Mark 8:18

KJV

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

KJV (with Strong's)

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}?

Complete Jewish Bible

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

Berean Standard Bible

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

American Standard Version

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

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Mark 8:18 captures Jesus' poignant rebuke of His disciples, challenging their spiritual dullness and lack of comprehension despite having witnessed His miraculous power and heard His profound teachings. This rhetorical question highlights their inability to grasp the deeper spiritual truths behind His actions, particularly following the miraculous feedings, and underscores a persistent theme of spiritual blindness and forgetfulness within the narrative.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is part of a crucial transitional passage in Mark's Gospel, immediately following Jesus' second miraculous feeding of the four thousand in [Mark 8:1-9](/mark/8-1-9 "Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand"). After this, Jesus and His disciples cross to Dalmanutha, where they encounter Pharisees demanding a sign from heaven ([Mark 8:11-12](/mark/8-11-12 "Pharisees Demand a Sign")). Jesus sighs deeply, refusing to give them a sign, and then warns His disciples about the "leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod" ([Mark 8:15](/mark/8-15 "Warning Against Leaven")). The disciples, however, misunderstand Him, thinking He is concerned about their lack of bread, having only one loaf in the boat ([Mark 8:16](/mark/8-16 "Disciples Misunderstand Jesus' Warning")). It is in response to this profound misunderstanding and their continued preoccupation with physical bread over spiritual truth that Jesus launches into a series of rhetorical questions, culminating in the sharp challenge of [Mark 8:18](/mark/8-18 "Jesus Rebukes Disciples' Lack of Perception"), reminding them of the previous feedings and their failure to grasp the significance of these divine provisions. This passage sets the stage for Peter's confession at Caesarea Philippi ([Mark 8:27-30](/mark/8-27-30 "Peter's Confession of Christ")), which, ironically, is immediately followed by another display of Peter's misunderstanding regarding Jesus' suffering.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** First-century Galilee and Judea were regions steeped in Jewish tradition, where understanding and remembering God's past acts of deliverance and provision were central to religious identity. The disciples, being Jewish, would have been familiar with the Old Testament narratives of manna in the wilderness and God's miraculous provisions. However, their cultural expectations of a Messiah often focused on a political liberator, making it difficult for them to perceive Jesus' spiritual kingdom and divine identity. The "leaven of the Pharisees" refers to their hypocrisy and legalistic adherence to external rituals without true inward transformation, while the "leaven of Herod" likely points to the corrupt political power and worldly ambitions that could distract from God's true work. Jesus' questions tap into a common prophetic motif in the Old Testament, where Israel is often rebuked for spiritual blindness and deafness despite having been given God's revelation, as seen in passages like [Isaiah 6:9-10](/isaiah/6-9-10 "Isaiah's Commission and Spiritual Blindness") and [Jeremiah 5:21](/jeremiah/5-21 "Jeremiah's Rebuke for Spiritual Blindness").
* **Key Themes:** Mark 8:18 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes in Mark's Gospel. The most prominent is **Spiritual Blindness and Deafness**, particularly among the disciples themselves. Despite being eyewitnesses to Jesus' miracles and recipients of His direct teaching, they consistently struggle to comprehend His true identity and the nature of His kingdom. This verse underscores their **Lack of Understanding**, a recurring motif that contrasts sharply with Jesus' clear divine authority and insight. The disciples' inability to connect Jesus' actions (like the miraculous feedings) with His identity reveals their persistent focus on the mundane rather than the miraculous. Furthermore, Jesus' question, "do ye not remember?", highlights the critical theme of **The Importance of Remembering God's Works**. Their failure to recall and apply the lessons from past divine provisions (the two feedings) demonstrates a deeper spiritual amnesia that hinders their faith and understanding. This theme is vital for spiritual growth, as seen in the Psalmist's call to remember God's deeds in [Psalm 105:5](/psalm/105-5 "Remember His Wondrous Works").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **See (Greek, _blépō'_):** This verb, beyond mere physical sight, implies an active process of looking, perceiving, and understanding. Jesus is not questioning their physical ability to see, but their spiritual capacity to discern the meaning and significance of what they are witnessing. It points to a failure of insight and comprehension, not just observation.
* **Hear (Greek, _akoúō'_):** Similar to "see," "hear" here transcends simple auditory reception. It signifies listening with attention, understanding, and obedience. The disciples hear Jesus' words and witness His deeds, but they fail to truly "hear" or comprehend the spiritual truths embedded within them, indicating a deep-seated spiritual deafness.
* **Remember (Greek, _mnēmoneúō'_):** This word emphasizes the act of recollecting and retaining in memory, often with the implication of applying past lessons to present circumstances. Jesus' question highlights their failure to recall the details and implications of the two miraculous feedings, suggesting a spiritual amnesia that prevents them from connecting God's past faithfulness with His present power and provision.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Having eyes, see ye not?"**: This clause poses a direct rhetorical question, challenging the disciples' apparent spiritual blindness. Despite possessing physical organs of sight, they fail to perceive the profound spiritual implications of Jesus' identity and power, particularly as demonstrated in the miraculous feedings. Jesus implies that their physical sight has not led to spiritual insight.
* **"and having ears, hear ye not?"**: Following the previous challenge, this clause extends the rebuke to their auditory perception. Even though they physically hear Jesus' teachings and warnings, they do not truly comprehend or internalize the spiritual truths He conveys. This indicates a spiritual deafness that prevents them from grasping the deeper meaning of His words and the nature of His kingdom.
* **"and do ye not remember?"**: This final, climactic question exposes the root of their problem: a failure of memory and spiritual recall. Jesus is not merely asking if they can recount the events of the feedings but if they have remembered and understood the significance of those events—namely, His abundant power to provide and His divine authority. Their forgetfulness hinders their faith and understanding in the present moment.

