Isaiah 6:9

KJV

¶ And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.

KJV (with Strong's)

And he said {H559}, Go {H3212}, and tell {H559} this people {H5971}, Hear {H8085} ye indeed {H8085}, but understand {H995} not; and see {H7200} ye indeed {H7200}, but perceive {H3045} not.

Complete Jewish Bible

He said, "Go and tell this people: 'Yes, you hear, but you don't understand. You certainly see, but you don't get the point!'

Berean Standard Bible

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

American Standard Version

And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Isaiah 6:9 encapsulates a profound and sobering aspect of the prophet Isaiah's divine commission, revealing the spiritual insensitivity and deliberate resistance of the people of Judah to God's truth. Following his transformative vision and purification, Isaiah is sent to deliver a message that, rather than leading to widespread repentance, will expose and intensify the existing spiritual blindness and deafness of the nation, a tragic consequence of their persistent spiritual apathy and rebellion against divine revelation. This passage sets a somber tone for Isaiah's demanding prophetic ministry, highlighting God's righteous judgment upon a people who have continually refused to truly hear and perceive His word.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is situated immediately after Isaiah's dramatic call and commissioning in [Isaiah 6:1-8](/isaiah/6-1-8 "Isaiah's Vision and Call"). Having experienced a breathtaking vision of God's holiness, confessed his unworthiness, and been ceremonially cleansed by a seraph, Isaiah eagerly responds to the divine query, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" with the iconic reply, "Here am I; send me." The Lord's subsequent words in [Isaiah 6:9-10](/isaiah/6-9-10 "Isaiah 6:9-10 - The Prophecy of Hardening") serve as a stark and immediate clarification of the challenging nature of the prophet's mission. It reveals that Isaiah is not sent to bring about widespread revival, but rather to pronounce a message that will expose and intensify the existing spiritual blindness and deafness of the people, leading to judgment. This sets a somber tone for much of Isaiah's prophetic ministry, highlighting the deep-seated rebellion within Judah that necessitates such a severe divine response.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** Isaiah's call occurs "in the year that King Uzziah died" (circa 740 BC), a period of relative political stability and prosperity in Judah, yet one marked by profound spiritual decline. Despite outward religious observance, the nation was steeped in idolatry, social injustice, and moral corruption, as evidenced in earlier chapters like [Isaiah 1](/isaiah/1 "Isaiah 1 - The Great Arraignment of Judah"). The people had become accustomed to hearing prophetic words without genuinely heeding them, and seeing God's hand in history without truly perceiving His purposes. This spiritual malaise had festered over generations, creating a populace whose hearts had grown dull. The message of [Isaiah 6:9](/isaiah/6-9 "Isaiah 6:9 - The Prophecy of Judicial Hardening") reflects God's assessment of this deep-seated spiritual condition, foreshadowing the inevitable divine judgment that would culminate in the Babylonian exile and the desolation of the land, as described in [Isaiah 6:11-13](/isaiah/6-11-13 "Isaiah 6:11-13 - The Desolation of the Land").
* **Key Themes:** [Isaiah 6:9](/isaiah/6-9 "Isaiah 6:9 - The Hardening Commission") powerfully contributes to several key themes within the book of Isaiah and broader biblical theology. Firstly, it underscores the theme of **spiritual hardening and insensitivity**. The people's inability to "understand" and "perceive" is not presented as a mere intellectual deficit, but as a judicial consequence of their persistent rebellion and unwillingness to respond to divine truth. God's commission serves to bring this pre-existing condition to a head. Secondly, it highlights **the burden and nature of prophetic ministry**. Isaiah is called to a difficult, often thankless task, delivering a message that God knows will be rejected, leading to further spiritual dullness rather than repentance. This emphasizes the lonely and often disheartening path of a true prophet, whose faithfulness is measured not by popular success but by obedience to God's command. Finally, the verse speaks to **divine foreknowledge and righteous judgment**. God, in His omniscience, knows the outcome of Isaiah's ministry and the people's ultimate response. Their persistent spiritual blindness and deafness are a prelude to the judgment that will befall them, as their deliberate lack of understanding prevents them from turning back to God and averting the consequences of their sin, a theme that recurs throughout [Isaiah](/isaiah "The Book of Isaiah").