Isaiah 6 · Verse 9

Isaiah 6:9

And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.
Isaiah 6:9, King James Version

Isaiah 6:9 in other translations

BSBAnd He replied: “Go and tell this people, ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’
WEBHe said, “Go, and tell this people, ‘You hear indeed, but don’t understand. You see indeed, but don’t perceive.’
ASVAnd he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.
YLTAnd He saith, ‘Go, and thou hast said to this people, Hear ye--to hear, and ye do not understand, And see ye--to see, and ye do not know.
DARBYAnd he said, Go; and thou shalt say unto this people, Hearing ye shall hear and shall not understand, and seeing ye shall see and shall not perceive.
BBEAnd he said, Go, and say to this people, You will go on hearing, but learning nothing; you will go on seeing, but without getting wiser.
WebsterAnd he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.

What does Isaiah 6:9 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
9. Hear ... indeed--Hebrew, "In hearing hear," that is, Though ye hear the prophet's warnings again and again, ye are doomed, because of your perverse will (Joh 7:17), not to understand. Light enough is given in revelation to guide those sincerely seeking to know, in order that they may do, God's will; darkness enough is left to confound the wilfully blind (Is 43:8). So in Jesus' use of parables (Mt 13:14). see ... indeed--rather, "though ye see again and again," yet, &c.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 9 And he said - לי li, to me, two MSS. and the Syriac. Thirteen MSS. have ראה raah, in the regular form.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 6:9-13
God sends Isaiah to foretell the ruin of his people. Many hear the sound of God's word, but do not feel the power of it. God sometimes, in righteous judgment, gives men up to blindness of mind, because they will not receive the truth in the love of it. But no humble inquirer after Christ, need to fear this awful doom, which is a spiritual judgment on those who will still hold fast their sins. Let every one pray for the enlightening of the Holy Spirit, that he may perceive how precious are the Divine mercies, by which alone we are secured against this dreadful danger. Yet the Lord would preserve a remnant, like the tenth, holy to him. And blessed be God, he still preserves his church; however professors or visible churches may be lopped off as unfruitful, the holy seed will shoot forth, from whom all the numerous branches of righteousness shall arise.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Isaiah 6:9 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֹּ֕אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
לֵ֥ךְlekhgoH1980
וְאָמַרְתָּ֖ve.'a.mar.Taand you will sayH559
לָעָ֣םla.'Amto the peopleH5971
הַזֶּ֑הha.Zeh<the> thisH2088
שִׁמְע֤וּshim.'UhearH8085
שָׁמ֙וֹעַ֙sha.Mo.a'continually <to hear>H8085
וְאַל\־ve.'al-and may notH408
תָּבִ֔ינוּta.Vi.nuyou understandH995
וּרְא֥וּu.re.'Uand seeH7200
רָא֖וֹra.'Ocontinually <to see>H7200
וְאַל\־ve.'al-and may notH408
תֵּדָֽעוּ\׃te.Da.'uyou perceiveH3045

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Isaiah 6:9

  • Matthew 13:14-15

    And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: 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.

  • Luke 8:10

    And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.

  • Mark 4:12

    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.

  • John 12:40

    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.

  • Acts 28:26-27

    Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

  • Romans 11:8

    (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.

  • Isaiah 29:13

    Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

  • Isaiah 44:18-20

    They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand. And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree? He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?

  • Isaiah 43:8

    Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears.

  • Isaiah 30:8-11

    Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever: That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord: Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits: Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.

  • Jeremiah 15:1-2

    Then said the Lord unto me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be toward this people: cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth. And it shall come to pass, if they say unto thee, Whither shall we go forth? then thou shalt tell them, Thus saith the Lord; Such as are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such as are for the famine, to the famine; and such as are for the captivity, to the captivity.

  • Exodus 32:7-10

    And the Lord said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves: They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And the Lord said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Go.
29:13; 30:8-11; Ex 32:7-10; Jer 15:1,2; Ho 1:9
Hear ye.
43:8; 44:18-20; Mt 13:14,15; Mr 4:12; Lu 8:10; Joh 12:40
Ac 28:26,27; Ro 11:8
indeed. or, without ceasing. Heb. in hearing. indeed.Heb. in seeing.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Isaiah 6:8

    Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

  • Isaiah 6:9

    And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.

  • Isaiah 6:10

    Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.

Read all of Isaiah 6

Isaiah 6:9 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y dijo: Anda, y di á este pueblo: Oid bien, y no entendáis; ved por cierto, mas no comprendáis.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
– Et il dit: Va, et dis à ce peuple: En entendant vous entendrez et vous ne comprendrez pas, et en voyant vous verrez et vous ne connaîtrez pas.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und er sprach: Geh hin und sprich zu diesem Volke: Hörend höret, und verstehet nicht; und sehend sehet, und erkennet nicht!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Et dixit: Vade, et dices populo huic: Audite audientes, et nolite intelligere; et videte visionem, et nolite cognoscere.