#### Literary Devices
Mark 8:18 is rich in **Rhetorical Questions**, a prominent literary device Jesus frequently employs to provoke thought, expose misunderstanding, and drive home a point. These questions are not asked for information but to highlight the disciples' spiritual dullness and to challenge them to deeper introspection. The verse also employs **Parallelism** through the repeated structure of "having X, do you not Y?", creating a rhythmic and emphatic challenge that underscores the consistent failure of their senses to translate into spiritual perception. Furthermore, there is profound **Irony** in the fact that those closest to Jesus, who have witnessed His most spectacular miracles, are depicted as spiritually blind and deaf, echoing Old Testament prophetic critiques of Israel's spiritual insensitivity despite God's clear revelation. This highlights the theme of **Spiritual Blindness** as a central motif, where physical ability (eyes, ears) is contrasted with spiritual inability (not seeing, not hearing, not remembering), emphasizing that true understanding requires more than mere physical proximity or observation.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Mark 8:18 serves as a profound theological statement on the nature of spiritual perception and the human tendency towards dullness, even in the presence of divine revelation. It underscores that true understanding of God's work and identity requires more than physical observation; it demands a spiritual openness and a willingness to remember and internalize past truths. This passage highlights the disciples' slow growth in comprehending Jesus' messianic identity and the spiritual nature of His kingdom, a theme that recurs throughout the Gospels. It warns against a superficial faith that sees miracles but fails to grasp their deeper meaning, and against a forgetfulness that hinders present trust and future obedience. The inability to "see" and "hear" spiritually is a recurring lament in biblical literature, often signaling a hardened heart or a lack of genuine faith.

