God’s Word Translation
Matthew 13:15
15These people have become close-minded and hard of hearing. They have shut their eyes so that their eyes never see. Their ears never hear. Their minds never understand. And they never return to me for healing!’
Matthew 13:15 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
- New International Version (NIV)For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’
- English Standard Version (ESV)For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.'
- New King James Version (NKJV)For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.’
Context of Matthew 13:15
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. 14So they make Isaiah’s prophecy come true: ‘You will hear clearly but never understand. You will see clearly but never comprehend. These people have become close-minded and hard of hearing. They have shut their eyes so that their eyes never see. Their ears never hear. Their minds never understand. And they never return to me for healing!’ 16“Blessed are your eyes because they see and your ears because they hear. 17I can guarantee this truth: Many prophets and many of God’s people longed to see what you see but didn’t see it, to hear what you hear but didn’t hear it.
Read all of Matthew 13Matthew 13:15 word by word
ἐπαχύνθη γὰρ ἡ καρδία τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου, καὶ τοῖς ὠσὶν βαρέως ἤκουσαν, καὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτῶν ἐκάμμυσαν· μήποτε ἴδωσιν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς καὶ τοῖς ὠσὶν ἀκούσωσιν καὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ συνῶσιν καὶ ἐπιστρέψωσιν καὶ ἰάσομαι αὐτούς.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Forγάρgar · forG1063
- thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- people’sὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- people’sλαόςlaos · a peopleG2992
- heartκαρδίαkardia · heartG2588
- is waxed grossπαχύνωpachunō · to thickenG3975
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- earsοὖςous · earG3775
- are dull ofβαρέωςbareōs · difficultlyG917
- hearingἀκούωakouō · to hearG191
- theirαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- eyesὀφθαλμόςophthalmos · eyeG3788
- they have closedκαμμύωkammuō · to closeG2576
- lest at any timeμήποτεmēpote mē pote · lestG3379
- they should seeὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
- should understandσυνίημιsuniēmi · to understandG4920
- should be convertedἐπιστρέφωepistrephō · to turnG1994
- I should healἰάομαιiaomai · to healG2390
Cross-references for Matthew 13:15
- Psalms 119:70Their hearts are cold and insensitive, ⌞yet⌟ I am happy with your teachings.
- Zechariah 7:11“But people refused to pay attention. They shrugged their shoulders at me and shut their ears so that they couldn’t hear.
- John 8:43Why don’t you understand the language I use? Is it because you can’t understand the words I use?
- Acts 7:57But the council members shouted and refused to listen. Then they rushed at Stephen with one purpose in mind,
- 2 Timothy 4:4People will refuse to listen to the truth and turn to myths.
- Hebrews 5:11We have a lot to explain about this. But since you have become too lazy to pay attention, explaining it to you is hard.
- 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.)
- Isaiah 44:20They eat ashes because they are deceived. Their own misguided minds lead them astray. They can’t rescue themselves or ask themselves, “Isn’t what I hold in my right hand a false god?”
- 2 Thessalonians 2:10He will use everything that God disapproves of to deceive those who are dying, those who refused to love the truth that would save them.
- Acts 3:19So change the way you think and act, and turn ⌞to God⌟ to have your sins removed.
- 2 Timothy 2:25He must be gentle in correcting those who oppose the Good News. Maybe God will allow them to change the way they think and act and lead them to know the truth.
- Hebrews 6:4Some people once had God’s light. They experienced the heavenly gift and shared in the Holy Spirit.
- Isaiah 57:18I’ve seen their ⌞sinful⌟ ways, but I’ll heal them. I’ll guide them and give them rest. I’ll comfort them and their mourners.
- Jeremiah 3:22“Come back, you rebellious people, and I will forgive you for being unfaithful.” Here we are! We have come to you because you are the Lord our God.
- Jeremiah 17:14Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed. Rescue me, and I will be rescued. You are the one I praise.
- Jeremiah 33:6“But I will heal this city and restore it to health. I will heal its people, and I will give them peace and security.
Commentaries on Matthew 13:15
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15Heart is waxed gross - , is become fat - inattentive stupid, insensible. They hear heavily with their ears - are half asleep while the salvation of God is preached unto them. Their eyes they have closed - Totally and obstinately resisted the truth of God, and shut their eyes against the light. Lest - they should see, etc. - Lest they should see their lost estate, and be obliged to turn unto God, and seek his salvation. His state is truly deplorable who is…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 10-17Verses 10-17 Christ, in these verses, gives a “reason” why he used this manner of instruction. See also Mark 4:10-12; Luke 8:9-10. Matthew 13:11 The mysteries of the kingdom - The word “mystery,” in the Bible, properly means a thing that is “concealed,” or that “has been concealed.” It does not mean that the thing was “incomprehensible,” or even difficult to be understood. The thing might be “plain” enough if revealed, but it means simply that it “had”…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14-15Similar to the message of the prophet Isaiah, the message of Jesus has two effects: It judges those who do not believe or obey, and it creates a small group of faithful people who do the Lord's will (Matthew 21:43).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-52Introduction (Mt 13:1-3). 1. The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the seaside.Read the comment
Topics related to Matthew 13:15
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Matthew 13
- 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
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