Charles Ellicott Commentary Romans 11:10

"Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, And bow thou down their back always." — Romans 11:10 (ASV)

Let their eyes be darkened.—In the Apostle’s sense, “Let them be spiritually blinded, incapable of discerning or receiving the truth, and let their backs be bowed with the yoke of spiritual bondage!”

The Hebrew is, Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not, and make their loins continually to shake. Perowne remarks on this: “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.”