Lexical Summary katanuxis: Stupor, deep sleep, insensibility Original Word: κατάνυξις Strong's Exhaustive Concordance slumber. From katanusso; a prickling (sensation, as of the limbs asleep), i.e. (by implication, (perhaps by some confusion with neuo or even with nux)) stupor (lethargy) -- slumber. see GREEK katanusso see GREEK neuo see GREEK nux HELPS Word-studies Cognate: 2659 katányksis – properly, a violent strike (prick); (figuratively) the bewilderment which comes after being struck, like falling into a mental stupor (used only in Ro 11:8). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom katanussó Definition stupefaction NASB Translation stupor (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 2659: κατάνυξιςκατάνυξις, κατανύξεως, ἡ (κατανύσσω, which see); 1. a pricking, piercing (Vulg.compunctio). 2. severe sorrow, extreme grief. 3. insensibility or torpor of mind, such as extreme grief easily produces; hence, πνεῦμα κατανύξεως, a spirit of stupor, which renders their souls torpid, i. e. so insensible that they are not affected at all by the offer made them of salvation through the Messiah, Romans 11:8 from Isaiah 29:10 the Sept. (where the Hebrew תַּרְדֵּמָה רוּחַ, a spirit of deep sleep, is somewhat loosely so rendered; οἶνος κατανύξεως for תַּרְעֵלָה יַיִן, wine which produces dizziness, reeling, German Taumelwein, Psalm 59:5 The word refers to a condition of spiritual numbness—a deadening of the faculties of perception so that truth is heard without being grasped and seen without being perceived. It is not mere ignorance but a divinely permitted torpor that seals the heart against repentance until the appointed time of mercy. Biblical Usage Romans 11:8 cites Isaiah 29:10 and Deuteronomy 29:4 to explain Israel’s present hardening: “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see and ears that could not hear, to this very day.” The term describes the divinely imposed insensibility that befell many in Israel who rejected their Messiah, thus opening the door for Gentile inclusion (Romans 11:11-12, 25). Paul weaves together the prophetic texts to show continuity in God’s dealings—both judgment and gracious purpose stand behind the stupor. Old Testament Background Deuteronomy 29:4 laments, “Yet to this day the LORD has not given you a mind to understand, eyes to see, or ears to hear.” Isaiah 29:10 warns of “a spirit of deep sleep.” These passages reveal a longstanding pattern: when people persistently despise revealed light, God may judicially dull their senses, confirming them in the path they have chosen. The Septuagint uses related vocabulary, bridging the prophetic tradition to Paul’s epistle. Historical Context in Second Temple Judaism Second Temple literature often interpreted Israel’s exile and continued oppression as evidence of corporate hardness (e.g., 1 Enoch 89; Jubilees 1). Paul, trained under Gamaliel and steeped in that tradition, recognizes the same phenomenon in Israel’s resistance to the gospel. Far from casting off the nation, he sees the stupor as temporary, anticipating a future restoration (Romans 11:26-32). Theological Significance 1. Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility: The stupor is “given” by God, yet it is also the outcome of persistent unbelief. Scripture presents both truths without contradiction (compare Exodus 8:15 with Exodus 10:1). Practical Ministry Applications • Intercession for Awakening: Pray that God remove the veil “when they turn to the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:16). Warnings and Encouragements The stupor illustrates both severity and kindness (Romans 11:22). It warns against resisting conviction (Proverbs 29:1) yet encourages believers that no hardness is beyond God’s power to break (Ezekiel 36:26). Related Themes and Passages Hardening of Pharaoh – Exodus 7:3 Spiritual dullness – Isaiah 6:9-10; Matthew 13:14-15 Blindness of the mind – 2 Corinthians 4:4 Strong delusion – 2 Thessalonians 2:11 Call to wakefulness – 1 Thessalonians 5:6; Revelation 3:2-3 Summary Strong’s 2659 underscores a sober reality: God may allow a judicial stupor to fall on those who spurn His revelation, yet His purpose is ultimately redemptive. The church is thereby summoned to humility, vigilance, and fervent prayer for the awakening that only the Lord can grant. |
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