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

10When he was alone, those around him with the Twelve asked him about the parables. 11He answered them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those outside, everything comes in parables so 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.” 13Then he said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand all of the parables? 14The sower 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

Words taken from the KJV.

• Thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• seeingβλέπωblepō · to seeG991
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• notμήmē · notG3361
• perceiveὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
• hearingἀκούωakouō · to hearG191
• understandσυνίημιsuniēmi · to understandG4920
• lest at any timeμήποτεmēpote mē pote · lestG3379
• they should be convertedἐπιστρέφωepistrephō · to turnG1994
• sinsὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• sinsἁμάρτημαhamartēma · sinG265
• should be forgivenἀφίημιaphiēmi · to release: forgiveG863
• themαὐτόςautos · 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! Say to these people: Keep listening, but do not understand; keep looking, but do not perceive.
• Isaiah 44:18Such people do not comprehend and cannot understand, for he has shut their eyes so they cannot see, and their minds so they cannot understand.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 12:37Even though he had performed so many signs in their presence, they did not believe in him.
• Acts 28:25Disagreeing 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
• 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.
• Jeremiah 31:18I have surely heard Ephraim moaning, “You disciplined me, and I have been disciplined like an untrained calf. Take me back, so that I can return, for you, Lord, are my God.
• Ezekiel 18:27But if a wicked person turns from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he will preserve his life.
• Acts 3:19Therefore repent and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped out,
• 2 Timothy 2:25instructing his opponents with gentleness. Perhaps God will grant them repentance leading them to the knowledge of the truth.
• Hebrews 6:6and who have fallen away. This is because, to their own harm, they are recrucifying the Son of God and holding him up to contempt.

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