The Meaning of John 12:39 Explained

John 12:39

KJV: Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again,

YLT: Because of this they were not able to believe, that again Isaiah said,

Darby: On this account they could not believe, because Esaias said again,

ASV: For this cause they could not believe, for that Isaiah said again,

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Therefore  they could  not  believe,  because  that Esaias  said  again, 

What does John 12:39 Mean?

Verse Meaning

John again affirmed that most of the Jews did not believe on Jesus because they could not. God had judicially hardened their hearts because they had refused to believe Him previously (cf. Exodus 9:12; cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12).

Context Summary

John 12:30-41 - Belief May Become Impossible
The question of the Greeks led our Lord's thoughts to His death. He saw, too, the baptism of suffering through which His followers must pass. From all this that troubled Him, He fled to the Father, asking only that all should converge to His glory. That request was immediately answered in the affirmative. Thus He was led to give this amazing interpretation of the events which were taking place, as viewed from the standpoint of heaven. The age, not He, was being judged. It was standing before Him for its verdict, not He before it. Caiaphas, Pilate, and the rulers of the age were passing before His judgment seat and being judged as worthless. The prince of the age, Satan, not Christ, was being cast out, though the sentence might take long before fully realized. Little as they recognized it, the day of the Cross was the crisis of the history of earth and hell, of men and demons. Then was settled the question of supremacy between darkness and light, between hate and love, between death and life. Lifted up recalls John 3:14. The Cross is the divine magnet, and our attitude with regard to it shows what we are. Learn from John 12:35-36 the order of transfiguration into the sonship of light: believe in the light, walk in the light, and you will become sons of light. [source]

Chapter Summary: John 12

1  Jesus excuses Mary anointing his feet
9  The people flock to see Lazarus
10  The chief priests consult to kill him
12  Jesus rides into Jerusalem
20  Greeks desire to see Jesus
23  He foretells his death
37  The people are generally blinded;
42  yet many chief rulers believe, but do not confess him;
44  therefore Jesus calls earnestly for confession of faith

Greek Commentary for John 12:39

For this cause they could not believe [δια τουτο ουκ εδυναντο πιστευειν]
Τουτο — Touto (this) seems to have a double reference (to what precedes and to what follows) as in John 8:47. The negative imperfect (double augment, εδυναντο — edunanto) of δυναμαι — dunamai John is not absolving these Jews from moral responsibility, but only showing that the words of Isaiah “had to be fulfilled, for they were the expression of Divine foreknowledge” (Bernard). [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for John 12:39

John 7:7 Cannot []
Frequent in John, and expressing an inherent impossibility. See John 3:3, John 3:5; John 5:19; John 6:44; John 7:34, John 7:36; John 8:21, John 8:43; John 12:39; John 14:17, etc. [source]
1 Timothy 5:18 The laborer is worthy, etc. []
A second scriptural quotation would seem to be indicated, but there is no corresponding passage in the O.T. The words are found Luke 10:7, and, with a slight variation, Matthew 10:10. Some hold that the writer adds to the O.T. citation a popular proverb, and that Christ himself used the words in this way. But while different passages of Scripture are often connected in citation by καὶ , it is not according, to N.T. usage thus to connect Scripture and proverb. Moreover, in such series of citations it is customary to use καὶ πάλιν and again, or πάλιν simply. See Matthew 4:7; Matthew 5:33; John 12:39; Romans 15:9-12; 1 Corinthians 3:20; Hebrews 1:5; Hebrews 2:13. According to others, the writer here cites an utterance of Christ from oral tradition, coordinately with the O.T. citation, as Scripture. Paul, in 1 Thessalonians 4:15; 1 Corinthians 7:10, appeals to a word of the Lord; and in Acts 10:35he is represented as quoting “it is more blessed to give than to receive” as the words of Jesus. In 1Corinthians href="/desk/?q=1co+9:14&sr=1">1 Corinthians 9:14) “even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel,” which resembles the combination here. This last is the more probable explanation. [source]

What do the individual words in John 12:39 mean?

Because of this not they were able to believe for again said Isaiah
Διὰ τοῦτο οὐκ ἠδύναντο πιστεύειν ὅτι πάλιν εἶπεν Ἠσαΐας

Διὰ  Because  of 
Parse: Preposition
Root: διά  
Sense: through.
τοῦτο  this 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.
ἠδύναντο  they  were  able 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Plural
Root: δύναμαι  
Sense: to be able, have power whether by virtue of one’s own ability and resources, or of a state of mind, or through favourable circumstances, or by permission of law or custom.
πιστεύειν  to  believe 
Parse: Verb, Present Infinitive Active
Root: πιστεύω  
Sense: to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in.
πάλιν  again 
Parse: Adverb
Root: πάλιν  
Sense: anew, again.
εἶπεν  said 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: λέγω  
Sense: to speak, say.
Ἠσαΐας  Isaiah 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Ἠσαί̈ας  
Sense: a famous Hebrew prophet who prophesied in the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah.