YHN 12:40 Interlinear View

1. Greek word
2. Greek lemma
3. OET-LV words
4. OET-RV words
5. Strongs
6. Role/Morphology
7. OET Gloss
8. VLT Gloss
9. CAPS codes
10. Confidence
11. OET tags
12. OET word #
1. Τετύφλωκεν
2. tufloō
3. He has blinded
4. blinded
5. 51860
6. VIEA3··S
7. ˱he˲ ˓has˒ blinded
8. ˱he˲ ˓has˒ blinded
9. B
10. Y33
11. 74594
1. αὐτῶν
2. autos
3. of them
4. -
5. 8460
6. R···3GMP
7. ˱of˲ them
8. ˱of˲ them
9. -
10. Y33
11. 74595
1. τούς
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····AMP
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y33
11. 74596
1. ὀφθαλμούς
2. ofthalmos
3. eyes
4. -
5. 37880
6. N····AMP
7. eyes
8. eyes
9. -
10. Y33
11. 74597
1. καί
2. kai
3. and
4. -
5. 25320
6. C·······
7. and
8. and
9. -
10. Y33
11. 74598
1. ἐπώρωσεν
2. pōroō
3. -
4. -
5. 44560
6. VIAA3··S
7. ˱he˲ hardened
8. ˱he˲ hardened
9. -
10. -
11. 74599
1. ἐπήρωσεν
2. pēroō
3. he maimed
4. maimed
5. 40825
6. VIAA3··S
7. ˱he˲ maimed
8. ˱he˲ maimed
9. -
10. Y33
11. 74600
1. πεπώρωκεν
2. pōroō
3. -
4. -
5. 44560
6. VIEA3··S
7. ˱he˲ ˓has˒ hardened
8. ˱he˲ ˓has˒ hardened
9. -
10. -
11. 74601
1. αὐτῶν
2. autos
3. of them
4. -
5. 8460
6. R···3GMP
7. ˱of˲ them
8. ˱of˲ them
9. -
10. Y33
11. 74602
1. τήν
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····AFS
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y33
11. 74603
1. καρδίαν
2. kardia
3. heart
4. -
5. 25880
6. N····AFS
7. heart
8. heart
9. -
10. Y33
11. 74604
1. ἵνα
2. hina
3. in order that
4. -
5. 24430
6. C·······
7. in_order_that
8. in_order_that
9. -
10. Y33
11. 74605
1. μή
2. mē
3. not
4. can't
5. 33610
6. D·······
7. not
8. not
9. -
10. Y33
11. 74606
1. ἴδωσιν
2. horaō
3. they may see
4. -
5. 37080
6. VSAA3··P
7. ˱they˲ ˓may˒ see
8. ˱they˲ ˓may˒ see
9. -
10. Y33
11. 74607
1. τοῖς
2. ho
3. with their
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····DMP
7. ˱with˲ their
8. ˱with˲ their
9. -
10. Y33
11. 74608
1. ὀφθαλμοῖς
2. ofthalmos
3. eyes
4. -
5. 37880
6. N····DMP
7. eyes
8. eyes
9. -
10. Y33
11. 74609
1. καί
2. kai
3. and
4. -
5. 25320
6. C·······
7. and
8. and
9. -
10. Y33
11. 74610
1. μή
2. mē
3. -
4. -
5. 33610
6. D·······
7. not
8. not
9. -
10. -
11. 74611
1. νοήσωσιν
2. noeō
3. they may understand
4. understand
5. 35390
6. VSAA3··P
7. ˱they˲ ˓may˒ understand
8. ˱they˲ ˓may˒ understand
9. -
10. Y33
11. 74612
1. νοήσουσιν
2. noeō
3. -
4. -
5. 35390
6. VIFA3··P
7. ˱they˲ ˓will_be˒ understanding
8. ˱they˲ ˓will_be˒ understanding
9. -
10. -
11. 74613
1. τῇ
2. ho
3. with their
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····DFS
7. ˱with˲ their
8. ˱with˲ their
9. -
10. Y33
11. 74614
1. καρδίᾳ
2. kardia
3. heart
4. -
5. 25880
6. N····DFS
7. heart
8. heart
9. -
10. Y33
11. 74615
1. συνῶσιν
2. suniēmi
3. -
4. -
5. 49200
6. VSAA3··P
7. ˱they˲ ˓may˒ understand
8. ˱they˲ ˓may˒ understand
9. -
10. -
11. 74616
1. καί
2. kai
3. and
4. -
5. 25320
6. C·······
7. and
8. and
9. -
10. Y33
11. 74617
1. στραφῶσιν
2. strefō
3. they may be turned
4. turned
5. 47620
6. VSAP3··P
7. ˱they˲ ˓may_be˒ turned
8. ˱they˲ ˓may_be˒ turned
9. -
10. Y33
11. 74618
1. ἐπιστραφῶσιν
2. epistrefō
3. -
4. -
5. 19940
6. VSAP3··P
7. ˓may_be˒ turned_back
8. ˓may_be˒ turned_back
9. -
10. -
11. 74619
1. ἐπιστρέψωσιν
2. epistrefō
3. -
4. -
5. 19940
6. VSAA3··P
7. ˓may˒ turn_back
8. ˓may˒ turn_back
9. -
10. -
11. 74620
1. καί
2. kai
3. and
4. -
5. 25320
6. C·······
7. and
8. and
9. -
10. Y33
11. 74621
1. ἰάσομαι
2. iaomai
3. I will be healing
4. -
5. 23900
6. VIFM1··S
7. ˱I˲ ˓will_be˒ healing
8. ˱I˲ ˓will_be˒ healing
9. -
10. Y33
11. 74622
1. ἰάσωμαι
2. iaomai
3. -
4. -
5. 23900
6. VSAM1··S
7. ˱I˲ ˓may˒ heal
8. ˱I˲ ˓may˒ heal
9. -
10. -
11. 74623
1. αὐτούς
2. autos
3. them
4. -
5. 8460
6. R···3AMP
7. them
8. them
9. -
10. Y33
11. 74624

