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.
YLT: that seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand, lest they may turn, and the sins may 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.
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.
sins
Sin.
sinned Sin, Summary: The literal meanings of the Heb. and (Greek - ἀλεκτοροφωνία sin," "sinner," etc)., disclose the true nature of sin in its manifold manifestations. Sin is transgression, an overstepping of the law, the divine boundary between good and evil Psalms 51:1 ; Luke 15:29 , iniquity, an act inherently wrong, whether expressly forbidden or not; error, a departure from right; Psalms 51:9 ; Romans 3:23 , missing the mark, a failure to meet the divine standard; trespass, the intrusion of self-will into the sphere of divine authority Ephesians 2:1 , lawlessness, or spiritual anarchy 1 Timothy 1:9 , unbelief, or an insult to the divine veracity John 16:9 .
Sin originated with Satan Isaiah 14:12-14 , entered the world through Adam Romans 5:12 , was, and is, universal, Christ alone excepted; Romans 3:23 ; 1 Peter 2:22 , incurs the penalties of spiritual and physical death; Genesis 2:17 ; Genesis 3:19 ; Ezekiel 18:4 ; Ezekiel 18:20 ; Romans 6:23 and has no remedy but in the sacrificial death of Christ; Hebrews 9:26 ; Acts 4:12 availed of by faith Acts 13:38 ; Acts 13:39 . Sin may be summarized as threefold: An act, the violation of, or want of obedience to the revealed will of God; a state, absence of righteousness; a nature, enmity toward God.
Context Summary
Mark 4:10-41 - Growth In God's Kingdom
How quick the Master was to observe the meaning of natural symbols! To Him all things were unfoldings of eternal mystery, and the ways of men unconsciously mirrored the unseen. Are there bushels in your life? Use them as lamp stands, not as coverings. All secrets come out; beware of what you say. All measures come back to us; take care how you mete. The mysterious co-operation of God in nature, and the gradual process of growth, are analogous to the co-working of the Holy Spirit with all faithful sowers of the Word, and the imperceptible stages through which the soul reaches maturity.
The stilling of the storm, Mark 4:35-41. They that bear Christ's company must prepare for squalls. Yet, why should we fear, when the Master is on board, who can impress His commands on wind and sea-to the wind, Peace; to the sea, Be still! "The Lord on high is mightier than the waves of the sea." A moment ago he was so weary as to sleep amid the storm, but at a word of appeal from those He loves, He shows Himself able to save to the uttermost. [source]
Chapter Summary: Mark 4
1The parable of the sower, 14and the meaning thereof 21We must communicate the light of our knowledge to others 26The parable of the seed growing secretly; 30and of the mustard seed 35Jesus stills the storm on the sea
Greek Commentary for Mark 4:12
Lest haply they should turn again, and it should be forgiven them [μηποτε επιστρεπσωσιν και απετηι αυτοις] Luke does not have these difficult words that seem in Isaiah to have an ironical turn, though Matthew 13:15 does retain them even after using οτι hoti for the first part of the quotation. There is no way to make μηποτε mēpote in Mark 4:12 and Matthew 13:15 have a causal sense. It is the purpose of condemnation for wilful blindness and rejection such as suits the Pharisees after their blasphemous accusation against Jesus. Bengel says: iam ante non videbant, nunc accedit iudicium divinum. Jesus is pronouncing their doom in the language of Isaiah. It sounds like the dirge of the damned. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Mark 4:12
Matthew 13:13Because seeing [οτι βλεποντες] In the parallel passages in Mark 4:12 and Luke 8:10 we find ινα hina with the subjunctive. This does not necessarily mean that in Mark and Luke ιναοτι hinâhoti with the causal sense, though a few rare instances of such usage may be found in late Greek. For a discussion of the problem see my chapter on “The Causal Use of Hina ” in Studies in Early Christianity (1928) edited by Prof. S.J. Case. Here in Matthew we have first “an adaptation of Isaiah 6:9. which is quoted in full in Matthew 13:14.” (McNeile). Thus Matthew presents “a striking paradox, ‹though they see, they do not (really) see‘”(McNeile). Cf. John 9:41. The idiom here in Matthew gives no trouble save in comparison with Mark and Luke which will be discussed in due turn. The form συνιουσιν suniousin is an omega verb form (συνιω suniō) rather than the μι mi verb (συνιημι suniēmi) as is common in the Koiné. [source]
Mark 4:11But unto them that are without [γνωναι] Peculiar to Mark, those outside our circle, the uninitiated, the hostile group like the scribes and Pharisees, who were charging Jesus with being in league with Beelzebub. Luke 8:10 has “to the rest” Without the key the parables are hard to understand, for parables veil the truth of the kingdom being stated in terms of another realm. Without a spiritual truth and insight they are unintelligible and are often today perverted. The parables are thus a condemnation on the wilfully blind and hostile, while a guide and blessing to the enlightened.That (εκεινοις hina). Mark has the construction of the Hebrew “lest” of Isaiah 6:9. with the subjunctive and so Luke 8:10, while Matthew 13:13 uses causal ινα hoti with the indicative following the lxx. See notes on Matthew 13:13 for the so-called causal use of οτι hina Gould on Mark 4:12 has an intelligent discussion of the differences between Matthew and Mark and Luke. He argues that Mark here probably “preserves the original form of Jesus‘ saying.” God ironically commands Isaiah to harden the hearts of the people. If the notion of purpose is preserved in the use of ινα hina in Mark and Luke, there is probably some irony also in the sad words of Jesus. If ινα hina is given the causative use of ινα hoti in Matthew, the difficulty disappears. What is certain is that the use of parables on this occasion was a penalty for judicial blindness on those who will not see. [source]
Mark 4:11That [εκεινοις] Mark has the construction of the Hebrew “lest” of Isaiah 6:9. with the subjunctive and so Luke 8:10, while Matthew 13:13 uses causal ινα hoti with the indicative following the lxx. See notes on Matthew 13:13 for the so-called causal use of οτι hina Gould on Mark 4:12 has an intelligent discussion of the differences between Matthew and Mark and Luke. He argues that Mark here probably “preserves the original form of Jesus‘ saying.” God ironically commands Isaiah to harden the hearts of the people. If the notion of purpose is preserved in the use of ινα hina in Mark and Luke, there is probably some irony also in the sad words of Jesus. If ινα hina is given the causative use of ινα hoti in Matthew, the difficulty disappears. What is certain is that the use of parables on this occasion was a penalty for judicial blindness on those who will not see. [source]
Mark 4:12Lest haply they should turn again, and it should be forgiven them [μηποτε επιστρεπσωσιν και απετηι αυτοις] Luke does not have these difficult words that seem in Isaiah to have an ironical turn, though Matthew 13:15 does retain them even after using οτι hoti for the first part of the quotation. There is no way to make μηποτε mēpote in Mark 4:12 and Matthew 13:15 have a causal sense. It is the purpose of condemnation for wilful blindness and rejection such as suits the Pharisees after their blasphemous accusation against Jesus. Bengel says: iam ante non videbant, nunc accedit iudicium divinum. Jesus is pronouncing their doom in the language of Isaiah. It sounds like the dirge of the damned. [source]
John 12:40He hath blinded [τετυπλωκεν] Perfect active indicative of τυπλοω tuphloō old causative verb to make blind (from τυπλος tuphlos blind), in N.T. only here, 2 Corinthians 4:4; 1 John 2:11. He hardened First aorist active indicative of πωροω pōroō a late causative verb (from πωρος pōros hard skin), seen already in Mark 6:52, etc. This quotation is from Isaiah 6:10 and differs from the lxx. Lest they should see Negative purpose clause with ινα μη hina mē instead of μηποτε mēpote (never used by John) of the lxx. Matthew (Matthew 13:15) has μηποτε mēpote and quotes Jesus as using the passage as do Mark (Mark 4:12) and Luke (Luke 8:10). Paul quotes it again (Acts 28:26) to the Jews in Rome. In each instance the words of Isaiah are interpreted as forecasting the doom of the Jews for rejecting the Messiah. Matthew (Matthew 13:15) has συνωσιν sunōsin where John has νοησωσιν noēsōsin (perceive), and both change from the subjunctive to the future (και ιασομαι kai iasomai), “And I should heal them.” John has here στραπωσιν straphōsin (second aorist passive subjunctive of στρεπω strephō) while Matthew reads επιστρεπσωσιν epistrepsōsin (first aorist active of επιστρεπω epistrephō). [source]
Acts 28:26Say [ειπον] Second aorist active imperative instead of the old form ειπε eipe The quotation is from Isaiah 6:9,Isaiah 6:10. This very passage is quoted by Jesus (Matthew 13:14,Matthew 13:15; Mark 4:12; Luke 8:10) in explanation of his use of parables and in John 12:40 the very point made by Paul here, “the disbelief of the Jews in Jesus” (Page). See note on Matthew 13:14 for discussion of the language used. Here the first time (“go to this people and say”) does not occur in Matthew. It is a solemn dirge of the doom of the Jews for their rejection of the Messiah foreseen so long ago by Isaiah. [source]
What do the individual words in Mark 4:12 mean?
so thatSeeingthey might seeandnotperceivehearingthey might hearunderstandlesteverthey should turnshould be forgiventhem
Greek Commentary for Mark 4:12
Luke does not have these difficult words that seem in Isaiah to have an ironical turn, though Matthew 13:15 does retain them even after using οτι hoti for the first part of the quotation. There is no way to make μηποτε mēpote in Mark 4:12 and Matthew 13:15 have a causal sense. It is the purpose of condemnation for wilful blindness and rejection such as suits the Pharisees after their blasphemous accusation against Jesus. Bengel says: iam ante non videbant, nunc accedit iudicium divinum. Jesus is pronouncing their doom in the language of Isaiah. It sounds like the dirge of the damned. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Mark 4:12
In the parallel passages in Mark 4:12 and Luke 8:10 we find ινα hina with the subjunctive. This does not necessarily mean that in Mark and Luke ιναοτι hinâhoti with the causal sense, though a few rare instances of such usage may be found in late Greek. For a discussion of the problem see my chapter on “The Causal Use of Hina ” in Studies in Early Christianity (1928) edited by Prof. S.J. Case. Here in Matthew we have first “an adaptation of Isaiah 6:9. which is quoted in full in Matthew 13:14.” (McNeile). Thus Matthew presents “a striking paradox, ‹though they see, they do not (really) see‘”(McNeile). Cf. John 9:41. The idiom here in Matthew gives no trouble save in comparison with Mark and Luke which will be discussed in due turn. The form συνιουσιν suniousin is an omega verb form (συνιω suniō) rather than the μι mi verb (συνιημι suniēmi) as is common in the Koiné. [source]
Peculiar to Mark, those outside our circle, the uninitiated, the hostile group like the scribes and Pharisees, who were charging Jesus with being in league with Beelzebub. Luke 8:10 has “to the rest” Without the key the parables are hard to understand, for parables veil the truth of the kingdom being stated in terms of another realm. Without a spiritual truth and insight they are unintelligible and are often today perverted. The parables are thus a condemnation on the wilfully blind and hostile, while a guide and blessing to the enlightened.That (εκεινοις hina). Mark has the construction of the Hebrew “lest” of Isaiah 6:9. with the subjunctive and so Luke 8:10, while Matthew 13:13 uses causal ινα hoti with the indicative following the lxx. See notes on Matthew 13:13 for the so-called causal use of οτι hina Gould on Mark 4:12 has an intelligent discussion of the differences between Matthew and Mark and Luke. He argues that Mark here probably “preserves the original form of Jesus‘ saying.” God ironically commands Isaiah to harden the hearts of the people. If the notion of purpose is preserved in the use of ινα hina in Mark and Luke, there is probably some irony also in the sad words of Jesus. If ινα hina is given the causative use of ινα hoti in Matthew, the difficulty disappears. What is certain is that the use of parables on this occasion was a penalty for judicial blindness on those who will not see. [source]
