Romans 11:8 kjv
(According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.
Romans 11:8 nkjv
Just as it is written: "God has given them a spirit of stupor, Eyes that they should not see And ears that they should not hear, To this very day."
Romans 11:8 niv
as it is written: "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see and ears that could not hear, to this very day."
Romans 11:8 esv
as it is written, "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day."
Romans 11:8 nlt
As the Scriptures say, "God has put them into a deep sleep.
To this day he has shut their eyes so they do not see,
and closed their ears so they do not hear."
Romans 11 8 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 29:4 | "But to this day the Lord has not given you a heart to understand, nor eyes..." | God withholds understanding |
| Isa 29:10 | "For the Lord has poured over you a spirit of deep sleep..." | Divine causation of spiritual stupor |
| Isa 6:9-10 | "Go and tell this people: ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding... make their ears dull, and close their eyes." | Prophecy of Israel's spiritual blindness |
| Ps 95:8 | "Do not harden your hearts, as you did at Meribah..." | Warning against heart hardening |
| Zech 7:11-12 | "...they refused to pay attention... and stopped their ears so they could not hear." | People's active refusal to hear |
| Matt 13:14-15 | "Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says..." | Jesus cites Isa 6:9-10 as fulfillment |
| Mark 4:11-12 | "...to those outside everything is in parables, so that they may indeed see but not perceive..." | Parables obscure truth for the spiritually blind |
| Luke 8:10 | "...but to the others in parables, so that seeing they may not see..." | Spiritual revelation is withheld |
| John 12:39-40 | "Therefore they could not believe, for again Isaiah said, 'He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart...'" | John directly attributes blindness to God/Isaiah |
| Acts 28:26-27 | "Go to this people and say, ‘You will indeed hear but never understand...'" | Paul applies Isa 6:9-10 to resistant Jews |
| Rom 9:18 | "So then God has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills." | God's sovereign right to harden |
| Rom 11:7 | "What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking... the rest were hardened." | Majority of Israel were hardened |
| 2 Cor 3:14 | "...their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains..." | Hardened minds obscure OT meaning |
| 2 Cor 4:4 | "...the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers..." | Satan's role in spiritual blindness |
| Eph 4:18 | "They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God..." | Gentile ignorance and hardened hearts |
| Isa 42:18 | "Hear, you deaf, and look, you blind, that you may see!" | Call to Israel to awaken from spiritual state |
| Jer 5:21 | "Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes, but see not..." | Condemnation of spiritual inability |
| Ezek 12:2 | "Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see, but see not, who have ears to hear, but hear not..." | God's people seeing without perceiving |
| Ps 135:16-17 | "They have mouths, but do not speak; they have eyes, but do not see; they have ears, but do not hear..." | Contrast with idols, ironically describes Israel |
| Heb 3:7-8 | "...Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion..." | Echoes Psalm 95 on heart hardening and judgment |
| 2 Thes 2:11 | "Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false..." | God's active role in judicial deception |
Romans 11 verses
Romans 11 8 Meaning
Romans 11:8 declares that God judicially gave a segment of Israel a "spirit of stupor," causing their eyes to be unable to see and their ears unable to hear spiritual truth, a condition that persisted up to Paul's day. This state of spiritual insensitivity, ordained by God, explains the majority of Israel's rejection of Christ, fulfilling Old Testament prophecies of divine hardening in response to their persistent unbelief.
Romans 11 8 Context
Romans chapter 11 continues Paul's profound theological argument concerning Israel's place in God's redemptive plan, following the challenging questions raised in chapters 9 and 10 about their widespread unbelief. This specific verse (11:8) falls within Paul's explanation of how "the rest were hardened" (v. 7). After affirming that God has not completely rejected Israel (v. 1-6) by pointing to a believing remnant, Paul explains the spiritual state of the majority. He attributes this condition directly to God's action, citing Old Testament scriptures as prophetic validation. Historically, Israel had a pattern of resisting God's word, and Paul here underscores that God's judicial response to that resistance—culminating in their spiritual insensitivity to the Gospel—was not unforeseen but had been foretold in their own scriptures. It serves to justify God's actions while simultaneously setting the stage for the inclusion of the Gentiles, which is the immediate consequence and part of God's broader redemptive strategy for both Jews and Gentiles.
