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Isaiah 6:9

“And he said, “Go, and say to this people, ‘Keep hearing, but do not understand; keep seeing, but do not know.’”

Isaiah 6:9 · direct translation from the Hebrew
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With the Hebrew beneath

9

Quotation · Matthew 13:14-15

Go to Matthew 13:14-15

Matthew quotes Isaiah 6:9-10. Where the Hebrew gives orders to the prophet (“make the heart of this people dull”), Matthew tells it as a fact (“the heart of this people has grown dull”).

Formula: ἀναπληροῦται αὐτοῖς ἡ προφητεία Ἠσαΐου ἡ λέγουσα “in them the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says” (Matthew 13:14)

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Greek of the New Testament: καὶ ἀναπληροῦται αὐτοῖς ἡ προφητεία Ἠσαΐου ἡ λέγουσα Ἀκοῇ ἀκούσετε καὶ οὐ μὴ συνῆτε καὶ βλέποντες βλέψετε καὶ οὐ μὴ ἴδητε 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

Hebrew (Masoretic text): וַיֹּאמֶר לֵךְ וְאָמַרְתָּ לָעָם הַזֶּה שִׁמְעוּ שָׁמוֹעַ וְאַל תָּבִינוּ וּרְאוּ רָאוֹ וְאַל תֵּדָעוּ הַשְׁמֵן לֵב הָעָם הַזֶּה וְאָזְנָיו הַכְבֵּד וְעֵינָיו הָשַׁע פֶּן יִרְאֶה בְעֵינָיו וּבְאָזְנָיו יִשְׁמָע וּלְבָבוֹ יָבִין וָשָׁב וְרָפָא לוֹ

Septuagint (Isaiah 6:9-10 in the Septuagint numbering): καὶ εἶπεν Πορεύθητι καὶ εἰπὸν τῷ λαῷ τούτῳ Ἀκοῇ ἀκούσετε καὶ οὐ μὴ συνῆτε, καὶ βλέποντες βλέψετε καὶ οὐ μὴ ἴδητε. ἐπαχύνθη γὰρ ἡ καρδία τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου, καὶ τοῖς ὠσὶν αὐτῶν βαρέως ἥκουσαν, καὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτῶν ἐκάμμυσαν, μή ποτε ἴδωσιν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς καὶ τοῖς ὠσὶν ἀκούσωσιν, καὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ συνῶσιν καὶ ἐπιστρέψωσιν, καὶ ἰάσομαι αὐτούς.

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 23 consecutive words: “Ἀκοῇ ἀκούσετε καὶ οὐ μὴ συνῆτε καὶ βλέποντες βλέψετε καὶ οὐ μὴ ἴδητε ἐπαχύνθη γὰρ ἡ καρδία τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου καὶ τοῖς ὠσὶν.”

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Quotation · Mark 4:12

Go to Mark 4:12

Mark uses Isaiah 6:9-10 without a formula, shortened. It ends with “and it be forgiven them,” where the Hebrew says “and he be healed.”

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: ἵνα βλέποντες βλέπωσι καὶ μὴ ἴδωσιν καὶ ἀκούοντες ἀκούωσι καὶ μὴ συνιῶσιν μήποτε ἐπιστρέψωσιν καὶ ἀφεθῇ αὐτοῖς

Hebrew (Masoretic text): וַיֹּאמֶר לֵךְ וְאָמַרְתָּ לָעָם הַזֶּה שִׁמְעוּ שָׁמוֹעַ וְאַל תָּבִינוּ וּרְאוּ רָאוֹ וְאַל תֵּדָעוּ הַשְׁמֵן לֵב הָעָם הַזֶּה וְאָזְנָיו הַכְבֵּד וְעֵינָיו הָשַׁע פֶּן יִרְאֶה בְעֵינָיו וּבְאָזְנָיו יִשְׁמָע וּלְבָבוֹ יָבִין וָשָׁב וְרָפָא לוֹ

Septuagint (Isaiah 6:9-10 in the Septuagint numbering): καὶ εἶπεν Πορεύθητι καὶ εἰπὸν τῷ λαῷ τούτῳ Ἀκοῇ ἀκούσετε καὶ οὐ μὴ συνῆτε, καὶ βλέποντες βλέψετε καὶ οὐ μὴ ἴδητε. ἐπαχύνθη γὰρ ἡ καρδία τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου, καὶ τοῖς ὠσὶν αὐτῶν βαρέως ἥκουσαν, καὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτῶν ἐκάμμυσαν, μή ποτε ἴδωσιν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς καὶ τοῖς ὠσὶν ἀκούσωσιν, καὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ συνῶσιν καὶ ἐπιστρέψωσιν, καὶ ἰάσομαι αὐτούς.

In the Septuagint verse that most resembles it, at most 2 consecutive words match the Greek of the NT. The transcription has reading errors, so a match may not show.

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Allusion · Luke 8:10

Go to Luke 8:10

Both texts speak of looking without seeing and hearing without understanding (Isaiah 6:9).

They share words that are rare in the original, without a quotation.