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Go (Hebrew, _yâlak'_):** A primitive root meaning "to walk (literally or figuratively); causatively, to carry." In this context, it signifies a direct and urgent command for Isaiah to embark on his mission, physically going to the people. It implies immediate action and movement, emphasizing the active and demanding nature of his prophetic commission.
* **Tell (Hebrew, _ʼâmar'_):** A primitive root meaning "to say (used with great latitude)." Here, it denotes the act of communicating, speaking, or declaring God's message. It underscores the verbal nature of Isaiah's ministry—he is to speak forth the divine word, regardless of the reception, fulfilling his role as God's herald.
* **People (Hebrew, _ʻam'_):** From a root meaning "a congregated unit," referring to "a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel)." This term emphasizes that the message is directed not to individuals in isolation, but to the collective nation of Judah, highlighting their corporate responsibility and the widespread nature of their spiritual condition.
* **Hear (Hebrew, _shâmaʻ'_):** A primitive root meaning "to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)." The repetition "Hear ye indeed" (Hebrew: *shâmoaʻ tishmâʻu*, infinitive absolute followed by the finite verb) uses an intensive construction, indicating that the people will physically hear the words clearly and repeatedly, yet without the accompanying spiritual comprehension or obedience that true hearing implies.
* **Understand (Hebrew, _bîyn'_):** A primitive root meaning "to separate mentally (or distinguish), i.e. (generally) understand." This word points to intellectual and spiritual discernment. The phrase "understand not" indicates a failure not merely to grasp information, but to process it in a way that leads to insight, wisdom, or a change in behavior. It's a failure of spiritual apprehension, a deliberate unwillingness to discern God's truth.
* **Perceive (Hebrew, _yâdaʻ'_):** A primitive root meaning "to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses... (including observation, care, recognition)." Similar to "understand," "perceive not" signifies a failure to truly comprehend the spiritual implications of what is seen. It's not a physical blindness, but a spiritual inability or unwillingness to recognize God's hand, truth, or judgment in their midst, despite clear evidence.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And he said, Go, and tell this people":** This opening clause directly conveys God's imperative command to Isaiah, initiating his prophetic ministry. The imperatives "Go" and "tell" emphasize the urgency and directness of the divine assignment, while "this people" underscores the specific audience—the nation of Judah—who are the recipients of this difficult message. It establishes Isaiah's immediate and active role as God's messenger, delivering a word that is not optional but mandated.
* **"Hear ye indeed, but understand not":** This is a powerful and paradoxical statement, employing an intensive Hebrew construction to emphasize the certainty and intensity of their physical hearing, yet immediately contrasting it with a complete lack of spiritual understanding. The people will physically hear the prophetic words, the warnings, and the promises, but their hearts and minds will remain closed to the spiritual truth and implications contained within them. It speaks to a profound and deliberate spiritual dullness, a refusal to process revelation in a way that leads to repentance or wisdom.
* **"and see ye indeed, but perceive not":** Parallel to the previous clause, this statement reiterates the theme of sensory input without spiritual comprehension. The people will visually witness God's works, His judgments, His providential hand in history, and the signs of His presence, but they will fail to grasp their true meaning or significance. Their spiritual eyes are blind, preventing them from recognizing God's presence, purpose, or the dire consequences of their actions, leading to a tragic disconnect between outward observation and inward spiritual insight.

