Acts 28:27
in Acts 28For this people’s heart has grown callous; 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.’
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For this people’s heart is waxed gross, And their ears are dull of hearing, And their eyes they have closed; Lest haply they should perceive with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And should turn again, And I should heal them.
KJV
For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
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This verse in Acts 28
Commentary
8 notes on this verseThey first denied themselves, stopping their ears, closing their eyes, and hardening their heart. For not only did they not hear, but they heard with difficulty. And they did this, he says, for fear that perhaps I should turn back and heal them, indicating their …
This site's exposition
You will be ever hearing
on Acts 28:26-27
Paul quotes Isaiah 6:9-10, the passage Jesus applies to the crowds at Matthew 13:14. The words this people’s heart has grown callous name a dullness they brought on themselves, since they have closed their eyes.
This site's exposition
heart has grown callous
Paul quotes Isaiah 6:10 in the wording of the Greek Old Testament, where the people close their own eyes. Bede reads their earlier conduct as the cause of God's shutting their eyes, so that the blame rests on their choice. Jesus used the same passage in Matthew 13:15.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: for the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them." But when they departed, as they were opposed to each other, then he reproaches them, not because he wished to reproach those that believed not, but to confirm these that believed. "Well said Esaias," says he to them. So that to the Gentiles it is given to know this mystery. No wonder then, if they did gainsay: this was foretold from the first.
The Medieval Church3 voices
They did this, he says, people who stopped their ears and closed their eyes, who "will not turn, so that I may heal them." This points to the strong impiety and stubborn aversion of these people. This is said in order to attract and dispose …
For the heart of this people has grown dull, and their ears barely heard. So that we do not think the dullness of the heart and heaviness of the ears are of nature, not of will, he adds the blame of choice and says:
They have shut their eyes lest they should see with their eyes. That is, by their preceding merits, they were the cause that God shut their eyes. Or it should be joined to the preceding, with the Lord saying to the prophet, "Go to this …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
For the heart of this people is waxed gross,....
The words behind it
34 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἐπαχύνθη | epachunthe | Has grown dull | G3975 → | |
| γὰρ | gar | for | G1063 → | 1039 times |
| ἡ | he | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| καρδία | kardia | heart | G2588 → | 156 times |
| τοῦ | tou | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| λαοῦ | laou | people | G2992 → | 141 times |
| τούτου, | toutou | this, | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| τοῖς | tois | with the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ὠσὶν | osin | ears | G3775 → | 36 times |
| βαρέως | bareos | barely | G917 → | |
| ἤκουσαν | ekousan | they hear | G191 → | 425 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| τοὺς | tous | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ὀφθαλμοὺς | ophthalmous | eyes | G3788 → | 100 times |
| αὐτῶν | auton | of them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἐκάμμυσαν· | ekammusan | they have closed; | G2576 → | |
| μήποτε | mepote | otherwise | G3361 →G4218 → | 1066 times |
| ἴδωσιν | idosin | they may see | G1492 → | 374 times |
| τοῖς | tois | with the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ὀφθαλμοῖς | ophthalmois | eyes | G3788 → | 100 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| τοῖς | tois | with the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ὠσὶν | osin | ears | G3775 → | 36 times |
| ἀκούσωσιν | akousosin | they may hear | G191 → | 425 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| τῇ | tea | with the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| καρδίᾳ | kardia | heart | G2588 → | 156 times |
| συνῶσιν | sunosin | they may understand | G4920 → | 26 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐπιστρέψωσιν | epistrepsosin | may turn | G1994 → | 36 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἰάσομαι | iasomai | I will heal | G2390 → | 25 times |
| αὐτούς.¶ | autous | them.’ | G846 → | 5565 times |
ἐπαχύνθηHas grown dull
epachuntheG3975 →
γὰρfor
garG1063 →1039 times
ἡthe
heG3588 →19766 times
καρδίαheart
kardiaG2588 →156 times
τοῦof the
touG3588 →19766 times
λαοῦpeople
laouG2992 →141 times
τούτου,this,
toutouG3778 →1381 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
τοῖςwith the
toisG3588 →19766 times
ὠσὶνears
osinG3775 →36 times
βαρέωςbarely
bareosG917 →
ἤκουσανthey hear
ekousanG191 →425 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
τοὺςthe
tousG3588 →19766 times
ὀφθαλμοὺςeyes
ophthalmousG3788 →100 times
αὐτῶνof them
autonG846 →5565 times
ἐκάμμυσαν·they have closed;
ekammusanG2576 →
μήποτεotherwise
ἴδωσινthey may see
idosinG1492 →374 times
τοῖςwith the
toisG3588 →19766 times
ὀφθαλμοῖςeyes
ophthalmoisG3788 →100 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
τοῖςwith the
toisG3588 →19766 times
ὠσὶνears
osinG3775 →36 times
ἀκούσωσινthey may hear
akousosinG191 →425 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
τῇwith the
teaG3588 →19766 times
καρδίᾳheart
kardiaG2588 →156 times
συνῶσινthey may understand
sunosinG4920 →26 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐπιστρέψωσινmay turn
epistrepsosinG1994 →36 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἰάσομαιI will heal
iasomaiG2390 →25 times
αὐτούς.¶them.’
autousG846 →5565 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 6:10Make the hearts of this people calloused; deafen their ears and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”
it leads to
- Matthew 13:15
For this people’s heart has grown callous; 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,…
- Jeremiah 5:21
“Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear.
- Jeremiah 6:10
To whom can I give this warning? Who will listen to me? Look, their ears are closed, so they cannot hear. See, the word of the LORD has become offensive to them; they find…
- John 3:19–20
And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil.
- Zechariah 7:11
But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder; they stopped up their ears from hearing.
- Matthew 13:15
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Acts

This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Acts of the Apostles; Bede, Commentary on Acts; John Calvin, Commentary upon the Acts of the Apostles; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 55; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Oecumenius, Commentary on Acts and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.
