Mark 4:12

Mark 4:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)so that, “ ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’ ”
• English Standard Version (ESV)so that "'they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.'"
• New King James Version (NKJV)so that ‘Seeing they may see and not perceive, And hearing they may hear and not understand; Lest they should turn, And their sins be forgiven them.’ ”

Context of Mark 4:12

10As soon as Jesus was alone with the Twelve and those around Him, they asked Him about the parable. 11He replied, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those on the outside everything is expressed in parables, so that, ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven.’” 13Then Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables? 14The farmer sows the word.

Mark 4:12 word by word

ἵνα βλέποντες βλέπωσιν καὶ μὴ ἴδωσιν καὶ ἀκούοντες ἀκούωσιν καὶ μὴ συνιῶσιν μήποτε ἐπιστρέψωσιν καὶ ἀφεθῇ αὐτοῖςRead the interlinear

• so thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• they may be ever seeingβλέπωblepō · to seeG991
• ·καίkai · andG2532
• neverμήmē · notG3361
• perceivingὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
• ever hearingἀκούωakouō · to hearG191
• understandingσυνίημιsuniēmi · to understandG4920
• otherwiseπότεpote · when?G4219
• they might turnἐπιστρέφωepistrephō · to turnG1994
• be forgivenἀφίημιaphiēmi · to release: forgiveG863
• be forgivenαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846

Cross-references for Mark 4:12

• Deuteronomy 29:4Yet to this day the LORD has not given you a mind to understand, eyes to see, or ears to hear.
• Isaiah 6:9And He replied: “Go and tell this people, ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’
• Isaiah 44:18They do not comprehend or discern, for He has shut their eyes so they cannot see and closed their minds so they cannot understand.
• Jeremiah 5:21“Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear.
• Matthew 13:14In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
• 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.’
• John 12:37Although Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still did not believe in Him.
• Acts 28:25They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit was right when He spoke to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet:
• Romans 11:8as 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.”
• Jeremiah 31:18I have surely heard Ephraim’s moaning: ‘You disciplined me severely, like an untrained calf. Restore me, that I may return, for You are the LORD my God.
• Ezekiel 18:27But if a wicked man turns from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he will save his life.
• Acts 3:19Repent, then, and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped away,
• 2 Timothy 2:25He must gently reprove those who oppose him, in the hope that God may grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth.
• Hebrews 6:6and then have fallen away—to be restored to repentance, because they themselves are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting Him to open shame.

Commentaries on Mark 4:12

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 10-13Verses 10-13 See the notes at Matthew 13:10-17. On Mark 4:12, see the notes at John 12:39-40. When he was alone - That is, separate from the multitude. When he withdrew from the multitude a few followed him for the purpose of more instruction. Mark 4:13 Know ye not this parable? - This which is so plain and obvious. How then will ye know all parables? - Those which are more difficult and obscure. As they were themselves to be “teachers,” it was important…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 11-12The true followers of Jesus could understand the secret of the kingdom of God. They knew the kingdom had arrived (1:14–15). They knew that the Christ, the Son of God, was among them (1:1). To those on the outside, it seemed like riddles. When Jesus answered the disciples’ question, he showed that he used parables to keep outsiders from understanding. This was so that they would be unable to repent and be forgiven. The quotation from Isaiah 6:9–10 in the…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 11-1211-12. And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them, &c.--See on Mt 13:10-17.Read the comment

Topics related to Mark 4:12

• Apostasy
• Blindness
• Jesus, the Christ
• Minister, Christian
• Quotations and Allusions
• Sermon
• Sower
• Wicked (People)
• Word of God

In the dictionaries

• Alone
• Care
• Cast
• Comparison
• Doctrine
• Parable
• Conversion
• Hap; Haply
• Jesus Christ
• Mark, the Gospel According to

Commentaries on Mark 4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings