The Meaning of Matthew 13:15 Explained

Matthew 13:15

KJV: 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.

YLT: for made gross was the heart of this people, and with the ears they heard heavily, and their eyes they did close, lest they might see with the eyes, and with the ears might hear, and with the heart understand, and turn back, and I might heal them.

Darby: for the heart of this people has grown fat, and they have heard heavily with their ears, and they have closed their eyes as asleep, lest they should see with the eyes, and hear with the ears, and understand with the heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

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 Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Matthew 13:15 Mean?

Context Summary

Matthew 13:10-23 - Teaching For The Teachable
Jesus defended His use of parables. He said that He carefully avoided stating the truths of the Kingdom too plainly, so as not to increase the condemnation of those who could not or would not accept them. But where the disciples cared to penetrate below the husk of the story or parable, they would reach the kernel of heavenly significance. It is given to meek and teachable hearts to know the secrets of God. Let us draw near to the great teacher, the Holy Spirit, asking Him to make us know the kernel and heart of the Word of God. See 1 Corinthians 2:6, etc.
Note these points in our Lord's explanation of His parable: (1.) Beware of the evil one, who comes surreptitiously as soon as the sermon is over. (2.) The joy of the young convert must be distinguished from that of the superficial hearer. It is joy in Christ, rather than in the novelty and beauty of the words about Christ. (3.) Expect tribulation where the gospel is faithfully proclaimed. (4.) The cares of poverty hinder as well as the riches of wealth. [source]

Chapter Summary: Matthew 13

1  The parable of the sower and the seed;
18  the explanation of it
24  The parable of the weeds;
31  of the mustard seed;
33  of the leaven;
36  explanation of the parable of the weeds
44  The parable of the hidden treasure;
45  of the pearl;
47  of the drag net cast into the sea
53  Jesus is a prophet without honor in his own country

Greek Commentary for Matthew 13:15

Is waxed gross [επαχυντη]
Aorist passive tense. From παχυς — pachus thick, fat, stout. Made callous or dull - even fatty degeneration of the heart. [source]
Dull of hearing [τοις ωσιν βαρεως ηκουσαν]
Another aorist. Literally, “They heard (or hear) heavily with their ears.” The hard of hearing are usually sensitive.Their eyes they have closed (τους οπταλμους αυτων εκαμμυσαν — tous ophthalmous autōn ekammusan). The epic and vernacular verb καμμυω — kammuō is from καταμυω — katamuō (to shut down). We say shut up of the mouth, but the eyes really shut down. The Hebrew verb in Isaiah 6:10 means to smear over. The eyes can be smeared with wax or cataract and thus closed. “Sealing up the eyes was an oriental punishment” (Vincent). See Isaiah 29:10; Isaiah 44:18.Lest This negative purpose as a judgment is left in the quotation from Isaiah. It is a solemn thought for all who read or hear the word of God.And I should heal them (και ιασομαι αυτους — kai iasomai autous). Here the lxx changes to the future indicative rather than the aorist subjunctive as before. [source]
Their eyes they have closed [τους οπταλμους αυτων εκαμμυσαν]
The epic and vernacular verb καμμυω — kammuō is from καταμυω — katamuō (to shut down). We say shut up of the mouth, but the eyes really shut down. The Hebrew verb in Isaiah 6:10 means to smear over. The eyes can be smeared with wax or cataract and thus closed. “Sealing up the eyes was an oriental punishment” (Vincent). See Isaiah 29:10; Isaiah 44:18. [source]
Lest [μηποτε]
This negative purpose as a judgment is left in the quotation from Isaiah. It is a solemn thought for all who read or hear the word of God.And I should heal them (και ιασομαι αυτους — kai iasomai autous). Here the lxx changes to the future indicative rather than the aorist subjunctive as before. [source]
And I should heal them [και ιασομαι αυτους]
Here the lxx changes to the future indicative rather than the aorist subjunctive as before. [source]
Is waxed gross [ἐπαχύνθη]
Lit., was made fat. Wyc., enfatted. [source]
Are dull of hearing [τοῖς ὠσὶν βαρέως ἤ κουσαν]
Lit., They heard heavily with their ears. [source]
They have closed [ἐκάμμυσαν]
, κατά , down, μύω , to close, as in μυστήρια above Our idiom shuts up the eyes. The Greek shuts them down. The Hebrew, in Isaiah 6:10, is besmear This insensibility is described as a punishment. Compare Isaiah 29:10; Isaiah 44:18; in both of which the closing of the eyes is described as a judgment of God. Sealing up the eyes was an oriental punishment. Cheyne (“Isaiah”) cites the case of a son of the Great Mogul, who had his eyes sealed up three years by his father as a punishment. Dante pictures the envious, on the second cornice of Purgatory, with their eyes sewed up:“For all their lids an iron wire transpierces,And sews them up, as to a sparhawk wild Is done, because it will not quiet stay.”Purg., xiii., 70-72. [source]
Be converted [ἐπιστρέψωσιν]
Rev., turn again; ἐπί , to or toward, στρέφω , to turn; with the idea of their turning from their evil toward God. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Matthew 13:15

