Mark 4:12 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.
Mark 4:12 nkjv
so that 'Seeing they may see and not perceive, And hearing they may hear and not understand; Lest they should turn, And their sins be forgiven them.' "
Mark 4:12 niv
so that, "?'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!' "
Mark 4:12 esv
so that "'they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.'"
Mark 4:12 nlt
so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled: 'When they see what I do,
they will learn nothing.
When they hear what I say,
they will not understand.
Otherwise, they will turn to me
and be forgiven.' "
Mark 4 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 6:9-10 | "Go and tell this people: ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand... Make the heart of this people dull..." | OT prophecy fulfilled; God's sovereign hardening. |
| Matt 13:13-15 | "This is why I speak to them in parables: 'Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear, nor do they understand...'" | Parallel account; direct fulfillment of Isaiah. |
| Luke 8:10 | "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is in parables, so that seeing they may not see..." | Parallel account; explicit divine granting. |
| John 12:39-40 | "Therefore they could not believe... 'He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they should see with their eyes...'" | Jesus fulfilling Isaiah; divine judgment. |
| Acts 28:26-27 | "Go to this people and say, ‘You will indeed hear but never understand... for this people’s heart has grown dull...'" | Paul applies Isaiah to resistant Jews. |
| Deut 29:4 | "But to this day the Lord has not given you a heart to understand, nor eyes to see, nor ears to hear." | Divine sovereign control over spiritual perception. |
| Jer 5:21 | "Hear this, you foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear." | Spiritual blindness of God's people. |
| Ezek 12:2 | "Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see, but see not, who have ears to hear, but hear not..." | Rebellion leading to spiritual insensitivity. |
| Rom 11:7-8 | "What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the others were hardened, as it is written, 'God gave them a spirit of stupor...'" | Divine hardening as part of God's plan. |
| Matt 11:25 | "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children..." | Divine choice in revelation. |
| Mark 4:9 | "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." | Call to spiritual responsiveness. |
| Mark 4:21-25 | Parable of lamp on stand, importance of receiving truth, "For to the one who has, more will be given..." | Receptivity and greater revelation. |
| Matt 13:10-12 | Disciples ask why Jesus speaks in parables, "For to the one who has, more will be given... but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away." | Principle of spiritual reception/loss. |
| 1 Cor 2:14 | "The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them..." | Natural inability to comprehend spiritual truth. |
| 2 Cor 3:14 | "But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted..." | Persistent spiritual hardening/blindness. |
| Rom 1:28 | "And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done." | God's judgment by handing over. |
| Prov 28:27 | "Whoever gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse." | Deliberate avoidance of truth brings judgment. |
| Ps 69:22-23 | "Let their table be a snare to them... Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see..." | Prayer for hardening of enemies. |
| 2 Thess 2:11-12 | "Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth..." | Divine delusion as judgment for rejecting truth. |
| Matt 25:29 | "For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away." | Echoes the principle of Mark 4:25. |
Mark 4 verses
Mark 4 12 Meaning
Mark 4:12 reveals Jesus' purpose in teaching parables: to communicate divine truth to those who are open to receiving it while simultaneously veiling it from those who are hardened and unwilling to understand. This dual function fulfills Old Testament prophecy, ensuring that spiritual blindness persists in those who reject the truth, thus preventing their repentance and forgiveness. The parables serve as a test, exposing the true spiritual condition of the listener.
Mark 4 12 Context
This verse appears directly after the Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:1-9) and the disciples' question to Jesus in private about the parables (Mark 4:10). Mark 4 is dedicated to Jesus' parabolic teaching on the Kingdom of God, explaining its nature, growth, and how different hearts respond to its message. Mark 4:12 specifically addresses the purpose behind this teaching method for "those outside" (Mark 4:11). Jesus intentionally speaks in riddles to those who have refused to accept Him plainly, causing them to remain in spiritual blindness, while the mysteries of the Kingdom are revealed to His chosen disciples. This selective revelation challenges the contemporary Jewish expectation of a universally understood and immediately manifest earthly kingdom.
Mark 4 12 Word analysis
- ἵνα (hina): "In order that," "so that." This crucial Greek particle indicates purpose or result. Here, it suggests that the parables are designed or function to produce a specific outcome, which is both revelation for some and obfuscation for others. This is not necessarily God desiring people to be lost, but rather a consequence and judgment for their chosen rejection, fulfilling divine prophecy.
- βλέποντες (blepontes): "Seeing" (present active participle). Refers to physical observation or external awareness.
- βλέπωσιν (blepōsin): "They may see" (present subjunctive). The repetition with "seeing" emphasizes the act of looking.
- καὶ μὴ ἴδωσιν (kai mē idōsin): "And not perceive/understand" (aorist subjunctive of εἴδω). This starkly contrasts the physical act of seeing with a lack of spiritual comprehension or insight. They look, but the meaning escapes them.
- καὶ ἀκούοντες (kai akouontes): "And hearing" (present active participle). Refers to physical auditory reception.
- ἀκούωσιν (akouōsin): "They may hear" (present subjunctive). The repetition highlights the act of listening.
- καὶ μὴ συνιῶσιν (kai mē syniōsin): "And not understand/comprehend" (present subjunctive of συνίημι). This pairs with "hearing," indicating a lack of spiritual discernment or internal processing of the message. They hear the words, but the truth remains obscured.
- μήποτε (mēpote): "Lest perhaps," "so that never," "otherwise." This negative purpose clause expresses the intended negative outcome for those outside: preventing them from turning.
- ἐπιστρέψωσιν (epistrepsōsin): "They should turn," "convert," "repent" (aorist subjunctive). This signifies a change of heart, a turning back to God.
- καὶ ἀφεθῇ αὐτοῖς (kai aphethē autois): "And it be forgiven them" (aorist passive subjunctive). This is the ultimate spiritual blessing resulting from repentance.
- αἱ ἁμαρτίαι (hai hamartiai): "Their sins."
Words-group analysis:
- "seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand": This paradoxical parallelism, directly echoing Isa 6:9-10 (LXX), describes the intentional result of Jesus' parabolic teaching on those "outside." They engage with the parables externally but lack the spiritual capacity or willingness to grasp their deeper meaning. Their spiritual senses are dull.
- "lest perhaps they should turn, and their sins be forgiven them": This shocking clause highlights a divinely intended judgment. The consequence of their spiritual hardening and refusal to believe is that they are actively prevented from repenting and receiving forgiveness. It reveals the severe stakes of rejecting God's revelation.
Mark 4 12 Bonus section
The phrase "those outside" (οἱ ἔξω) in Mark 4:11 explicitly categorizes the listeners, setting a boundary between the disciples (the insiders to whom the "mystery of the Kingdom" is given) and the unrepentant masses. This highlights the elective nature of spiritual revelation. It's not that God actively makes people unable to believe if they are earnestly seeking, but rather that parables serve as a diagnostic tool. They confirm and accelerate the self-imposed spiritual hardening of those who, through their pride and presuppositions, refuse to humble themselves and embrace Jesus' teaching. This verse illustrates that revelation itself can be a means of judgment, further condemning those who refuse to see the light.
Mark 4 12 Commentary
Mark 4:12, a pivotal and challenging verse, reveals the dual function of Jesus' parables: to make spiritual truth clear to those God has chosen and prepared to receive it, while simultaneously rendering it obscure to those who, through their obstinacy and unbelief, have hardened their hearts. This seemingly harsh purpose is not arbitrary but serves as a divine judgment, directly fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah 6:9-10. Jesus is not preventing repentance for those who sincerely seek it, but rather for those who are content in their spiritual blindness, unwilling to acknowledge His divine authority or the true nature of the Kingdom. The parables expose their inherent unbelief, ensuring that their rejection of the Messiah results in continued spiritual blindness and lack of forgiveness. It underscores the profound privilege of receiving the mysteries of God's Kingdom and the perilous consequences of neglecting or resisting spiritual truth.