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 12:36c–43: The Unbelief of the People

This paragraph discusses the unbelief (lack of belief or faith) of many of those who heard Jesus and saw his miracles. Many of them rejected him, as the Hebrew Scriptures prophesied. Others did believe but remained silent, afraid that they themselves would be rejected.

Here are some other possible titles for this section:

The Jews still did not believe

Many Jews refused to have faith in Jesus

12:40a–c

John 12:40 is a free (not exact) quotation of Isaiah 6:10. This verse is also quoted in Matthew 13:13–15, Mark 4:12, Luke 8:10, and Acts 28:26–27. The exact words of the quotation are not the same in each place, but the meaning is the same.

12:40a

“He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts,

“He has made their eyes blind and their hearts hard/stubborn
“It is like he has made them blind to spiritual things and closed their minds to the truth,
that the Lord has prevented them from understanding and accepting what they see.

He has blinded their eyes: It is implied that the pronoun He refers to God. However, in Isaiah, God commands Isaiah to do this. And the other quotations of this verse in the New Testament do not say that it was God. So it is good to not make clear who blinds (makes blind) their eyes. Just use a pronoun. For example:

Their eyes he had blinded

However, it was God’s will to blind their eyes, even if Isaiah did it. And John implies that it was God who acted. So if you have to identify who He refers to, you may mention God. For example:

The Lord has blinded the eyes of the people (CEV)

God has blinded their eyes (GNT)

has blinded their eyes: This phrase is a figure of speech, a metaphor. It means that the people were made unable to see or understand spiritual truth. So they could not understand the spiritual meaning of what Jesus did and said. See Deuteronomy 29:4.

