Matthew 13 15

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.

Matthew 13:15 nkjv

For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.'

Matthew 13:15 niv

For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.'

Matthew 13:15 esv

For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.'

Matthew 13:15 nlt

For the hearts of these people are hardened,
and their ears cannot hear,
and they have closed their eyes ?
so their eyes cannot see,
and their ears cannot hear,
and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me
and let me heal them.'

Matthew 13 verses

Matthew 13 15 Meaning

Matthew 13:15 explains why Jesus speaks in parables to the crowds while privately explaining them to His disciples. It states that the spiritual insensitivity of "this people"—specifically the resistant segment of Israel, especially their leaders—has rendered them unable to grasp divine truth. Their hearts have grown dull, their ears are closed to hearing, and their eyes have been willfully shut. This condition prevents them from truly seeing, hearing, or understanding with their heart, thereby preventing their repentance, turning to God, and experiencing spiritual healing.

Matthew 13 15 Context

Matthew 13 introduces Jesus' parables concerning the Kingdom of Heaven. Following the rejection of Jesus by the religious authorities and the broader populace, as seen in chapter 12, Jesus begins to speak in parables. This change in teaching method serves both to reveal truth to those who are receptive and to obscure it from those who are not. Verse 15 is a direct quotation from Isaiah 6:9-10, given by Jesus as the divine reason for this shift. It explains that "this people" (referring specifically to the generation that was resisting His message and authority, particularly the spiritually blind Jewish leaders and many followers) has become spiritually hardened. This spiritual state, characterized by gross hearts, dull ears, and closed eyes, makes them incapable of receiving the truth of the Kingdom, thus preventing their repentance and subsequent healing. The historical context reflects a growing chasm between Jesus and the establishment, whose pride and prejudice kept them from recognizing God's active work in their midst.

Matthew 13 15 Word analysis

• this people's heart:
  • "this people" (τούτου τοῦ λαοῦ - toutou tou laou): Points specifically to the Israelites of that time, often carrying a tone of judgment for their collective spiritual state and resistance. In the Septuagint (LXX) translation of Isaiah 6:9-10, from which Jesus quotes, ho laos houtos (this people) frequently refers to rebellious Israel.
  • "heart" (καρδία - kardia): In biblical thought, the heart is not merely the seat of emotion, but the center of one's entire being: intellect, will, reason, conscience, and moral character. A hardened heart signifies a total unwillingness to perceive and respond to God's truth.
• is waxed gross (ἐπαχύνθη - epachythē):
  • From pachynō, meaning "to thicken," "to fatten," "to make dull." It conveys a sense of becoming calloused, insensible, and unperceptive. It describes a spiritual hardening, a loss of sensitivity to divine things, as if their inner perception has become "fat" and unresponsive.
• ears are dull of hearing (βαρέως ἤκουσαν - bareōs ēkousan):
  • Literally, "they have heard heavily" or "with difficulty." This implies a slowness or unwillingness to hear properly, to pay attention, or to comprehend spiritual truth even when sounds enter their ears. They are hearing with their physical ears but are spiritually deaf.
• eyes they have closed (ἐκάμμυσαν - ekammysan):
  • From kammouō, meaning "to close," specifically implying a deliberate and active shutting of the eyes. This is crucial: it indicates conscious and willful resistance, not mere ignorance or accidental blindness. They chose not to see the truth.
• lest at any time (μήποτε - mepote):
  • A conjunctive particle expressing negative purpose or apprehension: "in order that never," "lest by any means." It conveys that the outcome (not seeing, hearing, understanding, converting, healing) is a purposeful result—either God's judicial design for those who deliberately close their hearts, or the inherent consequence of their actions that God permits to unfold.
• they should see with their eyes... hear with their ears... understand with their heart:
  • This sequence highlights different levels of perception:
    • "see with their eyes" (ἴδωσιν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς - idōsin tois ophthalmosis): To perceive intellectually, to grasp the meaning of what is being presented.
    • "hear with their ears" (ἀκούσωσιν τοῖς ὠσὶν - akousōsin tois ōsin): To apprehend spiritually, to genuinely listen and receive the message.
    • "understand with their heart" (συνῶσιν τῇ καρδίᾳ - synōsin tē kardia): To fully comprehend in their innermost being, leading to conviction and personal transformation.
• be converted (ἐπιστρέψωσιν - epistrepsōsin):
  • From epistrephō, meaning "to turn back," "to return," "to repent," "to be converted." This refers to a change of mind, direction, and allegiance—a spiritual turning from sin to God. It is the necessary prerequisite for healing.
• I should heal them (ἰάσομαι αὐτούς - iasomai autous):
  • From iaomai, meaning "to cure," "to restore to health," often used for physical healing, but here, undoubtedly referring to spiritual healing—the restoration of their relationship with God, forgiveness, and new life.

Words-Group Analysis:

• "this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed": This phrase cumulatively describes a complete spiritual atrophy. It paints a picture of deliberate, comprehensive rejection involving their entire person—their innermost being (heart), reception of external truth (ears), and internal perception (eyes). This state is not accidental but a consequence of their persistent rebellion against God's overtures.
• "lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them": This entire clause articulates the terrifying purpose and consequence of their spiritual dullness. The "lest" implies both divine judgment (God allows their chosen resistance to become fixed inability) and the inherent outcome of rejecting truth. It signifies that true spiritual healing and conversion are impossible for those who actively shut themselves off from divine revelation. This explains why parables both illuminate for the humble and obscure for the proud.

Matthew 13 15 Bonus section

The concept presented in Matthew 13:15, that a willful rejection of truth leads to judicial hardening, is a consistent theme throughout biblical narrative. From Pharaoh's hardened heart (Exod 7:3) to the warnings in the Psalms (Ps 81:11-12) and Prophets, it's evident that God respects human choice: those who persistently resist Him will eventually be given over to their chosen blindness. The parables served as a means for self-judgment: the humble and seeking found revelation in them, while the proud and resistant found themselves further confused and their spiritual insensitivity confirmed, demonstrating a divine judgment on unbelief that unfolds through the very act of revelation. This mechanism explains the paradox of revelation both enlightening and blinding, revealing the hearer's true spiritual condition.

Matthew 13 15 Commentary

Matthew 13:15 is a pivotal verse in understanding Jesus' parabolic teaching, directly quoting the ancient prophetic lament and judgment from Isaiah 6:9-10. It clarifies that the reason Jesus spoke in parables was not to obscure truth from everyone, but because a significant portion of His audience, especially the spiritually entrenched religious elite and resistant crowd, had rendered themselves incapable of truly grasping divine revelation. Their "hearts" (the core of their being) had become "gross," spiritually dull and insensitive. Their "ears" were "dull of hearing," meaning they were unable or unwilling to properly perceive spiritual truth despite physically hearing His words. Most importantly, "their eyes they have closed," indicating a willful and active decision to reject the clear evidence of who Jesus was and the truth He proclaimed.

This deliberate resistance leads to a profound and severe spiritual consequence: "lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them." The word "lest" ("so that...not") implies both a consequence of their chosen actions and a judicial hardening permitted or enacted by God. Because they chose spiritual blindness and deafness, they are prevented from attaining true spiritual sight, hearing, and understanding that would lead to repentance ("be converted") and divine spiritual restoration ("I should heal them"). This highlights the danger of persistent unbelief, where repeated rejection of truth leads to a fixed state of inability to receive it, resulting in God allowing them to be hardened in their self-chosen spiritual darkness. It serves as a somber warning about the responsibility that comes with exposure to divine truth.