Mark has the construction of the Hebrew “lest” of Isaiah 6:9. with the subjunctive and so Luke 8:10, while Matthew 13:13 uses causal ινα hoti with the indicative following the lxx. See notes on Matthew 13:13 for the so-called causal use of οτι hina Gould on Mark 4:12 has an intelligent discussion of the differences between Matthew and Mark and Luke. He argues that Mark here probably “preserves the original form of Jesus‘ saying.” God ironically commands Isaiah to harden the hearts of the people. If the notion of purpose is preserved in the use of ινα hina in Mark and Luke, there is probably some irony also in the sad words of Jesus. If ινα hina is given the causative use of ινα hoti in Matthew, the difficulty disappears. What is certain is that the use of parables on this occasion was a penalty for judicial blindness on those who will not see. [source]
Luke does not have these difficult words that seem in Isaiah to have an ironical turn, though Matthew 13:15 does retain them even after using οτι hoti for the first part of the quotation. There is no way to make μηποτε mēpote in Mark 4:12 and Matthew 13:15 have a causal sense. It is the purpose of condemnation for wilful blindness and rejection such as suits the Pharisees after their blasphemous accusation against Jesus. Bengel says: iam ante non videbant, nunc accedit iudicium divinum. Jesus is pronouncing their doom in the language of Isaiah. It sounds like the dirge of the damned. [source]
These words of Isaiah are repeated five times in the New Testament as the description of the Jewish people in its latest stage of decay. Matthew 13:13; Mark 4:12; Luke 8:10; John 12:40; Acts 28:26. [source]
Perfect active indicative of τυπλοω tuphloō old causative verb to make blind (from τυπλος tuphlos blind), in N.T. only here, 2 Corinthians 4:4; 1 John 2:11. He hardened First aorist active indicative of πωροω pōroō a late causative verb (from πωρος pōros hard skin), seen already in Mark 6:52, etc. This quotation is from Isaiah 6:10 and differs from the lxx. Lest they should see Negative purpose clause with ινα μη hina mē instead of μηποτε mēpote (never used by John) of the lxx. Matthew (Matthew 13:15) has μηποτε mēpote and quotes Jesus as using the passage as do Mark (Mark 4:12) and Luke (Luke 8:10). Paul quotes it again (Acts 28:26) to the Jews in Rome. In each instance the words of Isaiah are interpreted as forecasting the doom of the Jews for rejecting the Messiah. Matthew (Matthew 13:15) has συνωσιν sunōsin where John has νοησωσιν noēsōsin (perceive), and both change from the subjunctive to the future (και ιασομαι kai iasomai), “And I should heal them.” John has here στραπωσιν straphōsin (second aorist passive subjunctive of στρεπω strephō) while Matthew reads επιστρεπσωσιν epistrepsōsin (first aorist active of επιστρεπω epistrephō). [source]
Second aorist active imperative instead of the old form ειπε eipe The quotation is from Isaiah 6:9, Isaiah 6:10. This very passage is quoted by Jesus (Matthew 13:14, Matthew 13:15; Mark 4:12; Luke 8:10) in explanation of his use of parables and in John 12:40 the very point made by Paul here, “the disbelief of the Jews in Jesus” (Page). See note on Matthew 13:14 for discussion of the language used. Here the first time (“go to this people and say”) does not occur in Matthew. It is a solemn dirge of the doom of the Jews for their rejection of the Messiah foreseen so long ago by Isaiah. [source]