John 12 · Verse 40

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.

John 12:40, King James Version

John 12:40 in other translations

BSB	“He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so that they cannot see with their eyes, and understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.”
WEB	“He has blinded their eyes and he hardened their heart, lest they should see with their eyes, and perceive with their heart, and would turn, and I would heal them.”
ASV	He hath blinded their eyes, and he hardened their heart; Lest they should see with their eyes, and perceive with their heart, And should turn, And I should heal them.
YLT	‘He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart, that they might not see with the eyes, and understand with the heart, and turn back, and I might heal them;'
DARBY	He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, that they may not see with their eyes, and understand with their heart and be converted, and I should heal them.
BBE	He has made their eyes blind, and their hearts hard; for fear that they might see with their eyes and get knowledge with their hearts, and be changed, and I might make them well.
Webster	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.

What does John 12:40 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 12:37-41

37-41. It is the manner of this Evangelist alone to record his own reflections on the scenes he describes; but here, having arrived at what was virtually the close of our Lord's public ministry, he casts an affecting glance over the fruitlessness of His whole ministry on the bulk of the now doomed people. though he had done so many miracles--The word used suggests their nature as well as number.

Read the full comment on John 12:37-41 →

Barnes' Notes

Verse 40. He hath blinded their eyes. The expression in Isaiah is, "Go, make the heart of this people fat, and shut their eyes." That is, go and proclaim truth to them--truth that will result in blinding their eyes. Go and proclaim the law and the will of God, and the effect will be, owing to the hardness of their heart, that their eyes will be blinded and their hearts hardened. As God knew that this would be the result--as it was to be the effect of the message, his commanding Isaiah to go and proclaim it was the same in effect, or in the result, as if he had commanded him to blind their eyes and harden their hearts. It is this effect or result to which the evangelist refers in this place. He states that God did it--that is, he did it in the manner mentioned in Isaiah, for we are limited to that in our interpretation of the passage. In that case it is clear that the mode specified is not a direct agency on the part of God in blinding the mind--which we cannot reconcile with any just notions of the divine character--but in suffering the truth to produce a regular effect on sinful minds, without putting forth any positive supernatural influence to prevent it. The effect of truth on such minds is to irritate, to enrage, and to harden, unless counteracted by the grace of God. See Rom 7:8,9,11; 2Cor 2:15, 16. And as God knew this, and, knowing it, still sent the message, and suffered it to produce the regular effect, the evangelist says "he hath blinded their minds," thus retaining the substance of the passage in Isaiah without quoting the precise language; but in proclaiming the truth there was nothing wrong on the part of God or of Isaiah, nor is there any indication that God was unwilling that they should believe and be saved.

That they should not see, &c. This does not mean that it was the design of God that they should not be converted, but that it was the effect of their rejecting the message.

Mt 13:14, Mt 13:15.

(r) "hath blinded" Isa 6:9,10

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 40 And I should heal them - This verse is taken from Isa 6:9, and, perhaps, refers more to the judgments that should fall upon them as a nation, which God was determined should not be averted, than it does to their eternal state. To suppose that the text meant that God was unwilling that they should turn unto him, lest he should be obliged to save them, is an insupportable blasphemy.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 12:37-43

Observe the method of conversion implied here. Sinners are brought to see the reality of Divine things, and to have some knowledge of them. To be converted, and truly turned from sin to Christ, as their Happiness and Portion. God will heal them, will justify and sanctify them; will pardon their sins, which are as bleeding wounds, and mortify their corruptions, which are as lurking diseases. See the power of the…

Read the full comment on John 12:37-43 →

John 12:40 in the original Greek

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.

τετύφλωκενtetuphlōkenHe has blindedG5186

αὐτῶνautōnof themG846

τοὺςtoustheG3588

ὀφθαλμοὺςophthalmouseyesG3788

καὶkaiandG2532

ἐπώρωσενepōrōsenhas hardenedG4456

αὐτῶνautōnof themG846

τὴνtēntheG3588

καρδίαν,kardianheart,G2588

ἵναinathatG2443

μὴmēnotG3361

ἴδωσινidōsinthey may seeG1492

τοῖςtoiswith theG3588

ὀφθαλμοῖςophthalmoiseyesG3788

καὶkaiandG2532

νοήσωσινnoēsōsinmay understandG3539

τῇtēawith theG3588

καρδίᾳkardiaheartG2588

καὶkaiandG2532

στραφῶσινstraphōsinmay turnG4762

καὶkaiandG2532

ἰάσομαιiasomaiI will healG2390

αὐτούς.¶autousthem.G846

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

Cross references for John 12:40

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.
Matthew 13:13-15
Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. 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.
Isaiah 57:18-19
I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners. I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord; and I will heal him.
Isaiah 29:10
For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.
Joshua 11:20
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly, and that they might have no favour, but that he might destroy them, as the Lord commanded Moses.
Hosea 6:1
Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.
Ezekiel 12:2
Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house.
Mark 8:17-18
And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened? Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?
Luke 4:18
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
John 9:39
And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

hath.
9:39; 1Ki 22:20; Isa 29:10; Eze 14:9; Mt 13:13-15; 15:14; Mr 4:12
Lu 8:10; Ac 28:26; Ro 11:8-11
hardened.
Ex 4:21; 7:3,13; 14:4,8,17; Jos 11:20; Ro 9:18; 11:7; *marg:
that they.
De 29:4; Ps 135:10-18; Isa 26:11; 42:19,20; Jer 5:21; Eze 12:2
Mr 8:17,18
and be.
Ac 3:19; 15:3; Jas 5:19,20
heal.
Ps 6:2; 41:4; 147:3; Isa 53:5; 57:18,19; Jer 3:22; Ho 6:1; 14:4
Lu 4:18

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

Context

John 12:39
Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again,
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.
John 12:41
These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.

Read all of John 12

John 12:40 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Cegó los ojos de ellos, y endureció su corazón; porque no vean con los ojos, y entiendan de corazón, y se conviertan, y yo los sane.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	« Il a aveuglé leurs yeux et il a endurci leur cœur, afin qu’ils ne voient pas des yeux, et qu’ils n’entendent pas du cœur, et qu’ils ne soient convertis, et que je ne les guérisse ».
German Elberfelder 1871	"Er hat ihre Augen verblendet und ihr Herz verstockt, auf daß sie nicht sehen mit den Augen und verstehen mit dem Herzen und sich bekehren, und ich sie heile."
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Excæcavit oculos eorum, et induravit cor eorum ut non videant oculis, et non intelligant corde, et convertantur, et sanem eos.