This does not mean that the people wanted to see and God kept them from seeing. They are responsible for their not believing. But God’s purposes were fulfilled by their refusing to believe. There are several ways to translate this figure of speech:

Keep the metaphor. For example:
God blinded them (GW)
Translate it as a simile
It is like God made them blind
Indicate some of the meaning. For example:
He has not enabled them to see spiritual things

their eyes: The pronoun their refers to the Jewish people. You may want to use a noun instead of a pronoun here. For example:

the eyes of the people (CEV)

hardened their hearts: This phrase is a figure of speech, another metaphor. The word hardened means “made hard,” so to harden one’s heart is to make it hard and stiff. It indicates that God confirmed the people in their wrong thinking so that they could not change. The meaning is similar to “has blinded their eyes.” He did not make them wise but rather allowed them to follow false and foolish thoughts. And so they could not understand who Christ was. There are several ways to translate this figure of speech:

Keep the metaphor. For example:
hardened their hearts (NIV)
Translate it as a simile. For example:
It is like he has made their hearts hard.
Indicate some of the meaning. For example:
dulled their mind (REB)
closed their minds (GNT)
made the people stubborn (CEV)

Translate this figure of speech in a way that is natural and makes the meaning clear.

their hearts: The word hearts is a figurative way of referring to the center of one’s thoughts and emotions. In some languages it may be natural to refer to another body part. For example:

their minds (GNT)

12:40b

so that they cannot see with their eyes, and understand with their hearts,

so they can neither see nor understand,
so they can not understand what I have done for them
This prevents them from truly seeing and understanding

so that they cannot see with their eyes: The words so that here introduce the effect or result of God’s judgment. God judged the people by blinding and hardening them, and this prevented them from seeing and understanding spiritual truth. God knew that this would happen and it was part of his judgment because they refused to believe. However, it was not what he wanted to happen. He preferred that the people repent so that he could heal them. But they refused to believe. Here are other ways to translate this clause:

so they can neither see with their eyes (NIV)

so that their eyes don’t see (GW)

so that their eyes cannot see (NLT)

In some languages it may be natural to start a new sentence here. For example:

Otherwise they would see with their eyes (NCV)

The result is they will never see with their eyes… (TRT)

see with their eyes: This phrase continues the metaphor begun in 12:40a. Continue to translate it in the way you did there. For example:

their eyes cannot truly see

preventing them from truly seeing

understand with their hearts: This phrase here means to understand spiritual truth. John was referring to the fact that the people did not understand who Jesus was, that he was God’s Messiah. As in 12:40a, it may be natural to translate hearts as “mind.” For example:

their minds would not understand (GNT)

their hearts: The word hearts refers to the center of thoughts and emotions. Translate it as you did in 12:40a, using either the singular or plural, whichever is most natural in your language.

General Comment on 12:40a–b

This verse contains an arrangement in poetry known as parallelism. In parallelism, the same idea is said twice, in different ways, in parallel lines (similar lines next to each other). Here a similar idea is said twice in 12:40a and another idea is said twice in 12:40b. However, in many languages it may be natural to change the arrangement of the clauses. For example:

^40a–bHe has blinded their eyes so that they might not see and hardened their minds/hearts so that they might not understand.

12:40c

and turn, and I would heal them.”

nor turn to me so that I would heal them.”
nor believe in me so I can restore them forever.”
and turning to the Lord. If they did, he would heal/save them.

and turn: These words refer to turning to God in faith. This was another result of God blinding the people’s eyes and hardening their hearts. If the people could see spiritually and truly understand, they would change their thinking and trust in Jesus the Messiah. They would ask God to forgive them. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

turn to the Lord (CEV)

turn to me, says God (GNT)

I would heal them: The Greek word that the BSB translates as heal here means “restore from sin and its consequences.” This clause indicates that God would certainly heal/restore the people if they turned to him in faith. He wanted to forgive them and make them whole. In some languages, the word heal only refers to physical healing from illnesses. In those languages, you may want to use another word here and perhaps say in a footnote that the word can mean “heal.” For example:

