Matthew 13:15

For this people’s heart has grown callous; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.’

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Jesus addresses his disciples directly, quoting Isaiah 6:10 to explain why he speaks in parables to "this people" (τοῦ λαοῦ τοῦτου) while revealing things to them.

The words — ἐπαχύνθη (epachunthē), aorist passive of ἐπαχύνω, a medical term for tissue becoming hardened or calloused, applied here to the heart as a completed state rather than a process.

The thread — The verse is a near-verbatim quotation of Isaiah 6:10; Zechariah 7:11 echoes the same refusal ("turned a stubborn shoulder; they stopped up their ears"), and Mark 4:12 carries the parallel in Mark's account.

Why it lands — The aorist passive marks the callousness as a settled condition, not a momentary lapse; the verse asks the reader to recognize that continued hearing without response is itself the act of closing, not a passive failure to receive.

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

ἐπαχύνθηepachunthēHas grown dull γὰρgarfor ἡhēthe καρδίαkardiaheart τοῦtouof the λαοῦlaoupeople τούτου,toutouthis,καὶkaiand τοῖςtoiswith the ὠσὶνōsinears βαρέωςbareōsbarely ἤκουσαν,ēkousanthey have heard,καὶkaiand τοὺςtousthe ὀφθαλμοὺςophthalmouseyes αὐτῶνautōnof them ἐκάμμυσαν·ekammusanthey have closed;μήποτεmēpoteotherwise ἴδωσινidōsinthey may see τοῖςtoiswith the ὀφθαλμοῖςophthalmoiseyes καὶkaiand τοῖςtoiswith the ὠσὶνōsinears ἀκούσωσινakousōsinthey may hear καὶkaiand τῇtēawith the καρδίᾳkardiaheart συνῶσινsunōsinthey may understand καὶkaiand ἐπιστρέψωσινepistrepsōsinmay return καὶkaiand ἰάσομαιiasomaiI will heal αὐτούς.¶autousthem.’

King James Version

For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

Cross-references

Isaiah 6:10 Make 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.”
Zechariah 7:11 But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder; they stopped up their ears from hearing.
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.’”
John 8:43 Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you are unable to accept My message.
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.
Isaiah 29:10 For 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.
Jeremiah 17:14 Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed; save me, and I will be saved, for You are my praise.
Malachi 4:2 “But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, and you will go out and leap like calves from the stall.
Psalms 119:70 Their hearts are callous and insensitive, but I delight in Your law.
Hebrews 5:11 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain, because you are dull of hearing.