Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Romans 11:10
Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back always.
Verse 10. Let their eyes be darkened] All these words are declarative, and not imprecatory. God declares what will be the case of such obstinate unbelievers; their table, their common providential blessings, will become a snare, a trap, a stumbling block, and the means of their punishment. Their eyes will be more and more darkened as they persist in their unbelief, and their back shall be bowed down always; far from becoming a great and powerful nation, they shall continue ever in a state of abject slavery and oppression, till they acknowledge Jesus as the promised Messiah, and submit to receive redemption in his blood.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
10. Let their eyes be darkened . . .and bow down their back alwayexpressive either of thedecrepitude, or of the servile condition, to come onthe nation through the just judgment of God. The apostle’s object inmaking these quotations is to show that what he had been compelled tosay of the then condition and prospects of his nation was more thanborne out by their own Scriptures. But, SECONDLY,God has not cast away His people finally. The illustration ofthis point extends, Ro11:11-31.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see,…. Which is to be understood not literally of their being struck with blindness, as the men of Sodom were by the angels, and as Elymas the sorcerer was by the Apostle Paul; but mystically, of the eyes of their understandings being darkened, as they were by themselves and by Satan, and judicially by God; so that they could not see into the true same of the prophecies and promises concerning Christ; and how all the characters of the Messiah met in Jesus of Nazareth; their eyes were so blinded, that they could see no beauty nor comeliness in him; no excellency in his person, nothing wonderful in his works, nor amiable in his doctrine; nay, not only spiritual things, the things of the Gospel, were hid from the most wise and prudent among them, from their doctors and Rabbins, but also the things which regarded their temporal peace and happiness were hid from their eyes; their eyes were not only darkened with respect to things spiritual and evangelical, but even with regard to things natural and civil: never did a people act more imprudently for their temporal safety and welfare, or appear so infatuated in all their conduct, as they did, as the history of their wars does abundantly declare:
and bow down their back alway; which may denote their subjection and bondage to the Romans, when taken and carried captive by them; who laid very heavy burdens on them, which bowed down their backs indeed, multitudes of them being condemned to the mines; or this may design the general disposition of the minds of these people, which are bowed to the earth, for they mind nothing but earth and earthly things; the acquiring of which they are bent upon at any rate, and are infamous for their earthly mindedness, covetousness, extortion, usury, tricking, and over reaching: or this phrase may be expressive of that trembling, distress, horror, and despair, which shall seize them; especially when the son of man comes in the clouds of heaven, and they that have pierced him shall behold him, and wail because of trim; for in the Psalms the words are, “make their loins continually to shake”, Ps 69:23.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Let their eyes be darkened ( ). First aorist passive imperative of , to darken. A terrible imprecation.
That they may not see ( ). Repeated from verse 8.
Bow down (). First aorist active imperative of , old verb, to bend together as of captives whose backs (, another old word, only here in N.T.) were bent under burdens. Only here in N.T.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Bow down [] . Lit., bend together. Hebrew, shake the loins.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “Let their eyes be darkened,” (skotisthetosan hoi ophthalmoi auton tou) “Let, their eyes become darkened,” This is what is termed an “imprecable prayer” of David to God, praying judgment upon a willfully disobedient Israel, Pro 29:1, that they might become utterly blinded to holiness and truth.
2) “That they may not see”, (me blepein) “that they may not keep on seeing – or may not see”; that their sight, vision, might become darkened by Divine Judgment. They who close their eyes to the light of God, turn their ears away from the commands and voice of God, and harden their hearts and resist the spirit’s call will one day be brought to serious judgment, without excuse, Pro 1:24-26; Pro 1:29-30.
3) “And bow down their back alway “ (kai ton noton auton dia pantos sugkampson) “And let their willful rebellion against, and disobedience to, a rejection of the offered Grace of God to them;
One may willfully sin against God, sowing to the flesh, and going on in know wickedness and rejection against God, so that nothing is left to him but Divine punishment or retribution, Gal 6:7-8; Ecc 12:13-14; Isa 1:15; Jer 7:16; Jer 11:14.