I would restore them

I will heal/save them (TRT)

General Comment on 12:40

In this verse the pronoun referring to God changes from “He” in 12:40a to “I” in 12:40c. If this confuses your readers, it may be necessary to make it explicit that God is speaking in 12:40c. For example:

and they would not turn to me, says God, for me to heal them (GNT)

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / quotemarks

τετύφλωκεν αὐτῶν τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς καὶ ἐπώρωσεν αὐτῶν τὴν καρδίαν, ἵνα μὴ ἴδωσιν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς καὶ νοήσωσιν τῇ καρδίᾳ, καὶ στραφῶσιν καὶ ἰάσομαι αὐτούς

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Τετύφλωκεν αὐτῶν τούς ὀφθαλμούς καί ἐπήρωσεν αὐτῶν τήν καρδίαν ἵνα μή ἴδωσιν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς καί νοήσωσιν τῇ καρδίᾳ καί στραφῶσιν καί ἰάσομαι αὐτούς)

This verse is a quotation from [Isaiah 6:10](../../isa/06/10.md). It is a prophecy that God told Isaiah to speak against the Jewish people because they kept rejecting God. It may be helpful to your readers to indicate this by setting off all of this material with quotation marks or with whatever other punctuation or convention your language uses to indicate a quotation.

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

τετύφλωκεν αὐτῶν τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς

John quotes Isaiah using blinded their eyes to refer to causing people to not be able to understanding what they see. Although the Jews saw Jesus’ many miracles, most of them did not understand that those miracles proved that Jesus was sent by God. If this use of blinded and eyes would confuse your readers, you could state the meaning plainly or use a simile. Alternate translation: [He has caused them to not be able to understand] or [He has made them like those who are blind]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἐπώρωσεν αὐτῶν τὴν καρδίαν

John quotes Isaiah using the phrase hardened their heart to refer to causing the Jewish people to become stubborn. If this might confuse your readers, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [he has made them stubborn]

Note 4 topic: grammar-collectivenouns

αὐτῶν τὴν καρδίαν & τῇ καρδίᾳ

˱of˲_them ˱of˲_them (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Τετύφλωκεν αὐτῶν τούς ὀφθαλμούς καί ἐπήρωσεν αὐτῶν τήν καρδίαν ἵνα μή ἴδωσιν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς καί νοήσωσιν τῇ καρδίᾳ καί στραφῶσιν καί ἰάσομαι αὐτούς)

Both occurrences of the singular noun heart in this verse refer to all of the hearts of the people as a group. If your language does not use singular nouns in that way, you can use a different expression. Alternate translation: [their hearts … with their hearts]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

μὴ ἴδωσιν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς

John quotes Isaiah using the phrase see with their eyes here to refer to people understanding something that they see. If this might confuse your readers, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [they might not see and perceive]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

νοήσωσιν τῇ καρδίᾳ

˱they˲_˓may˒_understand ˱with˲_their heart

John quotes Isaiah using the phrase understand with their heart to refer to the Jewish people truly understanding something. If this might confuse your readers, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [might fully understand] or [might understand deep within themselves]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

καὶ στραφῶσιν

John quotes Isaiah using turn to mean “repent,” which means to stop sinning and start obeying the Lord. If this might confuse your readers, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [and they would repent] or [and they would stop sinning and obey God]

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

καὶ ἰάσομαι αὐτούς

John quotes Isaiah using heal to refer to forgiving people of their sins. It does not refer to physical healing. If this might confuse your readers, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [and I would forgive them]

