Matthew 13:15

Is waxed gross (epacunqh). Aorist passive tense. From pacu, thick, fat, stout. Made callous or dull -- even fatty degeneration of the heart. Dull of hearing (toi wsin barew hkousan). Another aorist. Literally, "They heard (or hear) heavily with their ears." The hard of hearing are usually sensitive. Their eyes they have closed (tou opqalmou autwn ekammusan). The epic and vernacular verb kammuw is from katamuw (to shut down). We say shut up of the mouth, but the eyes really shut down. The Hebrew verb in Isaiah 6:10 means to smear over. The eyes can be smeared with wax or cataract and thus closed. "Sealing up the eyes was an oriental punishment" (Vincent). See Isaiah 29:10 ; Isaiah 44:18 . Lest (mhpote). This negative purpose as a judgment is left in the quotation from Isaiah. It is a solemn thought for all who read or hear the word of God. And I should heal them (kai iasomai autou). Here the LXX changes to the future indicative rather than the aorist subjunctive as before.