John 12:40

“He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart, etc.] It is of no great moment, whether the he, who is said to blind and harden, be God or Christ, or whether the words be rendered, “it hath blinded”, etc. that is, malice or wickedness; or whether they be read impersonally, “their eyes are blinded”, etc. since God or Christ blind and harden not by any positive act, but by leaving and giving men up to the blindness and hardness of their hearts, and denying them the grace which could only cure them, and which they are not obliged to give; and which was the case of these Jews, so as never to be converted, or be turned even by external repentance and reformation, that they might be healed…”

“He hath blinded their eyes - The expression in Isaiah is, “Go, make the heart of this people fat, and shut their eyes.” That is, go and proclaim truth to them truth that will result in blinding their eyes. Go and proclaim the law and the will of God, and the effect will be, owing to the hardness of their heart, that their eyes will be blinded and their hearts hardened. As God knew that this would be the result - as it was to be the effect of the message, his commanding Isaiah to go and proclaim it was the same in effect, or in the result, as if he had commanded him to blind their eyes and harden their hearts. It is this effect or result to which the evangelist refers in this place. He states…”

“Isa 6:10; Mat 13:14; Act 28:26. John 12:41”

“hath: Joh 9:39; Kg1 22:20; Isa 29:10; Eze 14:9; Mat 13:13-15, Mat 15:14; Mar 4:12; Luk 8:10; Act 28:26; Rom 11:8-11 hardened: Exo 4:21, Exo 7:3, Exo 7:13, Exo 14:4, Exo 14:8, Exo 14:17; Jos 11:20; Rom 9:18, Rom 11:7 \*marg. that they: Deu 29:4; Psa 135:10-18; Isa 26:11, Isa 42:19, Isa 42:20; Jer 5:21; Eze 12:2; Mar 8:17, Mar 8:18 and be: Act 3:19, Act 15:3; Jam 5:19, Jam 5:20 heal: Psa 6:2, Psa 41:4, Psa 147:3; Isa 53:5, Isa 57:18, Isa 57:19; Jer 3:22; Hos 6:1, Hos 14:4; Luk 4:18 John 12:41”