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!’ ”
• 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.’ ”
• New Living Translation (NLT)so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled: ‘When they see what I do, they will learn nothing. When they hear what I say, they will not understand. Otherwise, they will turn to me and be forgiven.’ ”

Context of Mark 4:12

10And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. 11And he said to them, "To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, so that "'they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.'" 13And he said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all 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 29:4But to this day the Lord has not given you a heart to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear.
• Isaiah 6:9And he said, "Go, and say to this people: "'Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.'
• Isaiah 44:18They know not, nor do they discern, for he has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, and their hearts, so that they cannot understand.
• Jeremiah 5:21"Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes, but see not, who have ears, but hear not.
• Matthew 13:14Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: "'"You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive."
• 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.'
• John 12:37Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him,
• Acts 28:25And disagreeing among themselves, they departed after Paul had made one statement: "The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet:
• 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."
• Jeremiah 31:18I have heard Ephraim grieving, 'You have disciplined me, and I was disciplined, like an untrained calf; bring me back that I may be restored, for you are the Lord my God.
• Ezekiel 18:27Again, when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life.
• Acts 3:19Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out,
• 2 Timothy 2:25correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth,
• Hebrews 6:6and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm 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