Mark 4:12

KJV1611 – Modern English

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.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Ἵνα βλέποντες βλέπωσιν, καὶ μὴ ἴδωσιν· καὶ ἀκούοντες ἀκούωσιν, καὶ μὴ συνιῶσιν· μήποτε ἐπιστρέψωσιν, καὶ ἀφεθῇ αὐτοῖς τὰ ἁμαρτήματα.

Transliteration

That blepontes blepōsin, and not idōsin; and akouontes akouōsin, and not syniōsin; mēpote epistrepsōsin, and aphethē to them the hamartēmata.

Grammar Details

• *blepontes*: present active participle, nominative, masculine, plural - seeing
• *blepōsin*: present active subjunctive, 3rd person plural - they may see
• *idōsin*: aorist active subjunctive, 3rd person plural - they may perceive
• *akouontes*: present active participle, nominative, masculine, plural - hearing
• *akouōsin*: present active subjunctive, 3rd person plural - they may hear
• *syniōsin*: present active subjunctive, 3rd person plural - they may understand
• *mēpote*: conjunction - lest/so that not
• *epistrepsōsin*: aorist active subjunctive, 3rd person plural - they might turn/return
• *aphethē*: aorist passive subjunctive, 3rd person singular - might be forgiven
• *hamartēmata*: nominative, neuter, plural - sins

Word Meanings

• *blepontes*: seeing/looking at
• *blepōsin*: they may see/look
• *idōsin*: they may perceive/understand
• *akouontes*: hearing/listening
• *akouōsin*: they may hear/listen
• *syniōsin*: they may understand/comprehend
• *mēpote*: lest/so that not/perhaps
• *epistrepsōsin*: they might turn/convert/return
• *aphethē*: might be forgiven/released
• *hamartēmata*: sins/offenses/transgressions

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  "So that, 'Though they see, they may see and not perceive; and though they hear, they may hear and not understand; otherwise they might turn back and be forgiven.'

• King James Version 1769 (Standard 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.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  that{G2443} seeing{G991} they may see,{G991} and{G2532} not{G3361} perceive;{G1492} and{G2532} hearing{G191} they may hear,{G191} and{G2532} not{G3361} understand;{G4920} lest haply{G3379} they should turn{G1994} again, and{G2532} it{G265} should be forgiven{G863} them.{G846}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  That{G2443} seeing{G991}{(G5723)} they may see{G991}{(G5725)}, and{G2532} not{G3361} perceive{G1492}{(G5632)}; and{G2532} hearing{G191}{(G5723)} they may hear{G191}{(G5725)}, and{G2532} not{G3361} understand{G4920}{(G5725)}; lest at any time{G3379} they should be converted{G1994}{(G5661)}, and{G2532} their sins{G265} should be forgiven{G863}{(G5686)} them{G846}.

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  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.

• 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.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  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.

• Bishops' 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.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  ‹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.›

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  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 (1862/1898)

  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.'

• American Standard Version (1901)

  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.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  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 (1941)

  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.

• World English Bible (2000)

  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.'"

• NET Bible® (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.”

Referenced Verses

• Isa 6:9-9 : 9 And He said, Go and tell this people, You hear indeed, but do not understand; and you see indeed, but do not perceive. 10 Make the heart of this people dull, 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 be converted and healed.
• Jer 5:21 : 21 Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; who have eyes, and see not; who have ears, and hear not:
• Isa 44:18 : 18 They have not known nor understood: for he has shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand.
• Deut 29:4 : 4 Yet the LORD has not given you a heart to understand, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, to this day.
• Matt 13:14-15 : 14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: By hearing, you shall hear and shall not understand; and seeing, you shall see and shall not perceive. 15 For this people's heart has become callous; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise, they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.
• Luke 8:10 : 10 And he said, To 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.
• 2 Tim 2:25 : 25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth,
• Heb 6:6 : 6 If they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.
• John 12:37-41 : 37 But although he had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in him, 38 that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke: Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 39 Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again, 40 He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, lest they should see with their eyes, and understand with their hearts and turn, and I should heal them. 41 These things Isaiah said when he saw his glory and spoke of him.
• Jer 31:18-20 : 18 I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; You have chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bull not accustomed to the yoke: turn me, and I shall be turned; for you are the LORD my God. 19 Surely, after I was turned, I repented; and after I was instructed, I struck my thigh: I was ashamed, yes, even humiliated, because I bore the reproach of my youth. 20 Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spoke against him, I earnestly remember him still: therefore my heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, says the LORD.
• Acts 28:25-27 : 25 And when they did not agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had said one word, The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers, 26 saying, Go to this people and say, Hearing you will hear, and shall not understand; and seeing you will see, and not perceive. 27 For the heart of this people has grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn, so that I should heal them.
• Rom 11:8-9 : 8 According as it is written, God has given them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear, to this day. 9 And David says, Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a recompense to them. 10 Let their eyes be darkened so that they do not see, and bend their backs always.
• Ezek 12:2 : 2 Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see but do not see; and ears to hear but do not hear: for they are a rebellious house.
• Acts 3:19 : 19 Repent therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
• Ezek 18:27-32 : 27 Again, when the wicked man turns away from his wickedness that he has committed, and does what is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. 28 Because he considers and turns away from all his transgressions that he has committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die. 29 Yet says the house of Israel, ‘The way of the Lord is not equal.’ O house of Israel, are not My ways equal? Are not your ways unequal? 30 Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, says the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. 31 Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby you have transgressed; and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit: for why will you die, O house of Israel? 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him who dies, says the Lord GOD: therefore turn yourselves, and live.