Christian Standard Bible
Acts 28:26
26when he said, Go to these people and say: You will always be listening, but never understanding; and you will always be looking, but never perceiving.
Acts 28:26 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive:
- New International Version (NIV)“ ‘Go to this people and say, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)"'Go to this people, and say, "You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive."
- New King James Version (NKJV)saying, ‘Go to this people and say: “Hearing you will hear, and shall not understand; And seeing you will see, and not perceive;
Context of Acts 28:26
24Some were persuaded by what he said, but others did not believe. 25Disagreeing among themselves, they began to leave after Paul made one statement: “The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your ancestors through the prophet Isaiah when he said, Go to these people and say: You will always be listening, but never understanding; and you will always be looking, but never perceiving. 27For the hearts of these people have grown callous, their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; otherwise they might see with their eyes and hear with their ears, understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them. 28Therefore, let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.”
Read all of Acts 28Acts 28:26 word by word
λέγων· πορεύθητι πρὸς τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον καὶ εἰπόν· ἀκοῇ ἀκούσετε καὶ οὐ μὴ συνῆτε, καὶ βλέποντες βλέψετε καὶ οὐ μὴ ἴδητε·Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Sayingλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- Goπορεύωporeuomai · to travelG4198
- untoπρόςpros · to/withG4314
- thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- peopleὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- peopleλαόςlaos · a peopleG2992
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- sayλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- Hearingἀκοήakoē · hearingG189
- ye shall hearἀκούωakouō · to hearG191
- shallσυνίημιsuniēmi · to understandG4920
- notοὐou · noG3756
- ·μήmē · notG3361
- seeingβλέπωblepō · to seeG991
- perceiveὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
Cross-references for Acts 28:26
- Isaiah 6:9And he replied: Go! Say to these people: Keep listening, but do not understand; keep looking, but do not perceive.
- Ezekiel 12:2“Son of man, you are living among 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.
- Matthew 13:14Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says: You will listen and listen, but never understand; you will look and look, but never perceive.
- Mark 4:12so that they may indeed look, and yet not perceive; they may indeed listen, and yet not understand; otherwise, they might turn back and be forgiven.”
- Luke 8:10So he said, “The secrets of the kingdom of God have been given for you to know, but to the rest it is in parables, so that Looking they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.
- John 12:38This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet, who said: Lord, who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
- Romans 11:8as it is written, God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that cannot see and ears that cannot hear, to this day.
- Deuteronomy 29:4Yet to this day the Lord has not given you a mind to understand, eyes to see, or ears to hear.
- Psalms 81:11“But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel did not obey me.
- Isaiah 29:10For the Lord has poured out on you an overwhelming urge to sleep; he has shut your eyes (the prophets) and covered your heads (the seers).
- Isaiah 42:19Who is blind but my servant, or deaf like my messenger I am sending? Who is blind like my dedicated one, or blind like the servant of the Lord?
- Isaiah 66:4So I will choose their punishment, and I will bring on them what they dread because I called and no one answered; I spoke and they did not listen; they did what was evil in my sight and chose what I did not delight in.
- Jeremiah 5:21Hear this, you foolish and senseless people. They have eyes, but they don’t see. They have ears, but they don’t hear.
- Ezekiel 3:6not to the many peoples of unintelligible speech or a difficult language, whose words you cannot understand. No doubt, if I sent you to them, they would listen to you.
- Mark 8:17Aware of this, he said to them, “Why are you discussing the fact you have no bread? Don’t you understand or comprehend? Do you have hardened hearts?
- Luke 24:25He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken!
Commentaries on Acts 28:26
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 26Hearing ye shall hear, etc. - See the notes on Matthew 13:14, and John 12:39, John 12:40.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 26Saying - See this passage explained in the Matthew 13:14 note, and John 12:39-40 notes.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 23-31Verses 23-31 Paul persuaded the Jews concerning Jesus. Some were wrought upon by the word, and others hardened; some received the light, and others shut their eyes against it. And the same has always been the effect of the gospel. Paul parted with them, observing that the Holy Ghost had well described their state. Let all that hear the gospel, and do not heed it, tremble at their doom; for who shall heal them, if God does not? The Jews had afterwards much…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 25-28As Paul left, he gave a warning from Scripture. These words are often used in the New Testament to explain why many Jews did not accept the good news about Jesus (compare Matthew 13:14–15; Mark 4:12; Luke 8:10; John 12:38–40; see Romans 11:1–12, 25–32).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 25-2925-29. when they--the Jews. agreed not among themselves--the discussion having passed into one between the two parties into which the visitors were now divided, respecting the arguments and conclusions of the apostle. they departed--the material of discussion being felt by both parties to be exhausted. after Paul had spoken one word--one solemn parting testimony, from those Scriptures regarded by both alike as "the Holy Ghost speaking" to Israel.Read the comment
Topics related to Acts 28:26
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Acts 28
- 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
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- 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
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