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10 He answered, “Knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of God has been granted to you; but to the rest, they are made known through parables so that ‘they may look but not see, and hear but not understand.’(A)

The Parable of the Sower Explained.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. 8:11–15 On the interpretation of the parable of the sower, see note on Mt 13:18–23.

[a]And he replied: Go and say to this people:

Listen carefully, but do not understand!
Look intently, but do not perceive!(A)
10 Make the heart of this people sluggish,
    dull their ears and close their eyes;
Lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears,
    and their heart understand,
    and they turn and be healed.(B)

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Footnotes

  1. 6:9–10 Isaiah’s words give evidence that he attempted in every way, through admonition, threat, and promise, to bring the people to conversion (cf. 1:18–20), so it is unlikely that this charge to “harden” is to be understood as Isaiah’s task; more probably it reflects the refusal of the people, more particularly the leaders, who were supposed to “see,” “hear,” and “understand,” a refusal which would then lead to a disastrous outcome (vv. 11–12).

14 (A)Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:

‘You shall indeed hear but not understand,
    you shall indeed look but never see.

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12 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.’”(A)

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26 ‘Go to this people and say:(A)
You shall indeed hear but not understand.
    You shall indeed look but never see.
27 Gross is the heart of this people;
    they will not hear with their ears;
        they have closed their eyes,
    so they may not see with their eyes
    and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart and be converted,
    and I heal them.’

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as it is written:

“God gave them a spirit of deep sleep,
    eyes that should not see
    and ears that should not hear,
down to this very day.”(A)

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10 let their eyes grow dim so that they may not see,
    and keep their backs bent forever.”

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