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Monday, July 28th, 2025
the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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Read the Bible

THE MESSAGE

Mark 4:12

This verse is not available in the MSG!

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Apostasy;   Blindness;   Jesus, the Christ;   Minister, Christian;   Quotations and Allusions;   Sermon;   Sower;   Wicked (People);   Word of God;   Thompson Chain Reference - Blindness;   Blindness-Vision;   The Topic Concordance - Bearing Fruit;   Parables;   Understanding;   Word of God;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Parables;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Apocalyptic;   Isaiah, Theology of;   Mystery;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Parable;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Allegory;   Conversion;   Fulfill;   Jesus, Life and Ministry of;   Mark, the Gospel of;   Messianic Secret;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Conversion;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Discourse;   Doctrines;   Ear (2);   Fig-Tree ;   Forgiveness (2);   Hardening;   Hearing;   Heart;   Illustrations;   Interpretation;   Isaiah;   Mystery ;   Obscurity;   Parable;   Physical ;   Quotations (2);   Seeing;   Teaching of Jesus;   Turning;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Blindness;   Ear;   Hardness of heart;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Chief parables and miracles in the bible;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Jesus of Nazareth;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Conversion;   Hap;   Parable;   Proverb;   Quotations, New Testament;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - New Testament;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
so that
King James Version (1611)
That seeing they may see, and not perceiue, and hearing they may heare, and not vnderstand, lest at any time they should be conuerted, and their sinnes should be forgiuen them.
King James Version
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 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.'"
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."
New Century Version
so that: ‘They will look and look, but they will not learn. They will listen and listen, but they will not understand. If they did learn and understand, they would come back to me and be forgiven.'" Isaiah 6:9–10
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."
New American Standard Bible (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."
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."
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.'"
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 he would forgive them."
Complete Jewish Bible
so that they may be always looking but never seeing; always listening but never understanding. Otherwise, they might turn and be forgiven!"
Darby Translation
that beholding they may behold and not see, and hearing they may hear and not understand, lest it may be, they should be converted and they should be forgiven.
Easy-to-Read Version
I do this so that ‘They will look and look but never really see; they will listen and listen but never understand. If they saw and understood, they might change and be forgiven.'"
Geneva Bible (1587)
That they seeing, may see, and not discerne: and they hearing, may heare, and not vnderstand, least at any time they should turne, and their sinnes should be forgiuen them.
George Lamsa Translation
For seeing they see, and yet do not perceive; and hearing they hear, and yet do not understand; if they return, their sins would be 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.'"
Lexham English Bible
so that ‘they may look closely and not perceive, and they may listen carefully and not understand, lest they turn and it be forgiven them.'"
Literal Translation
that seeing they may see and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand, lest they should convert, and the sins be forgiven to them. Isa. 6:9, 10
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.
Bible in Basic English
So that seeing they may see, and it will not be clear to them; and hearing it, they will not get the sense; for fear that they may be turned again to me and have forgiveness.
Hebrew Names Version
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.'"
International Standard Version
so thatIsaiah 6:9; Matthew 13:14; Luke 8:10; John 12:40; Acts 28:26; Romans 11:8;">[xr] 'they may see clearly but not perceive, and they may hear clearly but not understand, otherwise they might turn around and be forgiven.'"Isaiah 6:9-10">[fn]
Etheridge Translation
that while seeing they may see, and not see; and while hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest they should be converted, and their sins be forgiven them.
Murdock Translation
that when they see, they may see and not see, and when they hear, they may hear and not understand; lest they should be converted, and their sins be forgiven them.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
That when they see, they may see and not discerne: and whe they heare, they may heare and not vnderstande, lest at any tyme, they shoulde turne, and their sinnes shoulde be forgeuen 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.
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.'"
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
So that seeing they see, and do not perceive, and hearing they hear, and do not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.
Weymouth's 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.'"
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and se not, and thei herynge here and vnderstonde not; lest sum tyme thei be conuertid, and synnes be foryouun to hem.
Update Bible Version
that seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest perhaps they should turn again, and it should be forgiven them.
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.
New English Translation
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 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.' " Isaiah 6:9, 10 ">[fn]
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.'"
New Life Bible
They see, but do not know what it means. They hear, but do not understand. If they did, they might turn to God and have their sins forgiven."
New Revised Standard
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.'"
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
They may surely look and yet not see, and surely hear and yet not understand, lest once they should return and it be forgiven them.
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.
Revised Standard Version
so that they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand; lest they should turn again, and be forgiven."
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
yt when they se they shall se and not discerne: and when they heare they shall heare and not vnderstonde: leste at any tyme they shulde tourne and their synnes shuld be forgeve the.
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.'
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
that with seynge eyes they maye se, and not discerne: and that with hearinge eares they maye heare, and not vnderstode, lest at eny tyme they turne, and their synnes be forgeuen them.
Mace New Testament (1729)
tho' they see, they will not perceive, and tho' they hear they will not understand: as if they were afraid of parting with their vices, in order to be pardoned.
Simplified Cowboy Version
so this old saying would come true, 'They look, but cannot see. They hear, but they cannot understand. If they could see and understand, they would turn to me and be forgiven.'"

