Acts 28 26

Acts 28:26 kjv

Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive:

Acts 28:26 nkjv

saying, 'Go to this people and say: "Hearing you will hear, and shall not understand; And seeing you will see, and not perceive;

Acts 28:26 niv

"?'Go to this people and say, "You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving."

Acts 28:26 esv

"'Go to this people, and say, "You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive."

Acts 28:26 nlt

'Go and say to this people:
When you hear what I say,
you will not understand.
When you see what I do,
you will not comprehend.

Acts 28 verses

Acts 28 26 Meaning

Acts 28:26 relays a divine message spoken by the prophet Isaiah and reiterated by Paul, declaring that despite hearing and seeing the truth, certain individuals, specifically those Jewish leaders rejecting Christ, would fail to understand or perceive. It speaks of a spiritual hardening or blindness where physical faculties are operational, yet cognitive and spiritual comprehension are intentionally withheld by God or result from human will, or both. This prophecy serves as a concluding explanation for the Jewish rejection of the gospel in Rome, marking a pivotal moment in Acts as Paul turns his focus to the Gentiles.

Acts 28 26 Context

Acts 28 marks the end of Paul's missionary journeys and his arrival in Rome, under house arrest, awaiting trial before Caesar. Before his trial, Paul called for the leading Jewish men of the city to explain his situation. He presented his defense and then "explained to them about the kingdom of God, and he tried to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning till evening" (Acts 28:23). Some believed, but others disbelieved, leading to disagreement among them as they departed. Paul, observing their persistent rejection despite having heard and seen ample evidence, then quotes from Isaiah 6:9-10. This quote acts as a concluding pronouncement, explaining the reason for their spiritual insensitivity and foretelling the turning point for the gospel's spread—to the Gentiles, as stated in the subsequent verse (Acts 28:28). Historically, this signifies a crucial shift where the gospel's primary focus moves decisively beyond a resistant Jewish audience to encompass the wider Gentile world. The quote also underscores a recurring pattern in Israel's history of rejecting divine messengers and truth.

Acts 28 26 Word analysis

• saying (λέγων - legōn): The participle "legōn" indicates Paul's continued speech, delivering this prophetic indictment after observing the mixed reception to his gospel presentation among the Jewish leaders. It introduces a direct quotation of a crucial prophetic text.
• 'Go (πορεύθητι - poreutheti): This is an imperative, directly commanding action. In the original Isaianic context (Isa 6:9), it was God's command to the prophet Isaiah. Here, Paul appropriates it, reminding his audience of its original divine authority and tragic application. It conveys a divinely ordained mission.
• to this people (τῷ λαῷ τούτῳ - tō laō toutō): "Laos" refers to a specific group, Israel, God's chosen people. The demonstrative pronoun "toutō" ("this") adds emphasis, pinpointing the specific audience both in Isaiah's time and, crucially, the Roman Jewish leaders Paul is addressing. It implies a people who should know better or who have had a long history with God.
• and say (λέγε - lege): Another imperative, commanding the delivery of a message. It reinforces the authority behind the words to follow, emphasizing that this is a divine pronouncement, not a mere opinion.
• "You will indeed hear (ἀκοῇ ἀκούσετε - akoē akousete): This is a Septuagintal (Greek Old Testament) translation of a common Hebrew idiom using an infinitive absolute followed by a finite verb (e.g., "hearing, you will hear"). It provides intense emphasis, meaning "you will certainly hear," or "hear and hear again." It denotes the physical act of hearing the gospel message.
• but never understand (οὐ μὴ συνῆτε - ou mē synēte): The strong double negative "ou mē" (οὐ μή) expresses an emphatic negation: "you will absolutely never understand." "Syniēmi" (συνίημι) means to comprehend, to grasp the meaning, to put pieces together cognitively and spiritually. Despite physical hearing, the spiritual or intellectual comprehension is blocked.
• and you will indeed see (βλέποντες βλέψετε - blepontes blepsete): Parallel to the previous phrase, this again uses the emphatic Greek construction for "seeing, you will see," or "you will certainly see." It refers to physical sight—seeing the signs, the evidence, the very presence of God's work.
• but never perceive (οὐδὲ μὴ ἴδητε - oude mē idēte): Similar to "understand," this employs a strong double negative ("oude mē") for absolute negation: "you will absolutely never perceive/discern." "Eidēte" (ἴδητε), from "horao/eido" (ὁράω/εἴδω), often implies seeing with insight, recognizing the significance, or grasping with the mind, not just physical sight.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Go to this people and say": This introductory phrase establishes the prophetic command and target audience. It highlights that the message is divinely ordained and specifically directed towards the Israelite nation who, despite being God's covenant people, persistently resist His message. Paul places himself in the line of prophets who were given hard messages for Israel.
• "You will indeed hear but never understand": This pairing highlights the tragedy of intellectual and spiritual dullness. The opportunity to hear the divine word is given, yet an inherent or divinely allowed resistance prevents genuine cognitive and spiritual apprehension of its meaning and implications. It indicates a failure to process information in a salvific way.
• "and you will indeed see but never perceive": This parallel phrase emphasizes the lack of insight even in the presence of physical evidence. They might witness miracles, signs, and the transformed lives, but they fail to discern the divine origin or significance of what they see. It signifies a spiritual blindness to the deeper truths behind the observable reality.
• The double negative construction ("ou mē"): This crucial grammatical feature appearing twice emphasizes the absolute certainty of their inability to understand or perceive. It suggests not just a casual failure but a resolute, determined lack of comprehension that stems from a deep-seated rejection and/or a judicial hardening from God.