#### Literary Devices
Isaiah 6:9 masterfully employs several **literary devices** to convey its somber and profound message. The most prominent is **Parallelism**, specifically **synonymous parallelism**, where the structure and idea of "Hear ye indeed, but understand not" are precisely mirrored by "and see ye indeed, but perceive not." This repetition intensifies the message, emphasizing the comprehensive nature of the people's spiritual insensitivity—it affects both their auditory and visual reception of divine truth. The use of the infinitive absolute in the Hebrew ("Hear ye indeed," "see ye indeed") functions as **Emphasis**, highlighting the certainty and deliberateness of their sensory experience, which makes their subsequent failure to understand or perceive even more striking and culpable. Furthermore, there is a strong element of **Irony** or **Paradox** at play. The prophet is commissioned to speak and show, yet the very act of receiving the message will, for the audience, lead to *less* understanding and perception, not more. This is a divine judgment, where the message itself becomes an instrument of hardening. This passage also contains a subtle form of **Hyperbole** in its description of absolute spiritual blindness, underscoring the extreme and pervasive degree of the people's unresponsiveness to God.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Isaiah 6:9 reveals a profound theological truth about the nature of divine judgment and human responsibility. While God commissions Isaiah to deliver a message that will lead to judicial hardening, this is not an arbitrary act. Rather, it is understood as a consequence of the people's persistent and deliberate rebellion, their long-standing refusal to genuinely heed God's voice and perceive His works. This verse underscores that spiritual blindness and deafness are often self-inflicted conditions that, when unrepented of, can lead to God's righteous judgment of allowing people to remain in the darkness they have chosen. It highlights the solemn reality that divine revelation, if continually rejected, can become a means of further spiritual insensitivity, rather than illumination. This principle resonates throughout Scripture, demonstrating that God's patience has limits, and His truth, when spurned, can harden the heart against future opportunities for repentance, ultimately leading to the consequences of their chosen path.

* [Matthew 13:14-15](/matthew/13-14-15 "Matthew 13:14-15 - Jesus Quotes Isaiah 6:9-10 Regarding Parables")
* [Acts 28:26-27](/acts/28-26-27 "Acts 28:26-27 - Paul Quotes Isaiah 6:9-10 Explaining Jewish Rejection")
* [John 12:37-40](/john/12-37-40 "John 12:37-40 - Despite Signs, They Did Not Believe, Fulfilling Isaiah's Prophecy")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Isaiah 6:9 stands as a stark and sobering warning for all who encounter God's truth. It challenges us to deeply examine the posture of our own hearts when confronted with the Word of God. Are we truly open, receptive, and willing to allow God's truth to penetrate our innermost being, or do we, like the people of Isaiah's day, hear and see without genuine understanding or perception? This verse calls us to guard diligently against spiritual complacency, apathy, and the subtle hardening that can occur when we repeatedly ignore divine promptings, convictions, or inconvenient truths from Scripture. It reminds us that true hearing and seeing involve not just intellectual assent, but a transformative response of repentance, obedience, and faith. We are called to cultivate a tender heart that remains sensitive to the Holy Spirit's voice, actively seeking to understand and apply God's Word, lest we fall into the tragic state of spiritual insensitivity that leads to judgment and missed opportunities for spiritual growth and divine blessing.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **In what areas of my life might I be "hearing" God's truth but failing to truly "understand" or "perceive" its implications for my behavior or beliefs?**
* **What specific practices or attitudes might inadvertently contribute to a gradual hardening of my heart towards spiritual truth or the Holy Spirit's conviction?**
* **How can I actively cultivate a greater openness and responsiveness to the Holy Spirit's leading and God's Word in my daily life, moving beyond mere intellectual acknowledgment to transformative application?**
* **What does this verse teach me about the profound importance of humility, a teachable spirit, and a willingness to be corrected in my ongoing walk with God?**

