Yesaya 6:9

6:9 He said, “Go and tell these people:

‘Listen continually, but don’t understand!

Look continually, but don’t perceive!’

Yesaya 29:9-14

God’s People are Spiritually Insensitive

29:9 You will be shocked and amazed! ¹ 

You are totally blind! ² 

They are drunk, ³  but not because of wine;

they stagger, ⁴  but not because of beer.

29:10 For the Lord has poured out on you

a strong urge to sleep deeply. ⁵ 

He has shut your eyes (the prophets),

and covered your heads (the seers).

29:11 To you this entire prophetic revelation ⁶  is like words in a sealed scroll. When they hand it to one who can read ⁷  and say, “Read this,” he responds, “I can’t, because it is sealed.” 29:12 Or when they hand the scroll to one who can’t read ⁸  and say, “Read this,” he says, “I can’t read.” ⁹ 

29:13 The sovereign master ¹⁰  says,

“These people say they are loyal to me; ¹¹ 

they say wonderful things about me, ¹² 

but they are not really loyal to me. ¹³ 

Their worship consists of

nothing but man-made ritual. ¹⁴ 

29:14 Therefore I will again do an amazing thing for these people –

an absolutely extraordinary deed. ¹⁵ 

Wise men will have nothing to say,

the sages will have no explanations.” ¹⁶ 

Yesaya 56:10

56:10 All their watchmen ¹⁷  are blind,

they are unaware. ¹⁸ 

All of them are like mute dogs,

unable to bark.

They pant, ¹⁹  lie down,

and love to snooze.

Yeremia 4:22

4:22 The Lord answered, ²⁰ 

“This will happen ²¹  because my people are foolish.

They do not know me.

They are like children who have no sense. ²² 

They have no understanding.

They are skilled at doing evil.

They do not know how to do good.”

Yeremia 5:21

5:21 Tell them: ‘Hear this,

you foolish people who have no understanding,

who have eyes but do not discern,

who have ears but do not perceive: ²³ 

Yehezkiel 12:2

12:2 “Son of man, you are living in the midst of a rebellious house. ²⁴  They have eyes to see, but do not see, and ears to hear, but do not hear, ²⁵  because they are a rebellious house.

Matius 13:14-15

13:14 And concerning them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:

‘You will listen carefully ²⁶  yet will never understand,

you will look closely ²⁷  yet will never comprehend.

13:15 For the heart of this people has become dull;

they are hard of hearing,

and they have shut their eyes,

so that they would not see with their eyes

and hear with their ears

and understand with their hearts

and turn, and I would heal them.’ ²⁸ 

Matius 15:14-16

15:14 Leave them! They are blind guides. ²⁹  If someone who is blind leads another who is blind, ³⁰  both will fall into a pit.” 15:15 But Peter ³¹  said to him, “Explain this parable to us.” 15:16 Jesus ³²  said, “Even after all this, are you still so foolish?

Matius 23:16-24

23:16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple is bound by nothing. ³³  But whoever swears by the gold of the temple is bound by the oath.’ 23:17 Blind fools! Which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 23:18 And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar is bound by nothing. ³⁴  But if anyone swears by the gift on it he is bound by the oath.’ 23:19 You are blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 23:20 So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 23:21 And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and the one who dwells in it. 23:22 And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and the one who sits on it.

23:23 “Woe to you, experts in the law ³⁵  and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You give a tenth ³⁶  of mint, dill, and cumin, ³⁷  yet you neglect what is more important in the law – justice, mercy, and faithfulness! You ³⁸  should have done these things without neglecting the others. 23:24 Blind guides! You strain out a gnat yet swallow a camel! ³⁹ 

Markus 8:17-18

8:17 When he learned of this, ⁴⁰  Jesus said to them, “Why are you arguing ⁴¹  about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Have your hearts been hardened? 8:18 Though you have eyes, don’t you see? And though you have ears, can’t you hear? ⁴²  Don’t you remember?

