I opened up a real Bible a few weeks back and had part of John 12:39 underlined so it caught my eye. I read “they could not believe” and I knew the context and held back tears. It is not easy reading things like this. The book of John is so full of doctrine, full of grace.
For this reason they could not believe, because again Isaiah said,
“He has blinded their eyes
and hardened their heart,
so that they would not see with their eyes
and understand with their heart,
and turn to me, and I would heal them.”John 12:39-40
You know they could not believe. Could not. There is no way to get around words like this. The ESV, NIV, and KJV 1900 all translate it the same – could not believe. The Greek – οὐκ ἠδύναντο πιστεύειν – not – to be able – to believe.
Lord, pour out Your grace.