John 12:39 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Bible Comments

OLBGrk;

Some will have, they could not believe, to be the same with, they did not; as, Mark 6:5, it is said Christ could not do mighty works at Nazareth; or the same with, they would not, as Genesis 19:22; but this seemeth a hard interpretation of ouk hdunanto. It is most certain, that in all there is a natural impotency and disability to believe; but this text seemeth to speak of a further degree of impossibility than that, occasioned through their wilful obstinacy, and God's judicial hardening of them. Because Esaias said, is no more than, for Esaias said; the particle doth not denote the cause influencing them, but the effect of the prophecy: God's word (saith the evangelist) must be made good, and Isaiah had prophesied of what now came to pass.

John 12:39

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