Romans 11 8 Word analysis
- just as it is written: (Greek: καθὼς γέγραπται, kathōs gegraptai) A standard Pauline phrase to introduce Old Testament scripture as authoritative, signifying divine fulfillment and grounding the present reality in ancient prophecy. It underlines that Israel's current condition is part of God's preordained plan.
- God gave them: (Greek: ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς, edōken autois) Explicitly states God's direct and active role, rather than merely passive permission. This emphasizes divine sovereignty in the spiritual state of the majority of Israel, acting as a judicial consequence.
- a spirit of stupor: (Greek: πνεῦμα κατανύξεως, pneuma katanuxeōs)
Pneuma(spirit): Here refers to a spiritual disposition, influence, or power, not merely a human feeling.Katanuxeōs(stupor): Derived from a word meaning "to prick," then to "stun" or "render insensible." It signifies a deep spiritual dullness, insensitivity, lethargy, or unconsciousness that prevents spiritual discernment, echoing Isa 29:10 (LXX). It is not mere sleep, but a state of divine imposition.
- eyes that would not see: (Greek: ὀφθαλμοὺς τοῦ μὴ βλέπειν, ophthalmous tou mē blepein) Implies a purpose clause: eyes given for not seeing. Despite physical sight, they are spiritually blind, unable to perceive God's truth, particularly regarding Jesus as the Messiah. This condition is directly linked to the "spirit of stupor."
- and ears that would not hear: (Greek: καὶ ὦτα τοῦ μὴ ἀκούειν, kai ōta tou mē akouein) Parallel to "eyes that would not see," indicating ears given for not hearing. They are spiritually deaf, unable to grasp or respond to the divine message. This completes the picture of spiritual incapacity, aligning with Deut 29:4 and Isa 6:9-10.
- down to this very day: (Greek: ἕως τῆς σήμερον ἡμέρας, heōs tēs sēmeron hēmeras) Emphasizes the continuity and present reality of this condition from the time of the prophets to Paul's contemporary audience. It highlights that the divine judgment and hardening are not isolated historical events but an ongoing state for the unbelieving majority of Israel.
Words-group by words-group analysis
- "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear": This phrase functions as a concise summary of the Old Testament prophetic statements regarding God's judicial hardening of Israel. It portrays God as actively rendering a people spiritually numb and unresponsive, preventing them from acknowledging spiritual truths despite physical sensory input. This "giving" signifies an intentional divine act, a judgment.
Romans 11 8 Bonus section
The specific choice of "spirit of stupor" (pneuma katanuxeōs) in the Septuagint (LXX) for Isa 29:10 implies a divinely imposed drowsiness or insensitivity rather than simply a natural lack of understanding. It suggests a piercing or dulling of the senses by divine action. While Israel's hardening is a divine act, it is also presented in other parts of scripture as a response to their initial human resistance and rejection (cf. Zech 7:11-12). Therefore, God's "giving" is often understood in a judicial sense, allowing and even intensifying a pre-existing bent towards rebellion. This particular phase of hardening is not final for all of Israel but is a temporary measure designed to providentially facilitate the full inclusion of the Gentiles into the covenant family before the eventual salvation of "all Israel" (Rom 11:25-26).
Romans 11 8 Commentary
Romans 11:8 is a stark declaration of God's sovereign work in the spiritual state of most of Israel. Paul, quoting from Deuteronomy and Isaiah, asserts that their spiritual dullness – inability to perceive truth (blindness) and respond to God's word (deafness) – is not merely human failure but a divinely ordained consequence. This "spirit of stupor" is a judicial act from God, hardening their hearts in response to centuries of national disobedience and unbelief, thereby preventing them from embracing the Gospel. Crucially, Paul highlights this hardening as a continuous reality "down to this very day," underscoring its relevance for his present audience. This is not for Israel's ultimate destruction, but for a specific redemptive purpose within God's larger plan, making way for Gentile salvation while setting the stage for Israel's eventual restoration. It's a testament to God's control over human history and redemption.