John 12:40

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.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)"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."
• 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.”

Context of John 12:40

38In this way the words of the prophet Isaiah came true: “Lord, who has believed our message? To whom has the Lord’s power been revealed?” 39So the people couldn’t believe because, as Isaiah also said, “God blinded them and made them close-minded so that their eyes don’t see and their minds don’t understand. And they never turn to me for healing!” 41Isaiah said this because he had seen Jesus’ glory and had spoken about him. 42Many rulers believed in Jesus. However, they wouldn’t admit it publicly because the Pharisees would have thrown them out of the synagogue.

John 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 9:39Then Jesus said, “I have come into this world to judge: Blind people will be given sight, and those who can see will become blind.”
• 1 Kings 22:20The Lord asked, ‘Who will deceive Ahab so that he will attack and be killed at Ramoth in Gilead?’ Some answered one way, while others said something else.
• Isaiah 29:10The Lord has poured out on you a spirit of deep sleep. He will shut your eyes. (Your eyes are the prophets.) He will cover your heads. (Your heads are the seers.)
• Ezekiel 14:9“ ‘If a prophet is tricked into giving a prophecy, it is I, the Lord, who tricked the prophet. I will use my power against you and destroy you from among my people Israel.
• Matthew 13:13This is why I speak to them this way. They see, but they’re blind. They hear, but they don’t listen. They don’t even try to understand.
• Matthew 15:14Leave them alone! They are blind leaders. When one blind person leads another, both will fall into the same pit.”
• Mark 4:12‘They see clearly but don’t perceive. They hear clearly but don’t understand. They never return to me and are never forgiven.’ ”
• Luke 8:10Jesus answered, “Knowledge about the mysteries of God’s kingdom has been given ⌞directly⌟ to you. But it is given to others in stories. When they look, they don’t see, and when they hear, they don’t understand.
• Acts 28:26The Spirit said: ‘Go to these people and say, “You will hear clearly but never understand. You will see clearly but never comprehend.
• Romans 11:8as Scripture says, “To this day God has given them a spirit of deep sleep. Their eyes don’t see, and their ears don’t hear!”
• Exodus 4:21The Lord said to Moses, “When you get back to Egypt, see that you show Pharaoh all the amazing things that I have given you the power to do. But I will make him stubborn so that he will not let the people go.
• Exodus 7:3But I will make Pharaoh stubborn. Even though I will do many miraculous signs and amazing things in Egypt,
• Exodus 14:4I will make Pharaoh so stubborn that he will pursue them. Then, because of what I do to Pharaoh and his entire army, I will receive honor, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” So that is what the Israelites did.
• Joshua 11:20The Lord made their enemies stubborn enough to continue fighting against Israel so that he could claim them all for destruction without mercy, as he had commanded Moses.
• Romans 9:18Therefore, if God wants to be kind to anyone, he will be. If he wants to make someone stubborn, he will.
• Romans 11:7So what does all this mean? It means that Israel has never achieved what it has been striving for. However, those whom God has chosen have achieved it. The minds of the rest of Israel were closed,

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

• Blindness
• Deafness
• Heart
• Jesus, the Christ
• Quotations and Allusions
• Unbelief
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• Chief
• Consult
• Costly
• Prince
• Blindness
• Conversion
• Harden
• Heal
• Jesus Christ
• John, Gospel of

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