Isaiah 6:9–10
"Hear ye indeed, but understand not": the hardening text
Isaiah's commission: "Make the heart of this people fat… lest they… convert, and be healed." The Hebrew is a command; the library's Greek makes it a description ("the heart of this people has grown fat"), and Matthew 13:15 (Jesus' words in Matthew's report) and Acts 28:27 (Paul's words in Acts) quote that Greek form. Mark 4:12 adapts it briefly; John 12:40 has its own form. The Great Isaiah Scroll reads hashem ("make desolate") for hashmen ("make fat").
Same letters, different readings: the consonants agree, but ancient readers vocalized or interpreted them differently
The family tree
Each row is a language or text tradition. Witnesses in the same row may share ancestry, revise one another, or have an uncertain relationship; the line under each box says which. A solid arrow appears only where direct copying or a documented revised edition is established. Order by date never implies copying. Scroll sideways on a phone.
✓ contains it · ✕ does not · ❝ quotes part of it · ⓘ reports on manuscripts · ▢ pages lost · – no copy survives
- Same line, through lost copies
- Translation
- Uncertain connection
- The oracle as first spoken or written8th–6th century BC (by section; debated)
- Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsa-a), Qumran Cave 1c. 125 BC (palaeography; reported)Descends, through lost copies, from The oracle as first spoken or written
- Masoretic Text (Leningrad Codex)AD 1008Descends, through lost copies, from The oracle as first spoken or written
- Matthew 13:14–15 (Greek New Testament; library: Statistical Restoration text)1st century AD; edition 2010sUncertain relationship to the verse (which wording it followed is the question)
- Mark 4:12 (Greek New Testament; library: Statistical Restoration text)1st century AD; edition 2010sUncertain relationship to the verse (which wording it followed is the question)
- John 12:40 (Greek New Testament; library: Statistical Restoration text)1st century AD; edition 2010sUncertain relationship to the verse (which wording it followed is the question)
- Acts 28:26–27 (Greek New Testament; library: Statistical Restoration text)1st century AD; edition 2010sUncertain relationship to the verse (which wording it followed is the question)
Every witness, in order
8th–6th century BC (by section; debated)
The oracle as first spoken or written
No original survives. The oldest copies of Isaiah are the Qumran scrolls: the Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsa-a, about 125 BC, nearly complete), 1QIsa-b (1Q8) and some twenty other fragmentary manuscripts.
c. 125 BC (palaeography; reported)
Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsa-a), Qumran Cave 1
How the site knows this: Described from a published transcription of the manuscript. Described in the site's own words from Martin Abegg's transcription (ETCBC/CACCHT Dead Sea Scrolls dataset v2.0.5); the transcription itself is not reproduced. Photographs and DJD XXXII not yet checked.
Hebrew numbering: Isaiah 6:9–10. In v. 10 the first verb lacks a letter, giving hashem ("make desolate") for hashmen ("make fat"); "in his heart" for "his heart." Otherwise the differences are of spelling (fuller use of vowel letters) and small grammatical forms.
1st century AD; edition 2010s
Matthew 13:14–15 (Greek New Testament; library: Statistical Restoration text)
How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: the Greek New Testament editions in the library (Textus Receptus, Byzantine Textform, Statistical Restoration).
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.’
In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: hearing you will hear and not understand… for the heart of this people has grown fat…
Matthew's report of Jesus' words; follows the Greek. Words attributed to Jesus. KJV: "And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them."
1st century AD; edition 2010s
Mark 4:12 (Greek New Testament; library: Statistical Restoration text)
How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: the Greek New Testament editions in the library (Textus Receptus, Byzantine Textform, Statistical Restoration).
ἵνα ‘βλέποντες, βλέπωσιν καὶ μὴ ἴδωσιν, καὶ ἀκούοντες, ἀκούωσι καὶ μὴ συνιῶσιν, μήποτε ἐπιστρέψωσιν καὶ ἀφεθῇ αὐτοῖς.’”
so that seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand, lest they turn and be forgiven
Mark's report of Jesus' words: a short adaptation. Words attributed to Jesus. 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."
1st century AD; edition 2010s
John 12:40 (Greek New Testament; library: Statistical Restoration text)
How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: the Greek New Testament editions in the library (Textus Receptus, Byzantine Textform, Statistical Restoration).
“Τετύφλωκεν αὐτῶν τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς καὶ ἐπήρωσεν αὐτῶν τὴν καρδίαν, ἵνα μὴ ἴδωσιν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς καὶ νοήσωσιν τῇ καρδίᾳ, καὶ στραφῶσιν καὶ ἰάσομαι αὐτούς.”
He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes and understand with their heart and turn, and I heal them
The evangelist's own citation, with a distinct form; v. 41: Isaiah saw his glory. KJV: "He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them."
1st century AD; edition 2010s
Acts 28:26–27 (Greek New Testament; library: Statistical Restoration text)
How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: the Greek New Testament editions in the library (Textus Receptus, Byzantine Textform, Statistical Restoration).
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.”’
Go to this people and say: hearing you will hear and not understand…
Paul's words in Acts; follows the Greek. KJV: "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."
Jerome c. AD 400, from Hebrew; edition 1592
Latin Vulgate (Clementine)
How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: Clementine Vulgate (1592 edition).