As one who willfully broke the ten commandments knowing each breaker was to be put to death, and committed the sin unto death, from which prayer was not to release them, even so nations and individuals may so sin against God that prayers by or for them will no longer avail; Such sin is called a sin or pursuit of “sin unto death,” 1Jn 5:16; Deu 9:14; Deu 9:24-28; The rich man is hell prayed, but it was too late, Luk 16:19-31; Rom 14:11-12; Rom 3:19.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(10) Let their eyes be darkened.In the Apostles sense, Let them be spiritually blinded, incapable of discerning or receiving the truth, and let their backs be bowed with the yoke of spiritual thraldom! The Hebrew is, Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not, and make their loins continually to shake. On which Perowne remarks: The darkening of the eyes denotes weakness and perplexity, as the enlightening of the eyes denotes renewed vigour and strength. Similarly, the shaking of the loins is expressive of terror and dismay and feebleness.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
10. Eyes be darkened (See note on Rom 9:18.)
Bow back An image of fallen condition.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
10 Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.
Ver. 10. Bow down ] i.e. Bring them down into bondage and misery. Compare Lev 26:13 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
10. ] let their eyes be darkened that they may not see, and their back bow thou down always . “Instead of bending the back, the Heb. text speaks of making the loins to tremble, . This elsewhere is a sign of great terror , Nah 2:10 ; Dan 5:6 ; and the darkening of the eyes betokens in the Psalm, a weakened, humbled, servile condition, just as in Deu 28:65-67 . It is plain from , that we must not suppose the infirmities of age to be meant. The Apostle might well apply such a description to the servile condition of the bondmen of the law, see Gal 4:24 .” Tholuck.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
be darkened. See Rom 1:21.
bow down. Greek. sunkampto. Only here.
back. Greek. notos. Only here. Quoted from Psa 69:23. Compare Deu 28:43.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
10.] let their eyes be darkened that they may not see, and their back bow thou down always. Instead of bending the back, the Heb. text speaks of making the loins to tremble, . This elsewhere is a sign of great terror, Nah 2:10; Dan 5:6; and the darkening of the eyes betokens in the Psalm, a weakened, humbled, servile condition, just as in Deu 28:65-67. It is plain from , that we must not suppose the infirmities of age to be meant. The Apostle might well apply such a description to the servile condition of the bondmen of the law, see Gal 4:24. Tholuck.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Rom 11:10. .-) They, who have their eyes darkened, and their back bent, are sure to stumble, Rom 11:11, and rush into a snare.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Rom 11:10
Rom 11:10
Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow thou down their back always.-Let the spiritual eyes of those of Israel who reject the Messiah become darkened; let their perception become blunt and their understanding dull that they may remain ignorant. They willfully refuse to see in Christ their own long-promised Messiah. When men persistently refuse to do right, Gods policy is to leave them to the effect of their own folly. David, their boasted king, had thus seen how hopeless they had grown in their rebellion.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
their eyes: Rom 11:8, Rom 1:21, Psa 69:23, Zec 11:17, Eph 4:18, 2Pe 2:4, 2Pe 2:17, Jud 1:6, Jud 1:13
and bow: Deu 28:64-68, Isa 51:23, Isa 65:12
Reciprocal: Deu 28:65 – failing of eyes
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Rom 11:10. Let their eyes be darkened, etc. The reference is not to old age, but to some more sudden blinding. This verse explains the recompense of Rom 11:9. Spiritual blindness is one form of the punishment
Their back do thou bow down alway. The Hebrew means: make their loins to waver, but the LXX., here followed closely, presents the same thought under another figure. Present loss of strength is meant, representing spiritual servitude, under the yoke of legalism, rather than that of Roman conquerors.
Meyer thinks the retribution is for want of faith in Christ; Godet, with more reason, says: the rejection of Jesus by the Jews was the effect, not the cause of the hardening. The causePaul has said clearly enough (chap. Rom 9:31-33)was the obstinacy of their own righteousness.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, And bow thou down their back always. [This verse is usually construed to picture the political servitude and spiritual bondage of Israel after the fall of Jerusalem. No doubt it has reference to conditions ushered in by that event, but it pictures the dimness and decrepitude of old age–a blind eye, and a back beyond straightening. The Jews were to partake of the nature of the old, worn-out dispensation to which they clung (Mat 9:16-17; Heb 8:13). God’s people can not grow old, they renew their youth like the eagle’s (Psa 103:5), but a people which ceases to be his, falls into decay. J. A. Alexander’s comment on Psa 69:22 deserves note. He says: “The imprecations in this verse, and those following it, are revolting only when considered as the expressions of malignant selfishness. If uttered by God, they shock no reader’s sensibilities; nor should they when considered as the language of an ideal person, representing the whole class of righteous sufferers, and particularly Him who, though he prayed for his murderers while dying (Luk 23:34), had before applied the words of this very passage to the unbelieving Jews (Mat 23:38), as Paul did afterward.”]