Romans 11:7-8
What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, 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.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The key insight here is that "Israel" as a whole missed the mark, not because they didn't seek God's favor, but because they sought it through their own efforts rather than faith. This distinction is crucial: the "election" found what they sought, not through innate superiority, but because they were chosen by God, highlighting that true attainment comes from His grace, not human striving.
Paul is explaining why Israel, as a nation, has largely rejected Jesus. He clarifies that salvation wasn't achieved by Israel's striving for righteousness through the law, but rather by God's choice of a select remnant. The majority of Israel, however, were hardened, meaning they became insensitive and unresponsive to God's truth, a state described through Old Testament prophecies.
What was Israel really seeking? And did they get it? This verse reveals a profound disconnect between their pursuit and God's plan.
Paul begins by asking, "What then?" (or "So what?"). He's summarizing the situation. Israel, as a nation, was intensely pursuing something. They sought righteousness before God, a way to be declared right with Him.
The Missed Mark
However, the verse states plainly: "Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking." Why? Because their pursuit was in the wrong direction. They sought righteousness through the Law, through their own efforts and obedience, rather than through faith in the Messiah they were meant to point to. They were aiming for a bullseye but missed the board entirely.
The Elect's Success
But then Paul contrasts this national failure with a crucial point: "The elect obtained it." This doesn't mean only a select few. It refers to the believing remnant within Israel – those chosen by God who embraced Jesus as their Messiah. They found the righteousness they sought, not by their own striving, but by receiving God's grace through faith.
The word 'hardened' here isn't just about stubbornness; it points to a specific, active work of God in response to rejection.
Paul uses a strong word to describe the fate of those in Israel who did not belong to the elect remnant: "the rest were hardened."
Beyond Simple Stubbornness
The original language here points to more than just being pig-headed. It describes a state of being made insensitive, like bone becoming calcified or a cataract forming over the eye. It’s a spiritual insensitivity that prevents understanding or response.
God's Role in Hardening
Crucially, the verse presents this hardening as something that happened to them, not solely something they . While people actively reject God, Paul here, in line with Old Testament themes, indicates that God can, in His sovereign judgment, give people over to the consequences of their rejection, leading to a state of spiritual hardness.
Understand the original words
eklogē · Greek Noun
Those whom God, according to His sovereign purpose and eternal counsel, has chosen for salvation, not based on foreseen merit, but according to His own good pleasure and mercy.
pōroō · Greek Verb (passive participle used as noun)
The state of spiritual dullness, insensitivity, or callousness where the heart becomes unresponsive to divine truth, often as a result of persistent rejection of God’s revelation.
katanuxis · Greek Noun
A state of spiritual lethargy, confusion, or lack of perception, where one is rendered unable to comprehend or respond to the reality of God, often functioning as a divine judgment.
Paul is writing in a context where the Jewish people, as a nation, are grappling with the implications of Jesus' ministry and the rise of a new movement claiming fulfillment of messianic hopes. The destruction of the Temple in AD 70 would have starkly underscored the nation's failure to achieve its sought-after righteousness through the Law, while a select 'remnant' within Israel, along with many Gentiles, found that righteousness through faith in Christ.
c. 63 BC
Roman Influence in Judea Increases
Rome's increasing political and military dominance in the region sets the stage for direct Roman rule and the eventual appointment of client kings, impacting Jewish autonomy.
c. 4 BC
Birth of Jesus
The birth of Jesus, the central figure of Christianity, marks the beginning of a movement that would profoundly challenge and eventually splinter Jewish religious and national identity.
c. AD 30-33
Crucifixion of Jesus
The execution of Jesus by Roman authorities, seen by Christians as a sacrificial atonement, is a pivotal event that solidifies the early Christian movement.
c. AD 30s-60s
Early Spread of Christianity
The Gospel spreads rapidly, particularly through the missionary journeys of Paul, attracting many Gentiles but also facing resistance and persecution from both Jewish authorities and Roman powers.
This passage directly states God's sovereignty in hardening hearts, paralleling the hardening mentioned in Romans 11:7 and emphasizing that God shows mercy to whom He wills and hardens whom He wills.
Isaiah 29:10This Old Testament prophecy, quoted in Romans 11:8, speaks of God giving a 'spirit of stupor' to the people, which directly illuminates the 'hardening' or 'blinding' of the rest of Israel in Romans 11:7.
John 12:40This verse, referencing Isaiah, explains that God blinded the eyes and hardened the hearts of some so they would not turn to Him, providing a theological parallel to the hardening of the rest of Israel mentioned in Romans 11:7.
Romans 10:3This verse explains that Israel sought righteousness by their own efforts rather than by faith, which is the core reason Paul states in Romans 11:7 that Israel 'failed to obtain what it was seeking'.
1 Corinthians 1:23-24This passage contrasts the offense of the cross for some with the power and wisdom of God for others, mirroring the division in Romans 11:7 between the elect who obtained salvation and the rest who were hardened.
ellicottRomans 11:7: "What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded"
(7) What is the result? Not only did Israel fail to obtain the salvation which it sought, and which the select few succeeded in obtaining, but it was consigned to a state of complete spiritual apathy and torpor, and its very blessings became a curse and a snare. Were blinded.—An erroneous translation, arising from a confusion of two similar words. The correc…
vincentRomans 11:7: "What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded"
Obtained (ἐπετυχεν)The simple verb τυγχάνω means originally to hit the mark; hence to fall in with, light upon, attain.The election (ἡ ἐκλογὴ)Abstract for concrete. Those elected; like ἡ περιτομή the circumcision for those uncircumcised (Ephesians 2:11. Compare τὴν κατατομήν the concision, Philippians 3:3).Were blinded (ἐπωρώθησαν)Rev., correctly,…
The key insight here is that "Israel" as a whole missed the mark, not because they didn't seek God's favor, but because they sought it through their own efforts rather than faith. This distinction is crucial: the "election" found what they sought, not through innate superiority, but because they were chosen by God, highlighting that true attainment comes from His grace, not human striving.
Paul is explaining why Israel, as a nation, has largely rejected Jesus. He clarifies that salvation wasn't achieved by Israel's striving for righteousness through the law, but rather by God's choice of a select remnant. The majority of Israel, however, were hardened, meaning they became insensitive and unresponsive to God's truth, a state described through Old Testament prophecies.
Paul is explaining why Israel, as a nation, has largely rejected Jesus. He clarifies that salvation wasn't achieved by Israel's striving for righteousness through the law, but rather by God's choice of a select remnant. The majority of Israel, however, were hardened, meaning they became insensitive and unresponsive to God's truth, a state described through Old Testament prophecies.
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This doesn't mean God causes sin or creates evil. Instead, when individuals and nations repeatedly reject His truth and His Son, God may allow their chosen path of rebellion to reach its full, hardened conclusion. It's a judicial act, a giving over to the blindness they themselves have embraced.
c. AD 66-73— this verse
First Jewish-Roman War
This major revolt against Roman rule results in the destruction of Jerusalem and the Second Temple in AD 70, a devastating blow to Jewish national and religious life, and a significant turning point for both Judaism and Christianity.
c. AD 90-100
Codification of Jewish Law
In the aftermath of the Temple's destruction, rabbinic Judaism begins to codify its laws and traditions, further solidifying its identity separate from the burgeoning Christian movement.
"What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, as it is written,
“God gave them a spirit of stupor,
eyes that would not see
and ears that would not hear,…" — The key insight here is that "Israel" as a whole missed the mark, not because they didn't seek God's favor, but because they sought it through their own efforts rather than faith. This distinction is…