Acts 28 26 Bonus section

The quote from Isaiah 6 is significant not only for its explanation of unbelief but also for its profound theological implications regarding divine sovereignty and human responsibility. In its original context, Isaiah's call included the difficult mission of speaking to a people who would reject his message, illustrating the nature of prophetic ministry itself often involving a message that hardens rather than softens. For Paul to use this same passage at the end of his Roman mission is a powerful parallel to his own experiences of proclaiming the gospel. This verse highlights the tension between God's will for all to hear the gospel and His mysterious allowance or active role in the hardening of hearts as a consequence of their refusal, leading ultimately to a broader redemptive purpose, such as the ingathering of the Gentiles. The passage stands as a warning against spiritual complacency and willful rejection of God's word, showing that continuous unbelief can lead to a condition where truth is no longer perceivable, not simply because it's not present, but because the spiritual receptivity has atrophied or been judged.

Acts 28 26 Commentary

Acts 28:26 serves as a climactic, almost lamentable, statement at the close of Paul's direct engagement with the Jewish community in Acts. By quoting Isaiah 6:9-10, Paul unequivocally explains why the gospel was largely rejected by many of his kinsmen. This is not merely a commentary on their present state but a prophetic diagnosis reaching back centuries, underscoring a consistent pattern of resistance to God's truth among a segment of Israel.

The core meaning points to a tragic spiritual condition: external senses (hearing and seeing) are active, but internal spiritual faculties for understanding and perception are closed. This hardening can be seen as a judicial act of God, a consequence of repeated human rejection of truth and rebellion, where persistent refusal to believe leads to an inability to believe. The prophecy doesn't suggest that God arbitrarily closes hearts, but that in response to continuous recalcitrance, He allows the spiritual senses to dull, fulfilling His sovereign plan and justice. It underlines both human culpability in willful rejection and divine sovereignty in allowing or facilitating that consequence.

Paul's use of this prophecy legitimizes the turning point toward the Gentiles that follows, providing a theological rationale for the change in missionary strategy. It signifies that God's plan is not thwarted by human unbelief; instead, it incorporates and utilizes even the hardness of heart to open doors to others.

Practical examples of this phenomenon can be observed when people:

• Listen to a sermon or read the Bible yet dismiss it as irrelevant without engaging with its spiritual claims.
• Witness acts of faith or transformative Christian lives but remain unmoved, explaining them away through secular or superficial reasoning.
• Intellectually grasp Christian doctrines but never experience a personal, transformative understanding that leads to faith and obedience.