Yohanes 7:47-49

7:47 Then the Pharisees answered, ⁴³  “You haven’t been deceived too, have you? ⁴⁴  7:48 None of the rulers ⁴⁵  or the Pharisees have believed in him, have they? ⁴⁶  7:49 But this rabble ⁴⁷  who do not know the law are accursed!”

Yohanes 9:39

9:39 Jesus ⁴⁸  said,] ⁴⁹  “For judgment I have come into this world, so that those who do not see may gain their sight, ⁵⁰  and the ones who see may become blind.”

Yohanes 9:41

9:41 Jesus replied, ⁵¹  “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin, ⁵²  but now because you claim that you can see, ⁵³  your guilt ⁵⁴  remains.” ⁵⁵ 

Yohanes 12:40

12:40 “He has blinded their eyes

and hardened their heart, ⁵⁶ 

so that they would not see with their eyes

and understand with their heart, ⁵⁷ 

and turn to me, ⁵⁸  and I would heal them.” ⁵⁹ 

Roma 2:17-23

The Condemnation of the Jew

2:17 But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law ⁶⁰  and boast of your relationship to God ⁶¹  2:18 and know his will ⁶²  and approve the superior things because you receive instruction from the law, ⁶³  2:19 and if you are convinced ⁶⁴  that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 2:20 an educator of the senseless, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the essential features of knowledge and of the truth – 2:21 therefore ⁶⁵  you who teach someone else, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? 2:22 You who tell others not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor ⁶⁶  idols, do you rob temples? 2:23 You who boast in the law dishonor God by transgressing the law!

Roma 11:7-10

11:7 What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was diligently seeking, but the elect obtained it. The ⁶⁷  rest were hardened, 11:8 as it is written,

“God gave them a spirit of stupor,

eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear,

to this very day.” ⁶⁸ 

11:9 And David says,

“Let their table become a snare and trap,

a stumbling block and a retribution for them;

11:10 let their eyes be darkened so that they may not see,

and make their backs bend continually.” ⁶⁹ 

Roma 11:25

11:25 For I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, ⁷⁰  so that you may not be conceited: A partial hardening has happened to Israel ⁷¹  until the full number ⁷²  of the Gentiles has come in.

Roma 11:2

11:2 God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew! Do you not know what the scripture says about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel?

Kolose 3:14-15

3:14 And to all these ⁷³  virtues ⁷⁴  add ⁷⁵  love, which is the perfect bond. ⁷⁶  3:15 Let the peace of Christ be in control in your heart (for you were in fact called as one body ⁷⁷  to this peace), and be thankful.

Kolose 4:4

4:4 Pray that I may make it known as I should. ⁷⁸ 

[29:9]  ¹ tn The form הִתְמַהְמְהוּ (hitmahmÿhu) is a Hitpalpel imperative from מָהַהּ (mahah, “hesitate”). If it is retained, one might translate “halt and be amazed.” The translation assumes an emendation to הִתַּמְּהוּ (hittammÿhu), a Hitpael imperative from תָּמַה (tamah, “be amazed”). In this case, the text, like Hab 1:5, combines the Hitpael and Qal imperatival forms of תָּמַה (tamah). A literal translation might be “Shock yourselves and be shocked!” The repetition of sound draws attention to the statement. The imperatives here have the force of an emphatic assertion. On this use of the imperative in Hebrew, see GKC 324 §110.c and IBHS 572 §34.4c.

[29:9]  ² tn Heb “Blind yourselves and be blind!” The Hitpalpel and Qal imperatival forms of שָׁעַע (sha’a’, “be blind”) are combined to draw attention to the statement. The imperatives have the force of an emphatic assertion.

[29:9]  ³ tc Some prefer to emend the perfect form of the verb to an imperative (e.g., NAB, NCV, NRSV), since the people are addressed in the immediately preceding and following contexts.

