Romans 11:8

Romans 11:8. According as it is written. The Scripture passages are cited here, because they set forth the principle of divine action, underlying the statement of Romans 11:7: ‘the rest were hardened,' what had occurred in Old Testament times was not only analogous, but pointed to this punishment of the Jews, the agreement being ‘that of prophecy and fulfilment according to the divine theology' (Meyer).

He gave them a spirit of stupor. The citation is made freely from Isaiah 29:10 (LXX.). ‘Stupor' (a word found only here) meant first the numbness produced by stupefying wine, the corresponding verb being applied to the paralyzing from astonishment or grief.

Eyes that they should not see, etc. This part of the verse is from Deuteronomy 29:4, freely cited, and joined by the Apostle to the preceding as an explanation; the connection in the original passage being also with ‘He gave.' Others find here a further combination with Isaiah 6:9, but this is less likely. The clauses ‘that they should not see,' ‘that they should not hear,' express the purpose of the giving.

Unto this present day is a strengthening of the words of Deuteronomy 29:24, and should be joined with what immediately precedes. The fact that Isaiah repeats substantially what Moses previously said, justifies the application of this principle to the attitude of the mass of the Jews in the Apostle's day. Clearly then God punishes men by giving them over to spiritual insensibility.