John 12:40

40 "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so that they do not see with their eyes, understand with their hearts, and do t'shuvah, so that I could heal them."

John 12:40 Meaning and Commentary

John 12:40

He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart
It is of no great moment, whether the he, who is said to blind and harden, be God or Christ, or whether the words be rendered, "it hath blinded" that is, malice or wickedness; or whether they be read impersonally, "their eyes are blinded" since God or Christ blind and harden not by any positive act, but by leaving and giving men up to the blindness and hardness of their hearts, and denying them the grace which could only cure them, and which they are not obliged to give; and which was the case of these Jews, so as never to be converted, or be turned even by external repentance and reformation, that they might be healed in a national way, and be preserved from national ruin, as it follows,

that they should not see with their eyes
(See Gill on Matthew 13:14), (See Gill on Matthew 13:15). The Syriac and Persic versions read, "they have blinded their eyes"

John 12:40 In-Context

38 in order that what Yesha`yahu the prophet had said might be fulfilled, "ADONAI, who has believed our report? To whom has the arm of ADONAI been revealed?"

39 The reason they could not believe was -- as Yesha`yahu said elsewhere --

40 "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so that they do not see with their eyes, understand with their hearts, and do t'shuvah, so that I could heal them."

41 (Yesha`yahu said these things because he saw the Sh'khinah of Yeshua and spoke about him.)

42 Nevertheless, many of the leaders did trust in him; but because of the P'rushim they did not say so openly, out of fear of being banned from the synagogue;