[29:9]  ⁴ tc Some prefer to emend the perfect form of the verb to an imperative (e.g., NAB, NCV, NRSV), since the people are addressed in the immediately preceding and following contexts.

[29:10]  ⁵ tn Heb “a disposition [or “spirit”] of deep sleep.” Through this mixed metaphor (sleep is likened to a liquid which one pours and in turn symbolizes spiritual dullness) the prophet emphasizes that God himself has given the people over to their spiritual insensitivity as a form of judgment.

[29:11]  ⁶ tn Heb “vision” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[29:11]  ⁷ tn Heb “one who knows a/the scroll.”

[29:12]  ⁸ tn Heb “and if the scroll is handed to one who does not know a scroll.”

[29:12]  ⁹ tn Heb “I do not know a scroll.”

[29:13]  ¹⁰ tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonai).

[29:13]  ¹¹ tn Heb “Because these people draw near to me with their mouth.”

[29:13]  ¹² tn Heb “and with their lips they honor me.”

[29:13]  ¹³ tn Heb “but their heart is far from me.” The heart is viewed here as the seat of the will, from which genuine loyalty derives.

[29:13]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “their fear of me is a commandment of men that has been taught.”

[29:14]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “Therefore I will again do something amazing with these people, an amazing deed, an amazing thing.” This probably refers to the amazing transformation predicted in vv. 17-24, which will follow the purifying judgment implied in vv. 15-16.

[29:14]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “the wisdom of their wise ones will perish, the discernment of their discerning ones will keep hidden.”

[56:10]  ¹⁷ sn The “watchmen” are probably spiritual leaders, most likely prophets and priests, responsible for giving the people moral direction.

[56:10]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “they do not know”; KJV “they are all ignorant”; NIV “they all lack knowledge.”

[56:10]  ¹⁹ tn The Hebrew text has הֹזִים (hozim), which appears to be derived from an otherwise unattested verbal root הָזָה (hazah). On the basis of alleged cognates, BDB 223 s.v. הָזָה offers the definition “dream, rave” while HALOT 243 s.v. הזה lists “pant.” In this case the dog metaphor of the preceding lines continues. The reference to dogs at the beginning of v. 11 favors the extension of the metaphor. The Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a has חזים (“seers”) here. In this case the “watchmen” are directly identified as prophets and depicted as lazy.

[4:22]  ²⁰ tn These words are not in the text but are supplied in the translation to show clearly the shift in speaker. Jeremiah has been speaking; now the Lord answers, giving the reason for the devastation Jeremiah foresees.

[4:22]  ²¹ tn Heb “For….” This gives the explanation for the destruction envisaged in 4:20 to which Jeremiah responds in 4:19, 21.

[4:22]  ²² tn Heb “They are senseless children.”

[5:21]  ²³ tn Heb “they have eyes but they do not see, they have ears but they do not hear.”

[12:2]  ²⁴ sn The book of Ezekiel frequently refers to the Israelites as a rebellious house (Ezek 2:5, 6, 8; 3:9, 26-27; 12:2-3, 9, 25; 17:12; 24:3).

[12:2]  ²⁵ sn This verse is very similar to Isa 6:9-10.

[13:14]  ²⁶ tn Grk “with hearing,” a cognate dative that intensifies the action of the main verb “you will listen” (ExSyn 168-69).

[13:14]  ²⁷ tn Grk “look by looking.” The participle is redundant, functioning to intensify the force of the main verb.

[13:15]  ²⁸ sn A quotation from Isa 6:9-10. Thus parables both conceal or reveal depending on whether one is open to hearing what they teach.

