Romans 11:8

“as it is written: God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes so as not to see and ears so as not to hear, to this day.”

Romans 11:8 · direct translation from the Greek
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With the Greek beneath

8

Quotation · Deuteronomy 29:4

Go to Deuteronomy 29:4

The quotation joins Deuteronomy 29:4 (eyes so as not to see and ears so as not to hear, to this day) and Isaiah 29:10 (a spirit of stupor).

Formula: καθὼς γέγραπται “as it is written” (Romans 11:8)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: καθὼς γέγραπται Ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ὁ θεὸς πνεῦμα κατανύξεως ὀφθαλμοὺς τοῦ μὴ βλέπειν καὶ ὦτα τοῦ μὴ ἀκούειν ἕως τῆς σήμερον ἡμέρας

Hebrew (Masoretic text): וְלֹא נָתַן יְהוָה לָכֶם לֵב לָדַעַת וְעֵינַיִם לִרְאוֹת וְאָזְנַיִם לִשְׁמֹעַ עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה

Septuagint (Deuteronomy 29:4 in the Septuagint numbering): καὶ οὐκ ἔδωκεν κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὑμῖν καρδίαν εἰδέναι καὶ ὀφθαλμοὺς βλέπειν καὶ ὦτα ἀκούειν ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης.

In the Septuagint verse that most resembles it, at most 3 consecutive words match the Greek of the NT. The transcription has reading errors, so a match may not show.

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Quotation · Isaiah 29:10

Go to Isaiah 29:10

The quotation joins Isaiah 29:10 (a spirit of stupor) and Deuteronomy 29:4.

Formula: γέγραπται “it is written” (Romans 11:8)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: καθὼς γέγραπται Ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ὁ θεὸς πνεῦμα κατανύξεως ὀφθαλμοὺς τοῦ μὴ βλέπειν καὶ ὦτα τοῦ μὴ ἀκούειν ἕως τῆς σήμερον ἡμέρας

Hebrew (Masoretic text): כִּי נָסַךְ עֲלֵיכֶם יְהוָה רוּחַ תַּרְדֵּמָה וַיְעַצֵּם אֶת עֵינֵיכֶם אֶת הַנְּבִיאִים וְאֶת רָאשֵׁיכֶם הַחֹזִים כִּסָּה

Septuagint (Isaiah 29:10 in the Septuagint numbering): ὅτι πεπότικεν ὑμᾶς Κύριος πνεύματι κατανύξεως, καὶ καμμύσει τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτῶν καὶ τῶν προφητῶν αὐτῶν καὶ τῶν ἀρχόντων αὐτῶν, οἱ ὁρῶντες τὰ κρυπτά.

In the Septuagint verse that most resembles it, no two consecutive words match the Greek of the NT. The transcription has reading errors, so a match may not show.

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Romans 11:8, word by word

it is writtenγέγραπταιgegraptai

it is written

So the Bible says; a passage is quoted.

Where else “gegraptai” appears
Godθεὸςtheos

God

The Creator and Lord of all, the one God of Israel.

Where else “theos” appears
gaveἜδωκενEdōken

give

To hand something to another freely, as a gift.

Where else “Edōken” appears
a spiritπνεῦμαpneuma

spirit

A person's spirit, their inner self.

Where else “pneuma” appears
of stuporκατανύξεωςkatanyxeōs

stupor

Stupor: numbness, a dullness of spirit.

Where else “katanyxeōs” appears
eyesὀφθαλμοὺςophthalmous

eye

The organ of sight, in the face.

Where else “ophthalmous” appears
to seeβλέπεινblepein

see

To use the eyes to perceive something; also to look with intent.

Where else “blepein” appears
earsὦταōta

hearing

Being able to hear and understand: "whoever can hear, let him hear".

Where else “ōta” appears
to hearἀκούεινakouein

hear

To perceive a sound, a voice or words with the ears.

Where else “akouein” appears
thisσήμερονsēmeron

today

Today.

Where else “sēmeron” appears
dayἡμέραςhēmeras

day

A span counted on the calendar: “on the third day,” “forty days.”

Where else “hēmeras” appears

Translation note

Deuteronomy 29:4 and Isaiah 29:10.

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Quotation · Deuteronomy 29:4

The quotation joins Deuteronomy 29:4 (eyes so as not to see and ears so as not to hear, to this day) and Isaiah 29:10 (a spirit of stupor).

See them side by side

Romans 11:8

8as it is written: God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes so as not to see and ears so as not to hear, to this day.

Deuteronomy 29:4

4But YHWH has not given you a heart to know, or eyes to see, or ears to hear, to this day.

Quotation · Isaiah 29:10

The quotation joins Isaiah 29:10 (a spirit of stupor) and Deuteronomy 29:4.

See them side by side

Romans 11:8

8as it is written: God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes so as not to see and ears so as not to hear, to this day.

Isaiah 29:10

10For YHWH has poured out on you a spirit of deep sleep, and he has shut your eyes, the prophets, and your heads, the seers, he has covered.

The context

7What then? What Israel is seeking, this it did not obtain; but the elect obtained it, and the rest were hardened,

8 · This verse (above)

9And David says: Let their table become a snare and a trap and an offense and a retribution to them;

Read all of Romans 11

To study Romans 11 in a group

  1. 1. What it says

    What image of the olive tree does Paul use, and what happens to the branches? (vv. 17-24)

  2. 2. What it means

    Why does Paul warn the grafted-in branches not to boast? (vv. 18-21)

  3. 3. How I live it

    Paul calls for humility and gratitude. What have you received that you did not earn, and how can you give thanks today?

How to use it