Isaiah 6:10
in Isaiah 6Make 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.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn again, and be healed.
KJV
Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.
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This verse in Isaiah 6
Commentary
13 notes on this verse228. Second, the acceptance of the sentence is set out. And these are the words of prophet; hence he says: O Lord, from that by which the Gentiles shall come in, strike Israel with blindness (Rom 11:25): blind the heart, inwardly, and make their ears …
This site's exposition
Go and tell this people
on Isaiah 6:9-10
The New Testament quotes this hardening at Matthew 13:15, Mark 4:12 and Luke 8:10, and at John 12:40 and Acts 28:27. The hardening is spoken as the Lord's own command, "Make the hearts of this people calloused," with the stated end that they would not turn.
This site's exposition
Make the hearts of this people calloused
Clarke holds that the prophet is said to do what he foretells, so the people's hearts grow calloused as they hear him. Henry says God gives those who refuse to see and hear over to blindness. Matthew 13:15 and John 12:40 cite it.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
But he appeared not so much for the eyes of human beings as for their salvation, for even though he was first seen by fleshly eyes when he was born of the virgin, still he did not appear because the eye of faith did not …
(Verse 9 and following) And he said: Go, and say to this people: Hearing, you shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing, you shall see, and shall not perceive. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.
Behold mercy and judgment: mercy upon the elect, who have obtained the justice of God, but judgment upon the others who have been blinded. And yet the former have believed, because they have willed, while the latter have not believed, because they have not willed. Hence mercy and judgment were brought about in their own wills. Clearly this election is through grace, not at all through merits.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
This making of their hearts fat, is here ascribed to the prophet, as it is ascribed to God in the repetition of this prophecy, John xii, 40, because God inflicted this judgment upon them by the ministry of the prophet, partly by way of prediction, foretelling that this would be the effect of his preaching; and partly by withdrawing the light and help of his Spirit.
(3.) God sometimes, in a way of righteous judgment, gives men up to blindness of mind and strong delusions, because they would not receive the truth in the love of it, 2 Thess. ii. He that is filthy let him be filthy still. (4.) Even the word of God oftentimes proves a means of hardening sinners.
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Make the heart of this people fat,....
Such a degree of courage for God and concern for the souls of men as is necessary to make a man faithful, and withal such an insight into the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven as is necessary to make a man skilful, are seldom to be met with.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
Make the heart of this people fat “Gross” - The prophet speaks of the event, the fact as it would actually happen, not of God’s purpose and act by his ministry. The prophets are in other places said to perform the thing which they only foretell: - “Lo! I have given thee a charge this day Over the nations, and over the kingdoms; To pluck up, and to pull down; To destroy, and to demolish; To build, and to plant.” Jer 1:
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
It is from the heart that corruption flows into the ears and eyes (Mr 7:21, 22); but through the eyes and ears healing reaches the heart (Ro 10:17), [BENGEL]. In Mt 13:15, the words are quoted in the indicative, "is waxed gross" (so the Septuagint), not the imperative, "make fat"; God's word as to the future is as certain as if it were already fulfilled.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Make the heart - The word “heart” here is used in the sense of the “mind” - to denote all their mental powers. It is commonly used in this sense in the Scriptures. Fat - Gross, heavy, dull, stupid. That is, go and proclaim such “truth” to them as shall have this effect - as shall irritate, provoke, enrage them; truth, whose delivery shall be attended, in their gross and corrupt hearts, with this blinding and infatuating influence the effect would be produced by the corrupt state of their hearts, not by any native tendency of the truth, and still less by any direct divine influence. ‘Go, and proclaim truth to a corrupt and sensual people, and the result will be that they will not hear; they are so wicked that they will not attend to it; they will become even more hardened; yet go, and though certain of producing this effect, still proclaim it;’ see this passage explained in the notes at Joh 12:40. Their ears heavy - Dull, stupid, insensible. And shut their eyes - The word used here means “to spread over,” and then to close. It denotes here the state of mind which is more and more indisposed to attend to the truth. And be healed - Be restored from the malady of sin; be recovered and pardoned. Sin is often represented as a painful, loathsome malady, and forgiveness as restoration from such a malady; Isa 30:26; Ps. 103; Psa 41:3-4; 2Ch 7:14; Jer 3:22; Jer 17:14. We may learn here, (1) That the effect of truth is often to irritate people and make them more wicked. (2) The truth must, nevertheless, be proclaimed. This effect is not the fault of the truth; and it is often well that the heart should be known, and the true effect should be seen.
