Mark 8:18

Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?

Having {G2192} eyes {G3788}, see ye {G991} not {G3756}? and {G2532} having {G2192} ears {G3775}, hear ye {G191} not {G3756}? and {G2532} do ye {G3421} not {G3756} remember {G3421}?

You have eyes -- don't you see? You have ears -- don't you hear? And don't you remember?

‘Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear?’ And do you not remember?

Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?

Mark 8:18 KJV presents a poignant question from Jesus to His disciples, highlighting their lack of spiritual perception despite witnessing extraordinary miracles. This verse is part of a larger rebuke where Jesus challenges their inability to grasp the deeper meaning of His words and works, particularly after the second miraculous feeding of the multitudes.

Context

Following Jesus' feeding of the four thousand (Mark 8:1-9) and a subsequent encounter with the Pharisees who demanded a sign, Jesus warns His disciples about the "leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod" (Mark 8:15). The disciples, preoccupied with their single loaf of bread, misunderstand His spiritual warning. Jesus then launches into a series of rhetorical questions, reminding them of the two recent feeding miracles and their failure to comprehend the significance of these events. Verse 18 is a direct challenge to their spiritual dullness and forgetfulness.

Key Themes

  • Spiritual Blindness and Deafness: This is the central theme. Jesus implies that His disciples, though physically capable of seeing and hearing, are spiritually unable to perceive the truth of His identity and the nature of His kingdom. It's a call for deeper insight beyond mere physical observation.
  • Lack of Understanding: The disciples struggle repeatedly throughout the Gospels to grasp Jesus' teachings, particularly those related to His divine power and the spiritual realities He presented. This verse underscores their persistent difficulty in moving beyond a literal, earthly perspective.
  • The Importance of Remembering: Jesus' question, "do ye not remember?", highlights the disciples' failure to recall and apply the lessons from God's past provisions and miracles. Remembering God's faithfulness is crucial for developing deeper faith and understanding. This theme is echoed in the Old Testament, such as Jeremiah 5:21, "Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not."

Linguistic Insights

The Greek phrase for "Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not?" (ὀφθαλμοὺς ἔχοντες οὐ βλέπετε; καὶ ὦτα ἔχοντες οὐκ ἀκούετε;) emphasizes a paradox: the presence of physical senses coupled with a profound lack of spiritual perception. The verb for "see" (βλέπετε - blepete) and "hear" (ἀκούετε - akouete) implies an active process of understanding, not just passive reception. This spiritual dullness is a recurring motif, also seen in Jesus' explanation of parables in Mark 4:12, where some "see but not perceive, and hear but not understand."

Practical Application

Mark 8:18 serves as a timeless challenge for all believers. It prompts us to examine our own spiritual perception:

  • Are we truly seeing and hearing God's work in our lives and the world? It's easy to become complacent or distracted, missing the spiritual significance of everyday events or divine interventions.
  • Do we remember God's past faithfulness? Recalling how God has provided, protected, and guided us in the past strengthens our faith and helps us trust Him in present challenges.
  • Cultivating Spiritual Discernment: This verse calls us to move beyond superficial understanding and seek deeper insight into God's Word and His ways. It encourages a heart open to the Holy Spirit's guidance, allowing us to perceive spiritual truths that transcend the physical.

Just as Jesus desired His disciples to understand His identity and mission fully, He desires us to grow in spiritual understanding and wisdom, truly seeing and hearing Him.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Jeremiah 5:21

    Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not:

  • 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.

  • Ezekiel 12:2

    Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they [are] a rebellious house.

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