Isaiah 6:10

Translations

Modern

Make the hearts of this people calloused; deafen their ears and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

Traditional

Make the heart of this people fat, 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 convert, and be healed.

Literal

Fatten the heart of this people, and its ears make heavy and its eyes shut, lest it see with its eyes, hear and with its ears, and understand with its heart, and turn back and there be healing for it.

Latin

Excæca cor populi hujus, et aures ejus aggrava, et oculos ejus claude: ne forte videat oculis suis, et auribus suis audiat, et corde suo intelligat, et convertatur, et sanem eum.

Original

Hebrew

English

Make the hearts of this people calloused; deafen their ears and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

Notes

Isaiah 6:10

Isaiah was God’s messenger. Through his message, the wicked became more blind and deaf (they refused to see and hear the truth). But those who honored God gained spiritual sight and hearing (they understood and obeyed; see also Isaiah 29:9–10, 18; 35:5; 42:7, 16–19; 43:8; 56:10; 59:10).
turn and be healed: The Lord was ready to heal those who truly repented, but not those who only wanted to avoid judgment while continuing their sinful ways.

Isaiah 6:1–13

Isaiah’s great vision of the Lord as King on his throne was a turning point in his life. This vision shaped his work as a prophet.

Scholars understand the historical setting of this event in two main ways:

Some see Isaiah 6 as Isaiah's original call to ministry. This would mean Isaiah 1–5 and 7–12 belong to the time of King Ahaz. Ahaz began to rule after King Uzziah died(Isaiah 6:1).
If this is correct, Isaiah’s call did not appear at the beginning of the book for literary reasons. Perhaps the author placed the call in chapter 6 to end chapters 1–5 and introduce chapters 7–12.
Isaiah’s personal cleansing and commissioning show what the whole nation needed. The people also needed to turn back to God if they were to fulfill their calling to be God’s light to the world.
Others believe that chapters 1–12 follow a chronological order (in the order events happened).
In this view, chapter 6 does not describe Isaiah’s first call. Instead, it describes a recommissioning. This means God sent Isaiah again to serve in a new way.
This new stage of ministry took place during the time of Ahaz. During this period, people would reject Isaiah’s message.
Supporters of this interpretation refer to Isaiah 2:7–9; 3:16–24; and 5:8–14. They argue that these sections describe a time of wealth, military strength, pride, and luxury. These conditions fit the reign of Uzziah but not the reign of Ahaz.

Theme notes and profiles

Isaiah Hardened Hearts Invasion Misunderstanding in the Gospel of John Salvation in Isaiah Visions

Events

Prophecies of Isaiahc. 759 BC

Related verses

Matthew 13:15
For this people’s heart has grown 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.’
Acts 28:27
For this people’s heart has grown 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.’
Jeremiah 5:21
“Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear.
Jeremiah 6:10
To whom can I give this warning? Who will listen to me? Look, their ears are closed, so they cannot hear. See, the word of the LORD has become offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it.
John 3:19–20
And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil.
Zechariah 7:11
But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder; they stopped up their ears from hearing.
Isaiah 29:10
For the LORD has poured out on you a spirit of deep sleep. He has shut your eyes, O prophets; He has covered your heads, O seers.
Isaiah 63:17
Why, O LORD, do You make us stray from Your ways and harden our hearts from fearing You? Return, for the sake of Your servants, the tribes of Your heritage.
Deuteronomy 2:30
But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass through, for the LORD your God had made his spirit stubborn and his heart obstinate, that He might deliver him into your hand, as is the case this day.
Psalm 17:10
They have closed their callous hearts; their mouths speak with arrogance.
Ezekiel 3:6–11
…not to the many peoples of unfamiliar speech and difficult language whose words you cannot understand. Surely if I had sent you to them, they would have listened to you.
Deuteronomy 32:15
But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked—becoming fat, bloated, and gorged. He abandoned the God who made him and scorned the Rock of his salvation.

Isaiah 6:10

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