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]
John 14:1 Heart [καρδία]
Never used in the New Testament, as in the Septuagint, of the mere physical organ, though sometimes of the vigor and sense of physical life (Acts 14:17; James 5:5; Luke 21:34). Generally, the center of our complex being - physical, moral, spiritual, and intellectual. See on Mark 12:30. The immediate organ by which man lives his personal life, and where that entire personal life concentrates itself. It is thus used sometimes as parallel to ψυχή , the individual life, and to πνεῦμα theprinciple of life, which manifests itself in the ψυχή . Strictly, καρδία is the immediate organ of ψυχή , occupying a mediating position between it and πνεῦμα . In the heart ( καρδία ) the spirit ( πνεῦμα ), which is the distinctive principle of the life or soul ( ψυχή ), has the seat of its activity. Emotions of joy or sorrow are thus ascribed both to the heart and to the soul. Compare John 14:27, “Let not your heart ( καρδιά ) be troubled;” and John 12:27, “Now is my soul ( ψυχή ) troubled.” The heart is the focus of the religious life (Matthew 22:37; Luke 6:45; 2 Timothy 2:22). It is the sphere of the operation of grace (Matthew 13:19; Luke 8:15; Luke 24:32; Acts 2:37; Romans 10:9, Romans 10:10). Also of the opposite principle (John 13:2; Acts 5:3). Used also as the seat of the understanding; the faculty of intelligence as applied to divine things (Matthew 13:15; Romans 1:21; Mark 8:17). [source]
John 12:40 Be converted [ἐπιστραφῶσιν]
See on Matthew 13:15; see on Luke 22:32. Rev., more accurately, turn, with the idea of turning to or toward something ( ἐπί ). [source]
John 12:40 He 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 28:27 Closed []
See on Matthew 13:15. [source]
Acts 28:27 Waxed gross []
See on Matthew 13:15. [source]
Acts 28:26 Say [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]
James 5:16 Pray for one another [προσευχεστε υπερ αλληλων]
Present middle imperative. Keep this up.That ye may be healed (οπως ιατητε — hopōs iathēte). Purpose clause with οπως — hopōs and the first aorist passive subjunctive of ιαομαι — iaomai Probably of bodily healing (James 5:14), though ιαομαι — iaomai is used also of healing of the soul (Matthew 13:15; 1 Peter 2:24; Hebrews 12:13) as Mayor takes it here.Availeth much “Has much force.” Present active indicative of ισχυω — ischuō (from ισχυς — ischus strength).In its working (ενεργουμενη — energoumenē). Probably the present middle participle of ενεργεω — energeō as Paul apparently uses it in Galatians 5:6; 2 Corinthians 4:12; 2 Thessalonians 2:7, meaning “when it works.” The passive is possible, as is the usual idiom elsewhere. Mayor argues strongly for the passive here, “when it is exercised” (Ropes). [source]
James 5:16 That ye may be healed [οπως ιατητε]
Purpose clause with οπως — hopōs and the first aorist passive subjunctive of ιαομαι — iaomai Probably of bodily healing (James 5:14), though ιαομαι — iaomai is used also of healing of the soul (Matthew 13:15; 1 Peter 2:24; Hebrews 12:13) as Mayor takes it here. [source]
1 John 2:11 Hath blinded [ἐτύφλωσεν]
For the image see Isaiah 6:10. See on closed, Matthew 13:15. Compare John 1:5, and see note on κατέλαβεν , overtook; John 11:35, John 11:40. The aorist tense, blinded, indicates a past, definite, decisive act. When the darkness overtook, it blinded. The blindness is no new state into which he has come. [source]

What do the individual words in Matthew 13:15 mean?

Has grown dull for the heart of the people this and with the ears barely they have heard the eyes of them they have closed not lest they should see with the eyes they should hear with the heart they should understand should return I will heal them
Ἐπαχύνθη γὰρ καρδία τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου Καὶ τοῖς ὠσὶν βαρέως ἤκουσαν τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτῶν ἐκάμμυσαν Μή‿ ποτε ἴδωσιν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ἀκούσωσιν τῇ καρδίᾳ συνῶσιν ἐπιστρέψωσιν ἰάσομαι αὐτούς

Ἐπαχύνθη  Has  grown  dull 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: παχύνω  
Sense: to make thick, to make fat, fatten.
καρδία  heart 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: καρδία  
Sense: the heart.
τοῦ  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
λαοῦ  people 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: λαός  
Sense: a people, people group, tribe, nation, all those who are of the same stock and language.
τούτου  this 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.
τοῖς  with  the 
Parse: Article, Dative Neuter Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ὠσὶν  ears 
Parse: Noun, Dative Neuter Plural
Root: οὖς  
Sense: the ear.
βαρέως  barely 
Parse: Adverb
Root: βαρέως  
Sense: heavily, with difficulty.
ἤκουσαν  they  have  heard 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἀκουστός 
Sense: to be endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf.
ὀφθαλμοὺς  eyes 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: ὀφθαλμός  
Sense: the eye.
αὐτῶν  of  them 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
ἐκάμμυσαν  they  have  closed 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: καμμύω  
Sense: to shut the eyes, close the eyes.
ποτε  lest 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: πότε  
Sense: when?, at what time?.
ἴδωσιν  they  should  see 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: εἶδον 
Sense: to see with the eyes.
τοῖς  with  the 
Parse: Article, Dative Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ὀφθαλμοῖς  eyes 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Plural
Root: ὀφθαλμός  
Sense: the eye.
ἀκούσωσιν  they  should  hear 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἀκουστός 
Sense: to be endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf.
τῇ  with  the 
Parse: Article, Dative Feminine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
καρδίᾳ  heart 
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Singular
Root: καρδία  
Sense: the heart.
συνῶσιν  they  should  understand 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: συνίημι 
Sense: to set or bring together.
ἐπιστρέψωσιν  should  return 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἐπιστρέφω  
Sense: transitively.
ἰάσομαι  I  will  heal 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Middle, 1st Person Singular
Root: ἰάομαι  
Sense: to cure, heal.