Contextual Overview

1He went back to teaching by the sea. A crowd built up to such a great size that he had to get into an offshore boat, using the boat as a pulpit as the people pushed to the water's edge. He taught by using stories, many stories. 3"Listen. What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road and birds ate it. Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn't put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled among the weeds and nothing came of it. Some fell on good earth and came up with a flourish, producing a harvest exceeding his wildest dreams. 9 "Are you listening to this? Really listening?" 10When they were off by themselves, those who were close to him, along with the Twelve, asked about the stories. He told them, "You've been given insight into God's kingdom—you know how it works. But to those who can't see it yet, everything comes in stories, creating readiness, nudging them toward receptive insight. These are people— Whose eyes are open but don't see a thing, Whose ears are open but don't understand a word, Who avoid making an about-face and getting forgiven." 13 He continued, "Do you see how this story works? All my stories work this way. 14"The farmer plants the Word. Some people are like the seed that falls on the hardened soil of the road. No sooner do they hear the Word than Satan snatches away what has been planted in them. 16"And some are like the seed that lands in the gravel. When they first hear the Word, they respond with great enthusiasm. But there is such shallow soil of character that when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it. 18"The seed cast in the weeds represents the ones who hear the kingdom news but are overwhelmed with worries about all the things they have to do and all the things they want to get. The stress strangles what they heard, and nothing comes of it. 20 "But the seed planted in the good earth represents those who hear the Word, embrace it, and produce a harvest beyond their wildest dreams."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

That seeing: Rather, as יםב [Strong's G2443] frequently denotes, "So that seeing they see, and do not perceive, and hearing they hear, and do not understand," etc. The expression appears to be proverbial; and relates to those who might see what they now overlook through inattention and folly. See the parallel texts. Deuteronomy 29:4, Isaiah 6:9, Isaiah 6:10, Isaiah 44:18, Jeremiah 5:21, Matthew 13:14, Matthew 13:15, Luke 8:10, John 12:37-41, Acts 28:25-27, Romans 11:8-10

be converted: Jeremiah 31:18-20, Ezekiel 18:27-32, Acts 3:19, 2 Timothy 2:25, Hebrews 6:6

Reciprocal: Psalms 80:7 - we shall Psalms 106:7 - Our Jeremiah 36:3 - that I Ezekiel 12:2 - which Daniel 8:15 - sought Zechariah 7:12 - lest Matthew 18:3 - Except Mark 8:18 - see Luke 11:34 - but John 12:40 - hath Acts 5:31 - forgiveness Acts 28:26 - Go

Cross-References

Genesis 4:3
Time passed. Cain brought an offering to God from the produce of his farm. Abel also brought an offering, but from the firstborn animals of his herd, choice cuts of meat. God liked Abel and his offering, but Cain and his offering didn't get his approval. Cain lost his temper and went into a sulk.
Genesis 4:17
Cain slept with his wife. She conceived and had Enoch. He then built a city and named it after his son, Enoch. Enoch had Irad, Irad had Mehujael, Mehujael had Methushael, Methushael had Lamech.
Genesis 4:23
Lamech said to his wives, Adah and Zillah, listen to me; you wives of Lamech, hear me out: I killed a man for wounding me, a young man who attacked me. If Cain is avenged seven times, for Lamech it's seventy-seven!
Leviticus 26:36
"As for those among you still alive, I'll give them over to fearful timidity—even the rustle of a leaf will throw them into a panic. They'll run here and there, back and forth, as if running for their lives even though no one is after them, tripping and falling over one another in total confusion. You won't stand a chance against an enemy. You'll perish among the nations; the land of your enemies will eat you up. Any who are left will slowly rot away in the enemy lands. Rot. And all because of their sins, their sins compounded by their ancestors' sins.
Hosea 9:17
My God has washed his hands of them. They wouldn't listen. They're doomed to be wanderers, vagabonds among the godless nations.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

That seeing they may see,.... Which the end and reason of his speaking to them in parables. The passage referred to is in Isaiah 6:9.

Isaiah 6:9- :.

Isaiah 6:9- :.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See the notes at Matthew 13:10-17. On Mark 4:12, see the notes at John 12:39-40.

When he was alone - That is, separate from the multitude. When he withdrew from the multitude a few followed him for the purpose of more instruction.

Mark 4:13

Know ye not this parable? - This which is so plain and obvious.

How then will ye know all parables? - Those which are more difficult and obscure. As they were themselves to be “teachers,” it was important that they should be acquainted with the whole system of religion - of much more importance for them at that time than for the mass of the people.


 
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