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

1. OET-LV words
2. OET-RV words
3. Strongs
4. Greek word
5. Greek lemma
6. Role/Morphology
7. OET Gloss
8. VLT Gloss
9. CAPS codes
10. Confidence
11. OET tags
12. OET word #
1. He has blinded
2. blinded
3. 51860
4. B
5. tufloō
6. V-IEA3··S
7. ˱he˲ ˓has˒ blinded
8. ˱he˲ ˓has˒ blinded
9. B
10. Y33
11. 74594
1. the
2. -
3. 35880
5. ho
6. E-····AMP
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y33
11. 74596
1. eyes
2. -
3. 37880
5. ofthalmos
6. N-····AMP
7. eyes
8. eyes
9. -
10. Y33
11. 74597
1. of them
2. -
3. 8460
5. autos
6. R-···3GMP
7. ˱of˲ them
8. ˱of˲ them
9. -
10. Y33
11. 74595
1. and
2. -
3. 25320
5. kai
6. C-·······
7. and
8. and
9. -
10. Y33
11. 74598
1. he maimed
2. maimed
3. 40825
5. pēroō
6. V-IAA3··S
7. ˱he˲ maimed
8. ˱he˲ maimed
9. -
10. Y33
11. 74600
1. the
2. -
3. 35880
5. ho
6. E-····AFS
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y33
11. 74603
1. heart
2. -
3. 25880
5. kardia
6. N-····AFS
7. heart
8. heart
9. -
10. Y33
11. 74604
1. of them
2. -
3. 8460
5. autos
6. R-···3GMP
7. ˱of˲ them
8. ˱of˲ them
9. -
10. Y33
11. 74602
1. in order that
2. -
3. 24430
5. hina
6. C-·······
7. in_order_that
8. in_order_that
9. -
10. Y33
11. 74605
1. they may
2. -
3. 37080
5. horaō
6. V-SAA3··P
7. ˱they˲ ˓may˒ see
8. ˱they˲ ˓may˒ see
9. -
10. Y33
11. 74607
1. not
2. can't
3. 33610
5. mē
6. D-·······
7. not
8. not
9. -
10. Y33
11. 74606
1. see
2. -
3. 37080
5. horaō
6. V-SAA3··P
7. ˱they˲ ˓may˒ see
8. ˱they˲ ˓may˒ see
9. -
10. Y33
11. 74607
1. with their
2. -
3. 35880
5. ho
6. E-····DMP
7. ˱with˲ their
8. ˱with˲ their
9. -
10. Y33
11. 74608
1. eyes
2. -
3. 37880
5. ofthalmos
6. N-····DMP
7. eyes
8. eyes
9. -
10. Y33
11. 74609
1. and
2. -
3. 25320
5. kai
6. C-·······
7. and
8. and
9. -
10. Y33
11. 74610
1. they may understand
2. understand
3. 35390
5. noeō
6. V-SAA3··P
7. ˱they˲ ˓may˒ understand
8. ˱they˲ ˓may˒ understand
9. -
10. Y33
11. 74612
1. with their
2. -
3. 35880
5. ho
6. E-····DFS
7. ˱with˲ their
8. ˱with˲ their
9. -
10. Y33
11. 74614
1. heart
2. -
3. 25880
5. kardia
6. N-····DFS
7. heart
8. heart
9. -
10. Y33
11. 74615
1. and
2. -
3. 25320
5. kai
6. C-·······
7. and
8. and
9. -
10. Y33
11. 74617
1. they may be turned
2. turned
3. 47620
5. strefō
6. V-SAP3··P
7. ˱they˲ ˓may_be˒ turned
8. ˱they˲ ˓may_be˒ turned
9. -
10. Y33
11. 74618
1. and
2. -
3. 25320
5. kai
6. C-·······
7. and
8. and
9. -
10. Y33
11. 74621
1. I will be healing
2. -
3. 23900
5. iaomai
6. V-IFM1··S
7. ˱I˲ ˓will_be˒ healing
8. ˱I˲ ˓will_be˒ healing
9. -
10. Y33
11. 74622
1. them
2. -
3. 8460
5. autos
6. R-···3AMP
7. them
8. them
9. -
10. Y33
11. 74624

Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.

Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.

OET interlinear YHN (JHN) 12:40

SR Greek word order (including unused variant words in grey)