Acts 28:25–28

28:25 So they began to leave,84 unable to agree among themselves, after Paul made one last statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly to your ancestors85 through the prophet Isaiah 28:26 when he said,

‘Go to this people and say,

“You will keep on hearing,86 but will never understand,

and you will keep on looking,87 but will never perceive.

28:27 For the heart of this people has become dull,88

and their ears are hard of hearing,89

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,90 and I would heal them.” ’91

28:28 “Therefore be advised92 that this salvation from God93 has been sent to the Gentiles;94 they95 will listen!”96

84	tn The imperfect verb ἀπελύοντο (apeluonto) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.
85	tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
86	tn Grk “you will hear with hearing” (an idiom).
87	tn Or “seeing”; Grk “you will look by looking” (an idiom).
88	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.
89	tn Grk “they hear heavily with their ears” (an idiom for slow comprehension).
90	sn Note how the failure to respond to the message of the gospel is seen as a failure to turn.
91	sn A quotation from Isa 6:9–10.
92	tn Grk “Therefore let it be known to you.”
93	tn Or “of God.”
94	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).
95	tn Grk “they also.”
96	tc Some later mss include 28:29: “When he had said these things, the Jews departed, having a great dispute among themselves.” Verse 29 is lacking in 𝔓74vid א A B E Ψ 048 33 81 1175 1739 2464 pc and a number of versions. They are included (with a few minor variations) in 𝔐 it and some versions. This verse is almost certainly not a part of the original text of Acts, as it lacks the best credentials. The present translation follows NA 27 in omitting the verse number, a procedure also followed by a number of other modern translations.