John 12:40 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.
John 12:40 nkjv
"He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, Lest they should see with their eyes, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them."
John 12:40 niv
"He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn?and I would heal them."
John 12:40 esv
"He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them."
John 12:40 nlt
"The Lord has blinded their eyes
and hardened their hearts ?
so that their eyes cannot see,
and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me
and have me heal them."
John 12 40 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| John 12:37 | Though Jesus had done so many miraculous signs... | Highlights ongoing rejection despite evidence |
| Isaiah 6:10 | "Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but perceive not; and see ye indeed, but do not understand." | Prophetic fulfillment of spiritual blindness |
| John 9:39 | "Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see might be blind..." | Jesus' stated purpose of bringing judgment |
| Romans 11:8 | "...as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see..." | Further OT prophetic declaration cited in NT |
| Matthew 13:14 | "And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand..." | Parallel quote from Jesus in Matthew |
| Acts 28:25-27 | Paul quotes Isaiah 6:9-10 to unbelieving Jews | Paul's application of the prophetic principle |
| John 3:18-19 | "He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already..." | Contrasts belief and unbelief, resulting judgment |
| Deuteronomy 29:3-4 | Moses recounts God's gift of a heart to understand, eyes to see... | God gives capacity, but people can resist |
| Proverbs 1:24-28 | God calls, but refuses to answer when calamity strikes the unrepentant | God's justice in responding to persistent sin |
| John 8:43 | "Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word." | Jesus directly addresses their inability to hear |
| Mark 4:12 | "That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand..." | Parallel passage with same prophetic quote |
| Romans 9:18 | "Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth." | Paul's discussion on God's sovereignty and election |
| John 15:22 | "If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no excuse for their sin." | Jesus' coming reveals and exacerbates sin |
| Isaiah 53:1 | "Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?" | Foreshadows the lack of belief in the Messiah |
| John 6:44 | "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him..." | Salvation is by God's drawing |
| 2 Corinthians 4:4 | "...the god of this world hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving..." | Satan as an agent of spiritual blindness |
| 1 Corinthians 2:14 | "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him..." | The natural man's inability to comprehend spiritual truth |
| Isaiah 29:10-12 | God's judgment brings a spirit of deep sleep, blinded eyes, and shut lips | God's judgment includes spiritual insensitivity |
| Psalm 69:22 | "Let their table become a snare and a trap... let their eyes be darkened, so that they see not..." | A imprecatory psalm applicable to rejection |
| John 1:5 | "And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not." | The world's failure to grasp the divine light |
John 12 verses
John 12 40 Meaning
God has intentionally blinded the minds and hardened the hearts of the Jewish leaders. This is not an arbitrary act but a deliberate, foreknown consequence of their persistent rejection of Jesus. It serves to prevent them from turning to Him and being healed from their spiritual blindness and hardened hearts, which would otherwise lead to their salvation.
John 12 40 Context
This verse is found in the Gospel of John, Chapter 12, which recounts Jesus' final week leading up to His crucifixion. Specifically, John 12:37-43 describes the people's disbelief despite Jesus' numerous signs, the prophecy from Isaiah that explains this rejection, and the reason some leaders, even after believing in Jesus, did not confess Him for fear of the Pharisees. This immediate context shows a pattern of unbelief and willful ignorance among the religious authorities and a significant portion of the populace. The broader context of John's Gospel emphasizes Jesus as the divine Son of God, whose coming brought light, yet many chose darkness.
John 12 40 Word Analysis
But: (Greek: ἀλλὰ, alla) - A strong adversative conjunction, indicating a contrast. It highlights the specific reason for their continued rejection, directly following the observation of their unbelief despite signs.
He: (Greek: αὐτός, autos) - Refers back to God the Father. The action of blinding and hardening is attributed to God.
Hath: (Greek: πέποιήκεν, pepoien) - Perfect tense, indicating a completed action with ongoing results. God has already done this.
Blinded: (Greek: ἐτύφλωσεν, etyphlosen) - From τυφλόω (typhloo), meaning to blind, to make blind. This is the same verb used for physical blindness. Spiritually, it means to render someone unable to perceive spiritual truth. It's the aorist tense, denoting a definite action.
Their eyes: (Greek: αὐτῶν τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς, auton tous ophthalmous) - Refers to their literal eyes, but spiritually signifies their spiritual understanding and ability to see spiritual reality.
And: (Greek: καὶ, kai) - Connects the two parallel actions of God.
Hardeneth: (Greek: ἐσκλήρυνεν, esklērynen) - From σκληρύνω (sklērūno), meaning to make hard, stiff, or unyielding. Spiritually, it implies making their hearts resistant to God's message and the person of Jesus. This is also in the aorist tense, a definite action.
Their heart: (Greek: αὐτῶν τὴν καρδίαν, auton tēn kardian) - The heart in biblical language is the center of one's being, encompassing intellect, will, and emotion. Their core disposition has been hardened.
Lest: (Greek: ἵνα μή, hina mē) - Expresses purpose. God's action is done with the purpose of preventing something.
They should turn: (Greek: ἐπιστρέψωσιν, epistrepsōsin) - From ἐπιστρέφω (epistrephō), meaning to turn, to turn back, to return, to convert. This implies a potential for change, but God's action is to prevent this turning. It's in the subjunctive mood, expressing the purpose.
And: (Greek: καὶ, kai) - Connects the turning with the subsequent healing.
I should heal: (Greek: ἐγὼ, ego) - Refers to Jesus ("I"). The purpose is to prevent the Jews from turning to Jesus so that He might heal them. The pronoun "I" emphasizes Jesus' agency in the potential healing.
Words Group Analysis:
- "He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart": This phrase speaks of God's sovereign action, not as forcing sin, but as a judicial hardening resulting from persistent rejection. It's a judgment that severs the line of communication and comprehension of divine truth.
- "Lest they should turn, and I should heal them": This clause clarifies the divine purpose behind the hardening. It is to prevent their repentance and subsequent salvation through Jesus' healing power. It speaks to the responsibility of man to respond to God's initial grace, and the consequences of prolonged refusal.
John 12 40 Bonus Section
This verse underscores the concept of divine sovereignty in judgment, particularly in response to willful human resistance. It echoes the principle seen throughout Scripture where prolonged sin can lead to a spiritual inability to receive God's truth. The "hardening" is not always an active imposition of sin by God, but often a removal of His enabling grace when man repeatedly rejects Him. It's important to see this in balance with the human responsibility to believe and the fear of confessing Jesus due to social pressure mentioned immediately after (John 12:42-43), which indicates that their minds were indeed closed, and their hearts resistant. The ultimate responsibility for unbelief rests with the individual who rejects God's overtures.
John 12 40 Commentary
This verse reveals a solemn truth about God’s judgment on persistent unbelief. God's action of blinding and hardening is a response to their prior rejection, not an arbitrary act. It is a judicial blindness, like a lock on a door that has been repeatedly shut. Their refusal to accept Jesus, despite clear evidence, led God to confirm them in their unresponsiveness. The purpose is to prevent their turning to Jesus, thus averting their healing. This aligns with the Old Testament prophecies of hardened hearts and closed eyes when faced with God's truth, demonstrating that human willful rejection can lead to divine judgment that confirms that rebellion.