Et dixit: Vade, et dices populo huic: Audite audientes, et nolite intelligere; et videte visionem, et nolite cognoscere. Excæca cor populi hujus, et aures ejus aggrava, et oculos ejus claude: ne forte videat oculis suis, et auribus suis audiat, et corde suo intelligat, et convertatur, et sanem eum.
Latin numbering: Isaiah 6:9–10. Jerome translated Isaiah from Hebrew (c. AD 400).
AD 1008
Masoretic Text (Leningrad Codex)
How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: Westminster Leningrad Codex, a digital transcription of the Leningrad Codex.
וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לֵ֥ךְ וְאָמַרְתָּ֖ לָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֑ה שִׁמְע֤וּ שָׁמ֙וֹעַ֙ וְאַל־תָּבִ֔ינוּ וּרְא֥וּ רָא֖וֹ וְאַל־תֵּדָֽעוּ׃ הַשְׁמֵן֙ לֵב־הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה וְאָזְנָ֥יו הַכְבֵּ֖ד וְעֵינָ֣יו הָשַׁ֑ע פֶּן־יִרְאֶ֨ה בְעֵינָ֜יו וּבְאָזְנָ֣יו יִשְׁמָ֗ע וּלְבָב֥וֹ יָבִ֛ין וָשָׁ֖ב וְרָ֥פָא לֽוֹ׃
Make the heart of this people fat, make its ears heavy, and smear its eyes, lest it see with its eyes and hear with its ears and understand with its heart, and turn, and be healed (v. 10)
Hebrew numbering: Isaiah 6:9–10.
1611
King James Bible
How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: King James Version (1769 text).
And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. 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.
Greek translation c. 2nd century BC; French 1872
Greek Isaiah (library: Giguet's French)
How the site knows this: Known here only through a translation.
Et il dit: Pars, et dis à ce peuple: Vous entendrez de vos oreilles, et ne comprendrez point; vous regarderez de vos yeux, et ne verrez point; Car le cœur de ce peuple s’est endurci; et ils ont fait la sourde oreille, et ils ont fermé les yeux, de peur que leurs yeux ne voient, que leurs oreilles n’entendent, que leur cœur ne comprenne, qu’ils ne se convertissent à moi, et que je ne les guérisse.
Greek (digital file) numbering: Isaiah 6:9–10. Giguet's 1872 French of a printed Greek text (D check only); a C check needs Ziegler's Göttingen Isaiah or Rahlfs–Hanhart. The Greek turns the commands into a description.
What changed, and why
Classification: Greek = translation (imperatives become indicatives, softening divine causation); scroll = one-letter variant (hashem/hashmen); NT = later quotation, each Gospel separate.
Matthew 13:13–15 (Jesus' words in Matthew's report) cites the full Greek text; Mark 4:12 (Jesus) gives a shortened form ending "and their sins should be forgiven"; Luke 8:10 is shorter still; John 12:39–41 (the evangelist) uses a distinct form with God blinding eyes; Acts 28:25–27 (Paul) matches the Greek.
The point in Isaiah is the anticipated failure of his preaching; in the Gospels, the failure of many to grasp Jesus' parables; in Acts, Jewish rejection of Paul's message in Rome. These are applications in new settings.
What the evidence shows
- Matthew 13:15 and Acts 28:27 follow the Greek form of 6:10.
- The Great Isaiah Scroll reads hashem for hashmen in 6:10. In the transcription.
- The four Gospels quote 6:9–10 in the same words. Each has its own form.
Sources
Related lessons
- Isaiah 6: Holy, Holy, Holy →"In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple" (6:1). Seraphim with six wings call to one another, "Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory" (vv. 2–3); the threshold shakes and the house fills with smoke (v. 4). Isaiah cries, "Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips" (v. 5). A seraph touches his mouth with a live coal from the altar: "thine iniquity is taken away" (vv. 6–7). God asks, "Whom shall I send?"; Isaiah answers, "Here am I; send me" (v. 8). His message: "Hear ye indeed, but understand not… Make the heart of this people fat… lest they… understand… and be healed" (vv. 9–10). "How long?" Until cities lie waste; a tenth will remain and be burned again, like a felled oak whose stump remains: "the holy seed shall be the substance thereof" (vv. 11–13).
- Investigation: Jesus and Isaiah →Isaiah is quoted in the Gospels more than any other prophet. This study registers 55 uses that involve Jesus: 20 in Matthew, 14 in Mark, 12 in Luke and 9 in John. For each it records who speaks (Jesus as the Gospel reports him, the narrator, John the Baptist, a heavenly voice, Simeon, or a later scribe), the Isaiah passage and its original setting, the Gospel's Greek wording, whether the use is an explicit quotation, a quotation without formula, an allusion, a proposed allusion, or a later Christian connection, and how that Gospel uses it. Each Gospel is kept separate.
- Investigation: The Great Isaiah Scroll →Found in a cave near the Dead Sea in 1947, the Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsa-a) is the only complete book of the Hebrew Bible among the Dead Sea Scrolls, about a thousand years older than the medieval codices behind printed Hebrew Bibles. It agrees with the Masoretic Text in most of its words and differs in thousands of small ways: spelling, grammar, scribal slips, corrections, and a few real variants. This investigation explains what the scroll is, how its differences are classified, and which ones matter.