The Meaning of Isaiah 6:9 Explained

Isaiah 6:9

KJV: And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.

YLT: And He saith, 'Go, and thou hast said to this people, Hear ye -- to hear, and ye do not understand, And see ye -- to see, and ye do not know.

Darby: And he said, Go; and thou shalt say unto this people, Hearing ye shall hear and shall not understand, and seeing ye shall see and shall not perceive.

ASV: And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.

Discover Isaiah 6:9

CONTEXT: What is the Context of Isaiah 6:9?

MEANING: What does Isaiah 6:9 Mean?

WORDS: What do the individual words in Isaiah 6:9 mean?

RELATIONS: What do the major concepts mean in Isaiah 6:9?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he said,  Go,  and tell  this people,  Hear  ye indeed,  but understand  not; and see  ye indeed,  but perceive  not. 

What does Isaiah 6:9 Mean?

Verse Meaning

God sent Isaiah back to the people among whom he lived, a people with unclean lips ( Isaiah 6:5). He was to tell them to listen and to look at the revelations he brought from God, but they would not fully understand what the prophet meant (cf. Deuteronomy 29:2-4).
Does God really want to prevent people from understanding, repenting, and being healed? This verse and the next are strongly ironic. We could paraphrase Isaiah"s message to the Israelites as follow: "Go ahead; be stubborn!" [1]

Context Summary

Isaiah 6:1-13 - A Call To Heroic Service
Kings die; Jesus lives. See John 12:41. We are here reminded of Acts 22:17-18. How great the contrast between the worship of these seraphim in the Unseen-Holy and man's perfunctory rites! Six wings-two for meditation, two for humility, and two for service. Service should take only a third of our energy. One cried unto another-one inspired spirit will awaken others. The threefold repetition of the word holy, implies the Trinity. If door-posts tremble, much more should the hearts of sinful men! Isaiah, in the previous chapter, had uttered six woes against others, but his seventh and sorest woe is against himself. The sinner, like the leper, cries, Unclean! Leviticus 13:45. The seraph did not wait to be told; he knew that there was only one cure for such need as the prophet's, Isaiah 6:9-13. When men refuse God's offered grace, every refusal hardens. It is either "the savour of death unto death" or of "life unto life," 2 Corinthians 2:16. The life of the oak and the terebinth only seems to become extinct in winter; there is revival in the spring. Is it winter with you? Pray for the springtime! [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 6

1  Isaiah, in a vision of the Lord in his glory
5  Being terrified, has apprehensions removed
8  He offers himself, and is sent to show the obstinacy of the people
13  A remnant shall be saved

What do the individual words in Isaiah 6:9 mean?

And He said go and tell people this hearing Keep on but not do understand and seeing Keep on but not do perceive
וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לֵ֥ךְ וְאָמַרְתָּ֖ לָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֑ה שִׁמְע֤וּ שָׁמ֙וֹעַ֙ וְאַל־ תָּבִ֔ינוּ וּרְא֥וּ רָא֖וֹ וְאַל־ תֵּדָֽעוּ

וַיֹּ֕אמֶר  And  He  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לֵ֥ךְ  go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
וְאָמַרְתָּ֖  and  tell 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לָעָ֣ם  people 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
הַזֶּ֑ה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
שִׁמְע֤וּ  hearing 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
שָׁמ֙וֹעַ֙  Keep  on 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
וְאַל־  but  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: אַל  
Sense: not, no, nor, neither, nothing (as wish or preference).
תָּבִ֔ינוּ  do  understand 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: בִּין  
Sense: to discern, understand, consider.
וּרְא֥וּ  and  seeing 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
רָא֖וֹ  Keep  on 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
וְאַל־  but  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: אַל  
Sense: not, no, nor, neither, nothing (as wish or preference).
תֵּדָֽעוּ  do  perceive 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.

What are the major concepts related to Isaiah 6:9?

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Similar Scriptures for Isaiah 6:9

Luke 8:10 [29]
Matthew 13:14-15 [29]
Mark 4:12 [24]
John 12:40 [20]
Isaiah 29:13 [18]
Acts 28:26-27 [16]
Romans 11:8 [12]
Isaiah 43:8 [12]
Isaiah 44:18-20 [9]
Isaiah 30:8-11 [7]
Jeremiah 15:1-2 [4]
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Exodus 32:7-10 [4]
Hosea 1:9 [2]
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