Acts 28:27

Act 28:27. Καὶ ἰάσομαι, and I shall [should] heal them) The indicative after the subjunctive; concerning which com? the note on Mar 3:27, ἐὰν μὴ—δήσῃ, καὶ τότε διαρπάσει. And the former (the indicative) is the better established here, because in Isaiah the Hebrew accent makes the fullest stop of the hemistich after ἐπιστρέψωσι, should be converted [and so ἰάσομαι becomes distinguished from the contingent relation of the previous verbs, and is made a positive assertion].

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Act 28:27 . ἰάσωμαι , see critical note; the indicative future as in R.V. adds to the force and vigour of the passage; after μή it represents the action of the verb as more vividly realised as possible and probable than is the case when the subjunctive is used (Page), see also Winer-Moulton, lvi., 2 a ; Bethge, p. 331; cf. Luk 12:58 , Act 21:24 (Blass). It is significant that Luke the physician should thus cite as almost the last words of his record a prophecy ending with ἰάσομαι (Plummer, St. Luke , Introd., p. lxvi.).

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

They made as though they saw not that which they saw against their wills: yea they did see, but they would not see.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

27. and should be converted] [R. V. “and should turn again”] The new rendering is to be preferred on account of the restricted meaning which in modern speech has become attached to the word “convert.” In the older language it signified “to turn round and go back again.”

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For the heart of this people is waxed gross,.... Or fat; stupefied with notions of carnal and temporal things, and become hardened against, and unsusceptible of, divine and spiritual things:

and their ears are dull of hearing; the Gospel, and its joyful sound; to which they stop their cars, as the deaf adder to the voice of the charmer:

and their eyes have they closed; and wilfully shut, against all evidence from facts, miracles, prophecies, and preaching:

lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears,

and understand with their heart, and should be converted; that is, see the evidence of miracles, take in the truth of doctrine, understand the meaning of prophecy, and so be turned from darkness, ignorance, and unbelief, to light, knowledge, and faith:

and I should heal them; or "have mercy on them", as the Ethiopic version renders it; that is, forgive their sins: hearing the Gospel preached, is the ordinary means of understanding spiritual things; and the understanding being enlightened through the ministry of the word, by the Spirit of God, whereby the sinner sees his lost state by nature, his impurity and impotency, the danger he is in, and the destruction that is imminent on him, and he is liable to, and also his need of Christ, and salvation by him; this issues in conversion, in the turning of a man from the evil of his ways, to believe in Christ, walk on in him, and worthy of him; when he is healed of the diseases of his soul, which are many, are natural, and hereditary, mortal and incurable, but by Christ the great physician; by whose stripes, wounds, and blood, there is healing, that is, pardon; for healing diseases, and pardoning iniquities, are one and the same; see Psa 103:3; and at conversion, when a soul is enlightened, and made sensible of the evil of sin, and that there is no cure of this disease, by anything that he or any creature can do, or prescribe for him, but only by the blood of Christ; a discovery of pardoning grace is made unto him; and he is made whole, and cured of every disease that attended him; from whence spring joy, peace, and comfort to him:, but when through hearing the word, the understanding is not enlightened, and conversion does not follow upon it, there is no healing of the disease of sin, no pardon applied; and consequently such must be in a most deplorable and miserable condition, as all ignorant hearers and despisers of the Gospel are; See Gill on

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

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.

Ver. 27. Is waxed gross] "Their heart is as fat as grease; but I delight in thy law," saith David, Psa 119:70. Naturalists tell us that fat-hearted men are dull-witted. Γαστηρ παχεια λεπτον ου τικτει νοον. It is a heavy case when men have got a kind of hoof over their hearts, callum obductum, corneas fibras, brawny breasts, horny heart strings.

Their eyes have they closed] Gr. εκαμμυσαν. They have winked, they shut the windows, lest the light should come in. Ut liberius peccent, libenter ignorant, saith Bernard. Sponte quidem reluctantur veritati, non tamen fortuito, saith Beza.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Though God did forsake this people, (being first forsaken of them), and withdraw his gratuitous assistance from them, yet it is all justly charged upon them, they having by their sins said unto God, Depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways, Job 21:14.

Their eyes have they closed; they winked, as those that were loth to see, though they could not but see, the truths Paul preached concerning the Messiah; prejudicate opinions and self-conceit hindering them from coming unto the acknowledgment of them.

I should heal them, or pardon them; for by guilt the soul is wounded.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

27. Waxed gross—From their own spiritual carelessness and hardness.

Lest—Depends upon closed. They have closed their eyes to evidence lest they should be converted and healed.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

See notes on verse 25

J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Connecting Statement:

Paul finishes quoting Isaiah the prophet.

General Information:

Translate Paul's quotation of Isaiah as a direct quotation or indirect quotation according to how you translated it in Acts 28:25-26.

For the heart of this people has become dull

People who stubbornly refuse to understand what God is saying or doing are spoken of as if their heart is dull. Here "heart" is a metonym for the mind. (See: Metaphor and Metonymy)

with their ears they hardly hear, and they have shut their eyes

People who stubbornly refuse to understand what God is saying or doing are spoken of as if they are unable to hear and are shutting their eyes so that they will see. (See: Metaphor)

understand with their heart

Here "heart" stands for the mind. (See: Metonymy)

turn again

To start obeying God is spoken of as though the person were physically turning toward God. (See: Metaphor)

I would heal them

This does not mean God will only heal them physically. He will also heal them spiritually by forgiving their sins.

translationWords

heart

turn

cure

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

27. καὶ ἐπιστρέψωσιν, and should turn again. This rendering is to be preferred on account of the restricted meaning which in modern speech has become attached to the word ‘convert’ of the A.V. In the older language it signified ‘to turn round and go back again.’

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Waxed gross. See on Mt 13:15.

Their ears are dull of hearing. Lit., with their ears they heard heavily. Closed. See on Mt 13:15.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.