‘Go to this people and say,
“You will keep on hearing, 1 but will never understand,
and you will keep on looking, 2 but will never perceive.
28:27 For the heart of this people has become dull, 3
and their ears are hard of hearing, 4
and they have closed their eyes,
so that they would not see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, 5 and I would heal them.”’ 6
28:28 “Therefore be advised 7 that this salvation from God 8 has been sent to the Gentiles; 9 they 10 will listen!”
1 tn Grk “you will hear with hearing” (an idiom).
2 tn Or “seeing”; Grk “you will look by looking” (an idiom).
3 tn Or “insensitive.”
sn The heart of this people has become dull. The charge from Isaiah is like Stephen’s against the Jews of Jerusalem (Acts 7:51-53). They were a hard-hearted and disobedient people.
4 tn Grk “they hear heavily with their ears” (an idiom for slow comprehension).
5 sn Note how the failure to respond to the message of the gospel is seen as a failure to turn.
6 sn A quotation from Isa 6:9-10.
7 tn Grk “Therefore let it be known to you.”
8 tn Or “of God.”
9 sn The term Gentiles is in emphatic position in the Greek text of this clause. Once again there is the pattern: Jewish rejection of the gospel leads to an emphasis on Gentile inclusion (Acts 13:44-47).
10 tn Grk “they also.”