### FAQ
**Does God actively cause people to be spiritually blind and deaf, or is it a consequence of their choices?**

Answer: Isaiah 6:9 presents a complex theological truth often referred to as judicial hardening. While God commissions Isaiah to deliver a message that will result in the people's hardening, this is understood not as God arbitrarily creating their spiritual insensitivity from scratch, but rather as a judicial act in response to their persistent and deliberate rejection of His truth over time. The people had already chosen to harden their hearts, making themselves unreceptive to divine revelation. God's commission to Isaiah, therefore, serves to expose and intensify this pre-existing condition, bringing their rebellion to a head and leading to righteous judgment. It's a consequence of their choices, where God allows them to remain in the spiritual state they have chosen, thereby fulfilling His prophetic word. This concept is echoed in the New Testament when Jesus explains His use of parables in [Matthew 13:10-15](/matthew/13-10-15 "Matthew 13:10-15 - The Purpose of Parables"), citing this very passage from Isaiah.

**How does this prophecy relate to the idea of God's grace and desire for all to be saved?**

Answer: This prophecy from Isaiah 6:9, while sobering, does not negate God's overarching desire for humanity to turn to Him and find salvation. Rather, it highlights the seriousness of human rebellion and the severe consequences of continually rejecting divine revelation. God's grace is always extended, but it can be resisted. The hardening described here is a specific judgment on a people who, despite repeated warnings and abundant opportunities, continually refused to repent and obey. Even within this context of judgment, God's ultimate plan often includes a remnant who will return to Him, as seen in later prophecies of Isaiah, such as [Isaiah 10:20-22](/isaiah/10-20-22 "Isaiah 10:20-22 - The Remnant Will Return"). The New Testament, particularly in [Romans 11](/romans/11 "Romans 11 - The Remnant and Restoration of Israel"), explores this tension, showing that while a partial hardening has come upon Israel, it is not total or final, and God's ultimate purposes of salvation for both Jew and Gentile remain active and sovereign.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Isaiah 6:9 finds its ultimate and profound fulfillment in the ministry of Jesus Christ, the very Word of God made flesh. Just as Isaiah was commissioned to a people whose hearts were hardened, so too did Jesus encounter widespread spiritual blindness and deafness during His earthly ministry. He taught in parables precisely to fulfill this prophecy, explaining that "to you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given" ([Matthew 13:11](/matthew/13-11 "Matthew 13:11 - The Purpose of Parables")). The very light of the world, the one through whom all things were made, came to His own, yet "His own people did not receive Him" ([John 1:11](/john/1-11 "John 1:11 - He Came to His Own")). The Jewish leaders and many among the crowds heard His words and saw His miracles, yet their hearts remained dull, fulfilling Isaiah's ancient prophecy that "they should not see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them" ([John 12:40](/john/12-40 "John 12:40 - Quoting Isaiah 6:10")). Jesus, the perfect Prophet, faced the same painful reality as Isaiah: the divine message, though clear and powerful, would be resisted by those who loved their darkness more than the light ([John 3:19](/john/3-19 "John 3:19 - Men Loved Darkness Rather Than Light")). Yet, for those whose eyes and ears were opened by the Spirit, Christ became the ultimate revelation of God, granting true understanding and perception, leading them from spiritual blindness to glorious light, as He did for His disciples whose "minds he opened to understand the Scriptures" ([Luke 24:45](/luke/24-45 "Luke 24:45 - Jesus Opens Their Minds to Scripture")). In Christ, the paradox of Isaiah 6:9 is resolved for those who believe, as He is the one who grants both the hearing ear and the seeing eye.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Matthew 13:14

And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:

Matthew 13:15

For this people's heart is waxed gross, and [their] ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with [their] eyes, and hear with [their] ears, and should understand with [their] heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

Luke 8:10

And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.

Mark 4:12

That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and [their] sins should be forgiven them.

John 12:40

He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with [their] eyes, nor understand with [their] heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.

Acts 28:26

Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive:

Acts 28:27

For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with [their] eyes, and hear with [their] ears, and understand with [their] heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.