The clause, “They may indeed see but not perceive,” now comes first (as distinct from Isaiah 6): the crowd has first had to see many things. But they did not perceive the revelation of the mystery of God’s kingdom that was contained therein. For to them it all remained a “parable” (heard, but not understood and perceived). The same applies to Jesus’ speech; that too they failed to understand and it made no sense to them. That is why he now packages it in remote images and parables. The emphasis in these sentences lies on “indeed see” and “indeed hear.” The failure to understand does not occur because there is no revelation, but because people look beyond it and don’t listen or look attentively.1
12 so that “they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.”