English Standard Version
John 12:40
40"He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them."
John 12:40 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.
- New International Version (NIV)“He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I would heal them.”
- New King James Version (NKJV)“He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, Lest they should see with their eyes, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.”
- New Living Translation (NLT)“The Lord has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts— so that their eyes cannot see, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and have me heal them.”
Context of John 12:40
38so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: "Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" 39Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said, "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them." 41Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. 42Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue;
Read all of John 12John 12:40 word by word
τετύφλωκεν αὐτῶν τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς καὶ ἐπώρωσεν αὐτῶν τὴν καρδίαν, ἵνα μὴ ἴδωσιν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς καὶ νοήσωσιν τῇ καρδίᾳ καὶ στραφῶσιν καὶ ἰάσομαι αὐτούς.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- He hath blindedτυφλόωtuphloō · to blindG5186
- theirαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- eyesὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- eyesὀφθαλμόςophthalmos · eyeG3788
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- hardenedπωρόωpōroō · to hardenG4456
- heartκαρδίαkardia · heartG2588
- thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
- they shouldὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
- notμήmē · notG3361
- understandνοέωnoieō · to understandG3539
- be convertedἐπιστρέφωepistrephō · to turnG1994
- I should healἰάομαιiaomai · to healG2390
Cross-references for John 12:40
- John 9:39Jesus said, "For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind."
- 1 Kings 22:20and the Lord said, 'Who will entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?' And one said one thing, and another said another.
- Isaiah 29:10For the Lord has poured out upon you a spirit of deep sleep, and has closed your eyes (the prophets), and covered your heads (the seers).
- Ezekiel 14:9And if the prophet is deceived and speaks a word, I, the Lord, have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.
- Matthew 13:13This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
- Matthew 15:14Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit."
- Mark 4:12so that "'they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.'"
- Luke 8:10he said, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that 'seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.'
- Acts 28:26"'Go to this people, and say, "You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive."
- Romans 11:8as it is written, "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day."
- Exodus 4:21And the Lord said to Moses, "When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.
- Exodus 7:3But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt,
- Exodus 14:4And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will pursue them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord." And they did so.
- Joshua 11:20For it was the Lord's doing to harden their hearts that they should come against Israel in battle, in order that they should be devoted to destruction and should receive no mercy but be destroyed, just as the Lord commanded Moses.
- Romans 9:18So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.
- Romans 11:7What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened,
Commentaries on John 12:40
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 40And I should heal them - This verse is taken from Isaiah 6:9, and, perhaps, refers more to the judgments that should fall upon them as a nation, which God was determined should not be averted, than it does to their eternal state. To suppose that the text meant that God was unwilling that they should turn unto him, lest he should be obliged to save them, is an insupportable blasphemy.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 40He hath blinded their eyes - The expression in Isaiah is, “Go, make the heart of this people fat, and shut their eyes.” That is, go and proclaim truth to them truth that will result in blinding their eyes. Go and proclaim the law and the will of God, and the effect will be, owing to the hardness of their heart, that their eyes will be blinded and their hearts hardened. As God knew that this would be the result - as it was to be the effect of the message…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 37-43Verses 37-43 Observe the method of conversion implied here. Sinners are brought to see the reality of Divine things, and to have some knowledge of them. To be converted, and truly turned from sin to Christ, as their Happiness and Portion. God will heal them, will justify and sanctify them; will pardon their sins, which are as bleeding wounds, and mortify their corruptions, which are as lurking diseases. See the power of the world in smothering…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 39-40they were unable to believe: John quotes Isaiah 6:10 to explain Israel's lack of belief (see Matthew 13:13–15; Mark 4:12; Luke 8:10; Acts 28:26–27). When God's revelation comes, we must believe. If we refuse, the light disappears (John 12:35–36). When God’s light departs, the darkness closes over unbelieving hearts. This means that continued rejection leads to deeper spiritual blindness.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 37-4137-41. It is the manner of this Evangelist alone to record his own reflections on the scenes he describes; but here, having arrived at what was virtually the close of our Lord's public ministry, he casts an affecting glance over the fruitlessness of His whole ministry on the bulk of the now doomed people. though he had done so many miracles--The word used suggests their nature as well as number.Read the comment
Topics related to John 12:40
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on John 12
- 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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
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