Mark 4:12

10 As soon as Jesus was alone with the Twelve and those around Him, they asked Him about the parable.

11 He replied, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those on the outside everything is expressed in parables,

so that, ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven.’”

13 Then Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables?

14 The farmer sows the word.

Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
so that, ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven.’”
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.
WEB
that ‘seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand, lest perhaps they should turn again, and their sins should be forgiven them.’”
ASV
that seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest haply they should turn again, and it should be forgiven them.
DARBY
that beholding they may behold and not see, and hearing they may hear and not understand, lest it may be, they should be converted and they should be forgiven.
BLB
so that: ‘Seeing they might see and not perceive, and hearing they might hear and not understand, lest ever they might return, and they might be forgiven.’””
ÅB
for at de skal se og se og ikke skjelne, og høre og høre og ikke forstå, for at de ikke skal omvende seg og få tilgivelse.
OTB
slik at,
'de kan se, men ikke oppfatte,
og høre, men ikke forstå;
ellers kunne de vende om og bli tilgitt.'»
B1930
forat de skal se og se og ikke skjelne, og høre og høre og ikke forstå, forat de ikke skal omvende sig og få forlatelse.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • Isaiah 6:9–10

    And He replied: “Go and tell this people, ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’

    Read in context
  • Isaiah 44:18

    They do not comprehend or discern, for He has shut their eyes so they cannot see and closed their minds so they cannot understand.

    Read in context
  • Matthew 13:14–15

    In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.

    Read in context
  • Jeremiah 5:21

    “Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear.

    Read in context
  • Deuteronomy 29:4

    Yet to this day the LORD has not given you a mind to understand, eyes to see, or ears to hear.

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  • John 12:37–41

    Although Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still did not believe in Him.

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  • Luke 8:10

    He replied, “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, ‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’

    Read in context
  • 2 Timothy 2:25

    He must gently reprove those who oppose him, in the hope that God may grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth.

    Read in context