* [Jeremiah 5:21](/jeremiah/5-21 "Jeremiah's Rebuke for Spiritual Blindness")
* [Isaiah 6:9-10](/isaiah/6-9-10 "Isaiah's Commission and Spiritual Hardening")
* [Matthew 13:13](/matthew/13-13 "Jesus Explains Parables and Spiritual Blindness")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Mark 8:18 is a timeless mirror held up to every believer, inviting us to honestly assess the depth of our own spiritual perception. In a world saturated with information and distractions, it is easy to become spiritually complacent, observing God's hand at work but failing to truly "see" His purposes or "hear" His voice in the noise. This verse challenges us to move beyond a superficial understanding of our faith, urging us to actively cultivate a heart that is open and receptive to the Holy Spirit's illumination. It calls us to diligently remember God's past faithfulness and provisions in our lives, allowing those memories to strengthen our trust and deepen our understanding in the present. Just as the disciples struggled to connect the physical miracle of bread with the spiritual reality of Jesus' identity, we too can miss the divine in the mundane if we are not actively seeking to perceive God's presence and power in every circumstance. We are called to pray for spiritual eyes and ears, that we might truly behold and obey the Lord.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **In what areas of my life might I be "seeing" and "hearing" physically, but failing to perceive God's spiritual truth or presence?**
* **How often do I intentionally remember and reflect on God's past faithfulness and provisions in my life? How does this practice impact my present faith?**
* **What steps can I take to cultivate greater spiritual discernment and a deeper understanding of God's Word and His will for me?**
* **Am I allowing distractions or worldly concerns to prevent me from truly grasping the spiritual significance of God's work around me?**

### FAQ
**Why were the disciples so spiritually dull, despite being with Jesus?**

Answer: The disciples' spiritual dullness, as highlighted in [Mark 8:18](/mark/8-18 "Jesus Rebukes Disciples' Lack of Perception"), stemmed from a combination of factors common to human nature and their specific context. Firstly, they were often preoccupied with earthly concerns, such as their lack of bread ([Mark 8:16](/mark/8-16 "Disciples' Concern Over Bread")), which overshadowed Jesus' spiritual warnings. Secondly, their preconceived notions of the Messiah, often shaped by political and nationalistic hopes, made it difficult for them to grasp Jesus' true identity and the spiritual nature of His kingdom, especially His path of suffering. This is evident even after Peter's confession in [Mark 8:31-33](/mark/8-31-33 "Peter Rebukes Jesus"). Thirdly, spiritual understanding is not merely intellectual; it requires a heart transformed by the Holy Spirit. While they were with Jesus, the full outpouring of the Spirit had not yet occurred ([John 14:26](/john/14-26 "The Holy Spirit Teaches All Things")), which would later enable them to remember and understand all that Jesus had taught them. Their journey, therefore, represents a process of gradual spiritual awakening, demonstrating that even those closest to God can struggle with perception.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Mark 8:18, though a sharp rebuke to the disciples' spiritual dullness, ultimately points to Christ as the one who alone possesses perfect spiritual sight and hearing, and who is the source of all true understanding. The disciples' inability to "see" and "hear" spiritually underscores humanity's inherent fallen condition, where sin has veiled our eyes and deafened our ears to divine truth ([2 Corinthians 4:4](/2_corinthians/4-4 "Satan Blinds Unbelievers")). Jesus, however, is the light of the world who opens blind eyes ([John 9:5](/john/9-5 "Jesus, Light of the World")) and causes the deaf to hear ([Mark 7:37](/mark/7-37 "Jesus Heals a Deaf Man")). His very presence and ministry are the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies concerning the opening of spiritual senses ([Isaiah 35:5-6](/isaiah/35-5-6 "Eyes of the Blind Opened")). Furthermore, Christ's ultimate work on the cross and His resurrection provide the means for humanity to be truly reconciled to God, enabling the Holy Spirit to indwell believers and grant them spiritual discernment. It is through Him that believers are given "eyes of your understanding being enlightened" ([Ephesians 1:18](/ephesians/1-18 "Enlightened Eyes of the Heart")) and the capacity to "hear" His voice as the Good Shepherd ([John 10:27](/john/10-27 "My Sheep Hear My Voice")). Thus, the spiritual blindness lamented in Mark 8:18 finds its redemptive answer in the person and work of Jesus Christ, who not only reveals truth but empowers His followers to perceive it.

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

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.