Albert Barnes Commentary Romans 11:7

"What then? that which Israel seeketh for, that he obtained not; but the election obtained it, and the rest were hardened:" — Romans 11:7 (ASV)

What then? What is the proper conclusion from this argument?

Israel has not obtained. That is, the Jews as a people have not obtained that which they sought. They sought the favour of God by their own merit; and as it was impossible to obtain it in that manner, they have, as a people, failed to obtain his favour at all, and will be rejected.

That which he seeks for. Namely, salvation by their own obedience to the law.

The election has. The purpose of choosing, on the part of God, has obtained, or secured, that which the seeking on the part of the Jews could not secure. Or the abstract here may be put for the concrete, and the word "election" may mean the same as the elect. The elect, the reserved, the chosen part of the people, have obtained the favour of God.

Has obtained it. That is, the favour or mercy of God.

The rest. The great mass of the people who remained in unbelief, and had rejected the Messiah.

Were blinded. The word in the original also means were hardened (epwrwyhsan). It comes from a word which properly signifies to become hard, as bones do when they are broken and then unite, or as joints sometimes do when they become callous or stiff.

It was probably also applied to the formation of a hard substance in the eye, a cataract, and then means the same as to be blinded. Hence, applied to the mind, it means that which is hard, obdurate, insensible, stupid.

Thus it is applied to the Jews and means that they were blind and obstinate. See Mark 6:52: Their heart was hardened. (John 12:40). The word does not occur in any other place in the New Testament.

This verse affirms simply, that "the rest were hardened," but it does not affirm anything about the mode by which it was done. In regard to "the election," it is affirmed that it was of God (Romans 11:4). Of the remainder, the fact of their blindness is simply mentioned, without affirming anything of the cause .