.

The thread — Jesus is quoting Isaiah 6:9; Matthew 13:14 records the same citation. Isaiah 44:18 adds the dimension of God actively shutting eyes and minds.

Why it lands — The stated purpose is that they will not turn and be forgiven. The reader is asked to hold that Jesus attributes a hardening function to his own parabolic speech, without smoothing it into mere metaphor.

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 Greek words

ἵναinaso that βλέποντεςblepontesLooking βλέπωσινblepōsinthey may look καὶkaiand μὴmēnot ἴδωσινidōsinthey may perceive καὶkaiand ἀκούοντεςakouonteshearing ἀκούωσινakouōsinthey may hear καὶkaiand μὴmēnot συνιῶσινsuniōsinthey may understand μήποτεmēpoteotherwise ἐπιστρέψωσινepistrepsōsinthey may turn καὶkaiand ἀφεθῇaphethēamay be forgiven αὐτοῖςautoisto them’τὰta<the>ἁμαρτήματα.¶hamartēmatasins.

King James Version

That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.

Cross-references

Isaiah 6:9 And He replied: “Go and tell this people, ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’
Isaiah 44:18 They do not comprehend or discern, for He has shut their eyes so they cannot see and closed their minds so they cannot understand.
Matthew 13:14 In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
Jeremiah 5:21 “Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear.
Deuteronomy 29:4 Yet to this day the LORD has not given you a mind to understand, eyes to see, or ears to hear.
John 12:37 Although Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still did not believe in Him.
Luke 8:10 He 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.’
2 Timothy 2:25 He must gently reprove those who oppose him, in the hope that God may grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth.
Ezekiel 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.
Romans 11:8 as 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.”