  • רְאוּreuH7200βλέποντεςblepontesG991“see”
  • שִׁמְעוּshimuH8085ἀκούοντεςakouontesG191“hear, listen”
  • תָּבִינוּtavinuH995συνιῶσινsyniōsinG4920“understand, discern”

Quotation · Acts 28:26-27

Go to Acts 28:26-27

Paul quotes Isaiah 6:9-10 at the end of Acts and attributes it to the Holy Spirit (28:25). Like Matthew 13:15, he tells it as a fact: “the heart of this people has grown fat.”

Formula: λέγων “saying” (Acts 28:26)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: λέγων Πορεύθητι πρὸς τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον καὶ εἰπόν Ἀκοῇ ἀκούσετε καὶ οὐ μὴ συνῆτε καὶ βλέποντες βλέψετε καὶ οὐ μὴ ἴδητε 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

Hebrew (Masoretic text): וַיֹּאמֶר לֵךְ וְאָמַרְתָּ לָעָם הַזֶּה שִׁמְעוּ שָׁמוֹעַ וְאַל תָּבִינוּ וּרְאוּ רָאוֹ וְאַל תֵּדָעוּ הַשְׁמֵן לֵב הָעָם הַזֶּה וְאָזְנָיו הַכְבֵּד וְעֵינָיו הָשַׁע פֶּן יִרְאֶה בְעֵינָיו וּבְאָזְנָיו יִשְׁמָע וּלְבָבוֹ יָבִין וָשָׁב וְרָפָא לוֹ

Septuagint (Isaiah 6:8-10 in the Septuagint numbering): καὶ ἥκουσα τῆς φωνῆς Κυρίου λέγοντος Τίνα ἀποστείλω, καὶ τίς πορεύσεται πρὸς τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον; καὶ εἶπα Ἰδού εἰμι ἐγώ· ἀπόστειλόν με. καὶ εἶπεν Πορεύθητι καὶ εἰπὸν τῷ λαῷ τούτῳ Ἀκοῇ ἀκούσετε καὶ οὐ μὴ συνῆτε, καὶ βλέποντες βλέψετε καὶ οὐ μὴ ἴδητε. ἐπαχύνθη γὰρ ἡ καρδία τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου, καὶ τοῖς ὠσὶν αὐτῶν βαρέως ἥκουσαν, καὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτῶν ἐκάμμυσαν, μή ποτε ἴδωσιν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς καὶ τοῖς ὠσὶν ἀκούσωσιν, καὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ συνῶσιν καὶ ἐπιστρέψωσιν, καὶ ἰάσομαι αὐτούς.

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 23 consecutive words: “Ἀκοῇ ἀκούσετε καὶ οὐ μὴ συνῆτε καὶ βλέποντες βλέψετε καὶ οὐ μὴ ἴδητε ἐπαχύνθη γὰρ ἡ καρδία τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου καὶ τοῖς ὠσὶν.”

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Isaiah 6:9, word by word

And he saidיֹּאמֶרyomer

say

To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.

Where else “yomer” appears
“Goלֵךְlech

go

To head for a place, to leave where one is in order to reach another.

Where else “lech” appears
to this peopleעָםam

crowd

The people gathered in a place: the crowd, or the troops that go out to war.

Where else “am” appears
‘Keep hearingשִׁמְעוּshimu

hear

To hear a sound, or learn of something.

Where else “shimu” appears
understandתָּבִינוּtavinu

understand

To understand, realize.

Where else “tavinu” appears
keep seeingרְאוּreu

see

To see with one's eyes.

Where else “reu” appears
know.’תֵּדָעוּtedau

know

To know something, realize.

Where else “tedau” appears

Translation note

Verses 9-10 are quoted in Matthew 13:14-15; John 12:40; Acts 28:26-27.

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Quotation · Matthew 13:14-15

Matthew quotes Isaiah 6:9-10. Where the Hebrew gives orders to the prophet (“make the heart of this people dull”), Matthew tells it as a fact (“the heart of this people has grown dull”).

See them side by side

Isaiah 6:9

9And he said, “Go, and say to this people, ‘Keep hearing, but do not understand; keep seeing, but do not know.’

Matthew 13:14-15

14And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, ‘You will indeed hear and never understand, and you will indeed see and never perceive.

Quotation · Mark 4:12

Mark uses Isaiah 6:9-10 without a formula, shortened. It ends with “and it be forgiven them,” where the Hebrew says “and he be healed.”

See them side by side

Isaiah 6:9

9And he said, “Go, and say to this people, ‘Keep hearing, but do not understand; keep seeing, but do not know.’

Mark 4:12

12so that ‘seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand, lest they turn and it be forgiven them.’”

Quotation · Acts 28:26-27

Paul quotes Isaiah 6:9-10 at the end of Acts and attributes it to the Holy Spirit (28:25). Like Matthew 13:15, he tells it as a fact: “the heart of this people has grown fat.”

See them side by side

Isaiah 6:9

9And he said, “Go, and say to this people, ‘Keep hearing, but do not understand; keep seeing, but do not know.’

Acts 28:26-27

26saying, ‘Go to this people and say, “You will indeed hear and never understand, and you will indeed see and never perceive.

The context

8And I heard the voice of Adonai saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here I am; send me.”

9 · This verse (above)

10Make fat the heart of this people, and make heavy its ears, and blind its eyes, lest it see with its eyes, and hear with its ears, and its heart understand, and it turn back and be healed.”

Read all of Isaiah 6

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