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NASB | Isaiah 6:9 He said, "Go, and tell this people: 'Keep on listening, but do not perceive; Keep on looking, but do not understand.' |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Isaiah 6:9 And He said, "Go, and tell this people: 'Keep on listening, but do not understand; Keep on looking, but do not comprehend.' |
Bible Question:
Got this from a friend, looking for some assistance on the answer, especially the first part about why the translation differs in the NT... The Hebrew form of the text in NIV says: " 'Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.' Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed." But then the translation done from the Septuagint to English says: "You will be ever hearing, but never understanding; you will be ever seeing, but never perceiving.' This people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed eyes" In the Hebrew, it looks like God is commanding His people not to understand. I mean, they've been denying Him so long, it makes sense that, like Pharaoh in Exodus, they're out of opportunities. The second version looks more like a prophesy..."you will...never [understand]." Here's the issue: when this passage is quoted in the NT, different versions are used. John 12:40 makes it seem like God deafens people, and Luke 8:10 shows that He accomplishes this through parables. They quote the first form; however, Matthew 13:14-15 and Acts 28:27 quote the Septuagint version and make God seem more passive and less like He forced them into a lack of understanding. Why wouldn't the NT authors quote the same version? I realize that they didn't speak to one another to coordinate, but since the Bible can't be wrong, I don't know how to explain the differences. Looking at the first translation, why would God prevent people from understanding? I could see why He would deafen people if He knew they wouldn't listen completely and then go and start a cult or corrupt the message. However, how does this fit with 2 Peter 3:9? What's the purpose in living anymore if God is done with you and you have no chance at hearing or understanding? |
Bible Answer: Dear Live, Welcome to the forum! Interesting stuff indeed... You write; Looking for some assistance on the answer, especially the first part about why the translation differs in the NT... The Hebrew form of the text in NIV says: " 'Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.' Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed." I take it this is from Isaiah 6, you said in the Hebrew from the NIV? I found this in the NASB for the same passage perhaps it will help; Go, and tell this people: Keep on listening, but do not perceive; keep on looking but do not understand, render the hearts of this people insensitive, their ears dull, and their eyes dim, otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and return and be healed. Do you see how the NIV says "make the heart of this people calloused", but that the NASB says " render the hearts of this people insensitive"? In this case the KJV comes closer than either translation here; Make the heart of this people fat, and make their eyes 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. Notice the word fat, that translation of the word is closer to the Hebrew in the Strong's, and it is talking about being anointed with good things to the point of being fat. It does not really mean calloused, but insensitive does not quite capture it either, it is talking about being opulent, anointed with the things of life and becoming full of life in the heart, unable to hear and see. Let's deal with the problem of God making or rendering them dull of seeing and hearing; Romans 9:18 So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires. He hardned Pharoah only after Pharoah chose to harden his own heart first in the OT right? I believe the same thing is the case with these verses you are studying; it is not that God makes them unable to see or hear, they are already unwilling and so God decides to render them unable to see or hear because of what they chose for themselves. more to come, Tamara |
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Questions and/or Subjects for Is 6:9 | Author | ||
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live4jc316 | ||
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Val | ||
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Val | ||
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Tamara Brewington | ||
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Tamara Brewington |