Focused Passage

Isaiah 6:9-13

The Holy King, the Cleansed Prophet, and the Hardening Commission

The chapter moves from the death of Uzziah to the vision of the enthroned Lord, to the seraphic proclamation of holiness, to Isaiah’s confession of uncleanness, to atoning cleansing from the altar, to willing commission, to a hardening message, to devastating judgment, and finally to the promise of the holy seed.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

9 And He replied: “Go and tell this people, ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’

10 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.”

11 Then I asked: “How long, O Lord?” And He replied: “Until the cities lie ruined and without inhabitant, until the houses are left unoccupied and the land is desolate and ravaged,

12 until the LORD has driven men far away and the land is utterly forsaken.

13 And though a tenth remains in the land, it will be burned again. As the terebinth and oak leave stumps when felled, so the holy seed will be a stump in the land.”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 9

Original words

And He replied וַיֹּ֕אמֶר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Go לֵ֥ךְ H1980 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular and tell וְאָמַרְתָּ֖ H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular this הַזֶּ֑ה H2088 Article | Pronoun - masculine singular people לָעָ֣ם H5971 Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular Be ever hearing שִׁמְע֤וּ H8085 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural . . . שָׁמ֙וֹעַ֙ H8085 Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute but never וְאַל־ H408 Conjunctive waw | Adverb understanding תָּבִ֔ינוּ H995 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural be ever seeing וּרְא֥וּ H7200 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural . . . רָא֖וֹ H7200 Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute but never וְאַל־ H408 Conjunctive waw | Adverb perceiving תֵּדָֽעוּ׃ H3045 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural

BSB notes

  • Hebrew; LXX ‘You shall be ever hearing, but never understanding; you shall be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ Cited in Matthew 13:14, Mark 4:12, Luke 8:10, and Acts 28:26
Verse 10

Original words

{Make} the hearts לֵב־ H3820 Noun - masculine singular construct of this הַזֶּ֔ה H2088 Article | Pronoun - masculine singular people הָעָ֣ם H5971 Article | Noun - masculine singular calloused הַשְׁמֵן֙ H8080 Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular deafen הַכְבֵּ֖ד H3513 Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular their ears וְאָזְנָ֥יו H241 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine dual construct | third person masculine singular and close הָשַׁ֑ע H8173 Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular their eyes וְעֵינָ֣יו H5869 Conjunctive waw | Noun - cdc | third person masculine singular Otherwise פֶּן־ H6435 Conjunction they might see יִרְאֶ֨ה H7200 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular with their eyes בְעֵינָ֜יו H5869 Preposition-b | Noun - cdc | third person masculine singular hear יִשְׁמָ֗ע H8085 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular with their ears וּבְאָזְנָ֣יו H241 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - feminine dual construct | third person masculine singular understand יָבִ֛ין H995 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular with their hearts וּלְבָב֥וֹ H3824 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular and turn וָשָׁ֖ב H7725 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular and be healed וְרָ֥פָא H7495 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular

BSB notes

  • Hebrew; LXX 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. Cited in Matthew 13:15, Mark 4:12, John 12:40, and Acts 28:27
Verse 11

Original words

Then I asked וָאֹמַ֕ר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular How long עַד־ H5704 Preposition . . . מָתַ֖י H4970 Interrogative O Lord אֲדֹנָ֑י H136 Noun - proper - masculine singular And He replied וַיֹּ֡אמֶר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Until עַ֣ד H5704 Preposition - אֲשֶׁר֩ H834 Pronoun - relative - אִם־ H518 Conjunction the cities עָרִ֜ים H5892 Noun - feminine plural lie ruined שָׁא֨וּ H7582 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural and without מֵאֵ֣ין H369 Preposition-m | Adverb inhabitant יוֹשֵׁ֗ב H3427 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular until the houses וּבָתִּים֙ H1004 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural are left unoccupied מֵאֵ֣ין H369 Preposition-m | Adverb . . . אָדָ֔ם H120 Noun - masculine singular and the land וְהָאֲדָמָ֖ה H127 Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - feminine singular is desolate תִּשָּׁאֶ֥ה H7582 Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular and ravaged שְׁמָמָֽה׃ H8077 Noun - feminine singular
Verse 12

Original words

until the LORD יְהוָ֖ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker has driven men הָאָדָ֑ם H120 Article | Noun - masculine singular far away וְרִחַ֥ק H7368 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular and the land הָאָֽרֶץ׃ H776 Article | Noun - feminine singular is utterly וְרַבָּ֥ה H7231 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular forsaken הָעֲזוּבָ֖ה H5805 Article | Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - feminine singular . . . בְּקֶ֥רֶב H7130 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Verse 13

Original words

And though וְע֥וֹד H5750 Conjunctive waw | Adverb a tenth [remains] עֲשִׂ֣רִיָּ֔ה H6224 Number - ordinal feminine singular in [the land] בָּהּ֙ Preposition | third person feminine singular it will be וְהָיְתָ֣ה H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular burned לְבָעֵ֑ר H1197 Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct again וְשָׁ֖בָה H7725 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular As the terebinth כָּאֵלָ֣ה H424 Preposition-k, Article | Noun - feminine singular and oak וְכָאַלּ֗וֹן H437 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular - אֲשֶׁ֤ר H834 Pronoun - relative leave stumps מַצֶּ֣בֶת H4678 Noun - feminine singular when felled בְּשַׁלֶּ֙כֶת֙ H7995 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular so the holy קֹ֖דֶשׁ H6944 Noun - masculine singular seed זֶ֥רַע H2233 Noun - masculine singular construct will be a stump [in the land] מַצַּבְתָּֽהּ׃פ H4678 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person feminine singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.