[15:14]  ²⁹ tc ‡ Most mss, some of which are significant, read “They are blind guides of the blind” (א¹ C L W Z Θ Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat). The shorter reading is read by א*^,2 B D 0237 Epiph. There is a distinct possibility of omission due to homoioarcton in א*; this manuscript has a word order variation which puts the word τυφλοί (tufloi, “blind”) right before the word τυφλῶν (tuflwn, “of the blind”). This does not explain the shorter reading, however, in the other witnesses, of which B and D are quite weighty. Internal considerations suggest that the shorter reading is original: “of the blind” was likely added by scribes to balance this phrase with Jesus’ following statement about the blind leading the blind, which clearly has two groups in view. A decision is difficult, but internal considerations here along with the strength of the witnesses argue that the shorter reading is more likely original. NA²⁷ places τυφλῶν in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.

[15:14]  ³⁰ tn Grk “If blind leads blind.”

[15:15]  ³¹ tn Grk “And answering, Peter said to him.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.

[15:16]  ³² tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[23:16]  ³³ tn Grk “Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing.”

[23:18]  ³⁴ tn Grk “Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing.”

[23:23]  ³⁵ tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.

[23:23]  ³⁶ tn Or “you tithe mint.”

[23:23]  ³⁷ sn Cumin (alternately spelled cummin) was an aromatic herb native to the Mediterranean region. Its seeds were used for seasoning.

[23:23]  ³⁸ tc ‡ Many witnesses (B C K L W Δ 0102 33 565 892 pm) have δέ (de, “but”) after ταῦτα (tauta, “these things”), while many others lack it (א D Γ Θ Ë^1,13 579 700 1241 1424 pm). Since asyndeton was relatively rare in Koine Greek, the conjunction may be an intentional alteration, and is thus omitted from the present translation. NA²⁷ includes the word in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.

[23:24]  ³⁹ tn Grk “Blind guides who strain out a gnat yet who swallow a camel!”

[8:17]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “becoming aware of it.”

[8:17]  ⁴¹ tn Or “discussing.”

[8:18]  ⁴² tn Grk “do you not hear?”

[7:47]  ⁴³ tn Grk “answered them.”

[7:47]  ⁴⁴ tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “have you?”).

[7:48]  ⁴⁵ sn The chief priests and Pharisees (John 7:45) is a comprehensive term for the groups represented in the ruling council (the Sanhedrin) as in John 7:45; 18:3; Acts 5:22, 26. Likewise the term ruler here denotes a member of the Sanhedrin, the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews. Note the same word (“ruler”) is used to describe Nicodemus in John 3:1, and Nicodemus also speaks up in this episode (John 7:50).

[7:48]  ⁴⁶ tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “have they?”).

[7:49]  ⁴⁷ tn Grk “crowd.” “Rabble” is a good translation here because the remark by the Pharisees is so derogatory.

[9:39]  ⁴⁸ tn Grk “And Jesus.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[9:39]  ⁴⁹ tc ‡ Some early and important witnesses (Ì⁷⁵ א* W b sa^ms ac² mf) lack the words, “He said, ‘Lord, I believe,’ and he worshiped him. Jesus said,” (vv. 38-39a). This is weighty evidence for the omission of these words. It is difficult to overstate the value of Ì⁷⁵ here, since it is the only currently available papyrus ms extant for the text of John 9:38-39. Further, א is an important and early Alexandrian witness for the omission. The versional testimony and codex W also give strong support to the omission. Nearly all other mss, however, include these words. The omission may have been occasioned by parablepsis (both vv. 37 and 39 begin with “Jesus said to him”), though it is difficult to account for such an error across such a wide variety of witnesses. On the other hand, the longer reading appears to be motivated by liturgical concerns (so R. E. Brown, John [AB], 1:375), since the verb προσκυνέω (proskunew, “I worship”) is used in John 4:20-25 of worshiping God, and again with the same sense in 12:20. If these words were authentic here, this would be the only place in John’s Gospel where Jesus is the explicit object of προσκυνέω. Even if these words are not authentic, such an omission would nevertheless hardly diminish John’s high Christology (cf. 1:1; 5:18-23; 14:6-10; 20:28), nor the implicit worship of him by Thomas (20:28). Nevertheless, a decision is difficult, and the included words may reflect a very early tradition about the blind man’s response to Jesus.

