9 And he said: Go and tell this people—Hear ye indeed, but they understood not; and see ye indeed, but they perceived not.
10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes—lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted and be healed.
(2 Nephi 16:9-10)
Today, I’m pondering the relationship between conversion and healing. First, some background on the passage above:
- Among the thirteen consecutive chapters quoted from the book of Isaiah by Nephi is an account of Isaiah’s vision in which he was called to be a prophet.
- Isaiah’s story is in three parts:
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- He sees God in His glory (2 Nephi 16:1-4, Isaiah 6:1-4).
- He expresses his feeling of unworthiness to be there, and his sins are forgiven (2 Nephi 16:5-7, Isaiah 6:5-7).
- He volunteers for an assignment and then learns how difficult and unpleasant it will be (2 Nephi 16:8-13, Isaiah 6:8-13).
The passage above is from the third part of the vision, the explanation of his calling. On the surface, it seems like a strange assignment for a prophet: it sounds like he’s being asked to prevent people from being converted and healed. However, the language in verse 9, coupled with the Savior’s paraphrase of verse 10 in Matthew 13:15 makes clear that it is the listeners who would choose to harden their hearts, close their eyes, and refuse to listen. Isaiah’s goal is to help the people be converted so they can be healed, but they have to choose whether or not to accept the invitation.
Many years later, after the destruction which accompanied the death of Jesus Christ, the survivors heard the voice of the Savior making a tender invitation: “will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?” (3 Nephi 9:13). The message is clear: the Savior is eager to heal us, but He can only do that if we choose to be converted.
President Russell M. Nelson has taught about the relationship between conversion and healing:
Conversion means “to turn with.” Conversion is a turning from the ways of the world to, and staying with, the ways of the Lord. Conversion includes repentance and obedience. Conversion brings a mighty change of heart. Thus, a true convert is “born again,”walking with a newness of life.
As true converts, we are motivated to do what the Lord wants us to do and to be who He wants us to be. The remission of sins, which brings divine forgiveness, heals the spirit (“Jesus Christ–the Master Healer,” General Conference, October 2005).
Today, I will turn toward the Savior by repenting of my sins and striving to act in accordance with His example and teachings. I will remember that, by turning to Him and walking with Him, I open the door for Him to heal me.
why in 16:9 is it written “understood not”, “perceived not” when in Isaiah it says “understand not”, “perceive not”, ie, one is past tense, the other present and an instruction?
That’s a great question! Here are a few thoughts that might help:
First, the book of Isaiah is a very old text, nearly three thousand years old. It’s important to approach a text that old with a healthy dose of modesty. Besides the obvious fact that texts can be subtly changed as they are transmitted, there are cultural norms which affect the connotations of a passage, and which may cause us to misinterpret the author’s meaning. I think that’s why Nephi said, “There is none other people that understand the things which were spoken unto the Jews like unto them, save it be that they are taught after the manner of the things of the Jews” (2 Nephi 25:5).
Second, verb tense is a tricky topic when you’re dealing with biblical Hebrew. In English, our tenses help us locate events in time: past, present, and future. Biblical Hebrew, in contrast, only has two tenses: perfect (already completed), and imperfect (still in progress). You have to tell from the context whether the author is discussing an event from the past, present, or future.
Third, this passage is particularly difficult because it appears to contradict what we know about God. He loves His children and wants them all to be saved. “He doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world; for he loveth the world, even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw all men unto him. Wherefore, he commandeth none that they shall not partake of his salvation” (2 Nephi 26:24). So, it’s hard to understand why He would instruct Isaiah to command us not to understand, not to perceive.
The King James Version represents “understand” and “perceive” as commands, but not all translations do. For example, the Aramaic Bible in Plain English says, “Hear well, and you will not understand, and see well, and you will not know.”
Jesus interpreted this passage more like Nephi’s version. After telling His disciples that most people wouldn’t understand His parables, He explained, “In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias [Isaiah], which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive” (Matthew 13:14).
I hope those thoughts are helpful. For me, multiple interpretations of the same passage enrich my understanding and appreciation. I love the fact that the Book of Mormon version of a passage can differ from the same passage in the Bible in ways that help me better understand God and grow closer to Him.
Thanks,
Paul