The words behind it
18 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew 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.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הַשְׁמֵן֙ | hashmen | make fat | H8080 → | |
| לֵב־ | lev- | [the] heart of | H3820 → | 595 times |
| הָעָ֣ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| הַזֶּ֔ה | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| וְאָזְנָ֥יו | veazenav | and ears its | H241 → | 187 times |
| הַכְבֵּ֖ד | hakhbed | make heavy | H3513 → | 113 times |
| וְעֵינָ֣יו | veeinav | and eyes its | H5869 → | 887 times |
| הָשַׁ֑ע | hasha' | seal over | H8173 → | 9 times |
| פֶּן־ | pen- | lest | H6435 → | 133 times |
| יִרְאֶ֨ה | yireh | it should see | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| בְעֵינָ֜יו | veeinav | with eyes its | H5869 → | 887 times |
| וּבְאָזְנָ֣יו | uveazenav | and with ears its | H241 → | 187 times |
| יִשְׁמָ֗ע | yishma' | it will hear | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| וּלְבָב֥וֹ | ulevavo | and heart its | H3824 → | 252 times |
| יָבִ֛ין | yavin | it will understand | H995 → | 170 times |
| וָשָׁ֖ב | vashav | and it will return | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| וְרָ֥פָא | verafa' | and someone will heal | H7495 → | 67 times |
| לֽוֹ׃ | lo | <to> it |
הַשְׁמֵן֙make fat
hashmenH8080 →
לֵב־[the] heart of
lev-H3820 →595 times
הָעָ֣םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
הַזֶּ֔ה<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
וְאָזְנָ֥יוand ears its
veazenavH241 →187 times
הַכְבֵּ֖דmake heavy
hakhbedH3513 →113 times
וְעֵינָ֣יוand eyes its
veeinavH5869 →887 times
הָשַׁ֑עseal over
hasha'H8173 →9 times
פֶּן־lest
pen-H6435 →133 times
יִרְאֶ֨הit should see
yirehH7200 →1300 times
בְעֵינָ֜יוwith eyes its
veeinavH5869 →887 times
וּבְאָזְנָ֣יוand with ears its
uveazenavH241 →187 times
יִשְׁמָ֗עit will hear
yishma'H8085 →1159 times
וּלְבָב֥וֹand heart its
ulevavoH3824 →252 times
יָבִ֛יןit will understand
yavinH995 →170 times
וָשָׁ֖בand it will return
vashavH7725 →1056 times
וְרָ֥פָאand someone will heal
verafa'H7495 →67 times
לֽוֹ׃<to> it
lo
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 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
Jeremiah 5:21“Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear.
it leads to
- Acts 28:26
‘Go to this people and say, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.”
- Ezekiel 12:2
“Son of man, you are living in a rebellious house. They have eyes to see but do not see, and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious house.
- Isaiah 6:9–10
And He replied: “Go and tell this people, ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’
- Romans 11:8
as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see, and ears that could not hear, to this very day.”
- Acts 28:26
Through
Matthew 13:15For 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,…
it leads to
- Zechariah 7:11
But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder; they stopped up their ears from hearing.
- Mark 4:12
so that, ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven.’”
- John 8:43–44
Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you are unable to accept My message.
- Zechariah 7:11
Through
Jeremiah 6:10To 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…
it leads to
- Acts 7:51
You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did.
- Acts 7:51
Where this verse is studied
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About Isaiah
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Isaiah; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, PREDESTINATION OF THE SAINTS 6; Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Isaiah; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Maximus of Turin, SERMON 101:2 and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.