Deuteronomy 29:4

4 Yet to this day the Lord has not given you a mind to understand, eyes to see, or ears to hear.^[a]

Deuteronomy 29:4 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 29:4

Yet the Lord hath not given you an heart to perceive
They had some of them seen the above miracles with their bodily eyes, but had not discerned with the eyes of their understanding the power of God displayed in them, the goodness of God to them on whose behalf they were wrought, in order to obtain their deliverance, and the vengeance of God on the Egyptians for detaining them; so Jarchi interprets it of an heart to know the mercies of the Lord, and to cleave unto him:

and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day;
to see and observe the gracious dealings of God with them, and to hearken to his voice and obey it: so the understanding heart, the seeing eye, and hearing ear, in things spiritual, are from the Lord, are special gifts of his grace, which he bestows on some, and not on others; see ( Proverbs 20:12 ) . The Targum of Jonathan is,

``the Word of the Lord did not give you an heart''

Deuteronomy 29:4 In-Context

2 Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, "You have seen with your own eyes everything the Lord did in Egypt to Pharaoh, to all his officials, and to his entire land.

3 You saw with your own eyes the great trials and those great signs and wonders.

4 Yet to this day the Lord has not given you a mind to understand, eyes to see, or ears to hear.

5 I led you 40 years in the wilderness; your clothes and the sandals on your feet did not wear out;

6 you did not eat bread or drink wine or beer-so that you might know that I am the Lord your God.

Footnotes

• [a]. Ex 1-15