Mark 4:12
New International Version
so that, “’they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’”

New Living Translation
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.’”

English Standard Version
so that “‘they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.’”

Berean Standard Bible
so that, ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven.’ ”

Berean Literal Bible
so that, 'Seeing, they might see and not perceive; and hearing, they might hear and not understand; lest ever they should turn, and they should be forgiven.'"

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
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.’ ”

New American Standard Bible
so that WHILE SEEING THEY MAY SEE, AND NOT PERCEIVE, AND WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR, AND NOT UNDERSTAND, OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT RETURN AND IT WOULD BE FORGIVEN THEM.”

NASB 1995
so that WHILE SEEING, THEY MAY SEE AND NOT PERCEIVE, AND WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR AND NOT UNDERSTAND, OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT RETURN AND BE FORGIVEN.”

NASB 1977
in order that WHILE SEEING, THEY MAY SEE AND NOT PERCEIVE; AND WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR AND NOT UNDERSTAND LEST THEY RETURN AND BE FORGIVEN.”

Legacy Standard Bible
so that WHILE SEEING, THEY MAY SEE AND NOT PERCEIVE, AND WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR AND NOT UNDERSTAND, LEST THEY RETURN AND BE FORGIVEN.”

Amplified Bible
so that THEY WILL CONTINUALLY LOOK BUT NOT SEE, AND THEY WILL CONTINUALLY HEAR BUT NOT UNDERSTAND, OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT TURN [from their rejection of the truth] AND BE FORGIVEN.”

Christian Standard Bible
so that they may indeed look, and yet not perceive; they may indeed listen, and yet not understand; otherwise, they might turn back and be forgiven. ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
so that they may look and look, yet not perceive; they may listen and listen, yet not understand; otherwise, they might turn back— and be forgiven.”

American Standard Version
that seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest haply they should turn again, and it should be forgiven them.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“So that seeing they shall see and not see, and hearing they shall hear and they shall not understand, unless perhaps they shall be converted and their sins shall be forgiven them.”

Contemporary English Version
The reason is, "These people will look and look, but never see. They will listen and listen, but never understand. If they did, they would turn to God and be forgiven."

Douay-Rheims Bible
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.

English Revised Version
that seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest haply they should turn again, and it should be forgiven them.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
'They see clearly but don't perceive. They hear clearly but don't understand. They never return to me and are never forgiven.'"

Good News Translation
so that, 'They may look and look, yet not see; they may listen and listen, yet not understand. For if they did, they would turn to God, and he would forgive them.'"

International Standard Version
so that 'they may see clearly but not perceive, and they may hear clearly but not understand, otherwise they might turn around and be forgiven.'"

Literal Standard Version
that seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand, lest they may turn, and the sins may be forgiven them.”

Majority Standard Bible
so that, ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven their sins.’”

New American Bible
so that ‘they may look and see but not perceive, and hear and listen but not understand, in order that they may not be converted and be forgiven.’ ”

NET Bible
so that although they look they may look but not see, and although they hear they may hear but not understand, so they may not repent and be forgiven."

New Revised Standard Version
in order that ‘they may indeed look, but not perceive, and may indeed listen, but not understand; so that they may not turn again and be forgiven.’”

New Heart English Bible
that 'seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest perhaps they should turn and be forgiven.'"

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

Weymouth New Testament
that "'They may look and look but not see, and listen and listen but not understand, lest perchance they should return and be pardoned.'"

World English Bible
that ‘seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand, lest perhaps they should turn again, and their sins should be forgiven them.’”

Young's Literal Translation
that seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand, lest they may turn, and the sins may be forgiven them.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Purpose of Jesus' Parables
11He replied, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those on the outside everything is expressed in parables, 12so that, they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven.’” 13Then Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables?…

Cross References
Isaiah 6:9
And He replied: "Go and tell this people, 'Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.'

Isaiah 43:8
Bring out a people who have eyes but are blind, and who have ears but are deaf.

Jeremiah 5:21
"Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear.

Jeremiah 36:3
Perhaps when the people of Judah hear about all the calamity I plan to bring upon them, each of them will turn from his wicked way. Then I will forgive their iniquity and their sin."

Ezekiel 12:2
"Son of man, you are living in a rebellious house. They have eyes to see but do not see, and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious house.

Matthew 13:14
In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled: 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.

Mark 8:18
Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear?' And do you not remember?


Treasury of Scripture

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.

That seeing.

Deuteronomy 29:4
Yet the LORD hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day.

Isaiah 6:9,10
And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not…

Isaiah 44:18
They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand.

be converted.

Jeremiah 31:18-20
I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the LORD my God…

Ezekiel 18:27-32
Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive…

Acts 3:19
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

Jump to Previous
Beholding Clear Converted Fear Forgiven Forgiveness Haply Hear Hearing Indeed Otherwise Pardoned Perceive Perceiving Perchance Perhaps Sense Sins Time Turn Turned Understand
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Beholding Clear Converted Fear Forgiven Forgiveness Haply Hear Hearing Indeed Otherwise Pardoned Perceive Perceiving Perchance Perhaps Sense Sins Time Turn Turned Understand
Mark 4
1. The parable of the sower,
14. and the meaning thereof.
21. We must communicate the light of our knowledge to others.
26. The parable of the seed growing secretly;
30. and of the mustard seed.
35. Jesus stills the storm on the sea.














(12) That seeing they may see. . . .--St. Mark characteristically gives the words of Isaiah 6:9, but not as a quotation, and perhaps in a less accurate form, and omits the addition in Matthew, "Blessed are your ears . . ." The form in this instance, at first sight, suggests the thought that our Lord's purpose was to produce the blindness and deafness of which He speaks. The real meaning of the words is, however, plain. This was to be the result of the wilful blindness of those who rejected Him; and the acceptance of a foreseen result was, in Hebrew forms of thought, expressed as the working out of an intention. (See Notes on Matthew 13:14-15.)



Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
so that,
ἵνα (hina)
Conjunction
Strong's 2443: In order that, so that. Probably from the same as the former part of heautou; in order that.

‘they may be ever seeing
βλέπωσιν (blepōsin)
Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 991: (primarily physical), I look, see, perceive, discern. A primary verb; to look at.

[but]
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

never
μὴ (mē)
Adverb
Strong's 3361: Not, lest. A primary particle of qualified negation; not, lest; also (whereas ou expects an affirmative one) whether.

perceiving,
ἴδωσιν (idōsin)
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 3708: Properly, to stare at, i.e. to discern clearly; by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear.

and
Καὶ (Kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

ever hearing
ἀκούωσιν (akouōsin)
Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 191: To hear, listen, comprehend by hearing; pass: is heard, reported. A primary verb; to hear.

[but]
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

never
μὴ (mē)
Adverb
Strong's 3361: Not, lest. A primary particle of qualified negation; not, lest; also (whereas ou expects an affirmative one) whether.

understanding;
συνιῶσιν (syniōsin)
Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 4920: To consider, understand, perceive. From sun and hiemi; to put together, i.e. to comprehend; by implication, to act piously.

otherwise
Μή‿ (Mē)
Adverb
Strong's 3361: Not, lest. A primary particle of qualified negation; not, lest; also (whereas ou expects an affirmative one) whether.

they might turn
ἐπιστρέψωσιν (epistrepsōsin)
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 1994: From epi and strepho; to revert.

and
Καὶ (Kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

be forgiven.’”
ἀφεθῇ (aphethē)
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 863: From apo and hiemi; to send forth, in various applications.


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NT Gospels: Mark 4:12 That 'seeing they may see and not (Mar Mk Mr)
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