[9:39]  ⁵⁰ tn Or “that those who do not see may see.”

[9:41]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “Jesus said to them.”

[9:41]  ⁵² tn Grk “you would not have sin.”

[9:41]  ⁵³ tn Grk “now because you say, ‘We see…’”

[9:41]  ⁵⁴ tn Or “your sin.”

[9:41]  ⁵⁵ sn Because you claim that you can see, your guilt remains. The blind man received sight physically, and this led him to see spiritually as well. But the Pharisees, who claimed to possess spiritual sight, were spiritually blinded. The reader might recall Jesus’ words to Nicodemus in 3:10, “Are you the teacher of Israel and don’t understand these things?” In other words, to receive Jesus was to receive the light of the world, to reject him was to reject the light, close one’s eyes, and become blind. This is the serious sin of which Jesus had warned before (8:21-24). The blindness of such people was incurable since they had rejected the only cure that exists (cf. 12:39-41).

[12:40]  ⁵⁶ tn Or “closed their mind.”

[12:40]  ⁵⁷ tn Or “their mind.”

[12:40]  ⁵⁸ tn One could also translate στραφῶσιν (strafwsin) as “repent” or “change their ways,” but both of these terms would be subject to misinterpretation by the modern English reader. The idea is one of turning back to God, however. The words “to me” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[12:40]  ⁵⁹ sn A quotation from Isa 6:10.

[2:17]  ⁶⁰ sn The law refers to the Mosaic law, described mainly in the OT books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

[2:17]  ⁶¹ tn Grk “boast in God.” This may be an allusion to Jer 9:24.

[2:18]  ⁶² tn Grk “the will.”

[2:18]  ⁶³ tn Grk “because of being instructed out of the law.”

[2:19]  ⁶⁴ tn This verb is parallel to the verbs in vv. 17-18a, so it shares the conditional meaning even though the word “if” is not repeated.

[2:21]  ⁶⁵ tn The structure of vv. 21-24 is difficult. Some take these verses as the apodosis of the conditional clauses (protases) in vv. 17-20; others see vv. 17-20 as an instance of anacoluthon (a broken off or incomplete construction).

[2:22]  ⁶⁶ tn Or “detest.”

[11:7]  ⁶⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[11:8]  ⁶⁸ sn A quotation from Deut 29:4; Isa 29:10.

[11:10]  ⁶⁹ sn A quotation from Ps 69:22-23.

[11:25]  ⁷⁰ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:13.

[11:25]  ⁷¹ tn Or “Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.”

[11:25]  ⁷² tn Grk “fullness.”

[3:14]  ⁷³ tn BDAG 365 s.v. ἐπί 7 suggests “to all these” as a translation for ἐπὶ πᾶσιν δὲ τούτοις (epi pasin de toutoi").

[3:14]  ⁷⁴ tn The term “virtues” is not in the Greek text, but is included in the translation to specify the antecedent and to make clear the sense of the pronoun “these.”

[3:14]  ⁷⁵ tn The verb “add,” though not in the Greek text, is implied, picking up the initial imperative “clothe yourselves.”

[3:14]  ⁷⁶ tn The genitive τῆς τελειότητος (th" teleiothto") has been translated as an attributive genitive, “the perfect bond.”

[3:15]  ⁷⁷ tn Grk “in one body.” This phrase emphasizes the manner in which the believers were called, not the goal of their calling, and focuses upon their unity.

[4:4]  ⁷⁸ tn The phrase begins with the ἵνα (Jina) clause and is subordinate to the imperative προσκαρτερεῖτε (proskartereite) in v. 2. The reference to the idea that Paul must make it known indicates that this clause is probably best viewed as purpose and not content, like the ἵνα of v. 3. It is the second purpose stated in the context; the first is expressed through the infinitive λαλῆσαι (lalhsai) in v. 3. The term “pray” at the beginning of the sentence is intended to pick up the imperative of v. 3.