Yohanes 6:60

6:60 Then many of his disciples, when they heard these things, ¹  said, “This is a difficult ²  saying! ³  Who can understand it?” ⁴ 

Yohanes 12:40

12:40 “He has blinded their eyes

and hardened their heart, ⁵ 

so that they would not see with their eyes

and understand with their heart, ⁶ 

and turn to me, ⁷  and I would heal them.” ⁸ 

[6:60]  ¹ tn The words “these things” are not present in the Greek text but are implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context, and must be supplied for the English reader.

[6:60]  ² tn Or “hard,” “demanding.”

[6:60]  ³ tn Or “teaching”; Grk “word.”

[6:60]  ⁴ tn Or “obey it”; Grk “hear it.” The Greek word ἀκούω (akouw) could imply hearing with obedience here, in the sense of “obey.” It could also point to the acceptance of what Jesus had just said, (i.e., “who can accept what he said?” However, since the context contains several replies by those in the crowd of hearers that suggest uncertainty or confusion over the meaning of what Jesus had said (6:42; 6:52), the meaning “understand” is preferred here.

[12:40]  ⁵ tn Or “closed their mind.”

[12:40]  ⁶ tn Or “their mind.”

[12:40]  ⁷ tn One could also translate στραφῶσιν (strafwsin) as “repent” or “change their ways,” but both of these terms would be subject to misinterpretation by the modern English reader. The idea is one of turning back to God, however. The words “to me” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[12:40]  ⁸ sn A quotation from Isa 6:10.