κατά-νυξις G2659
stupor, dullness, numbness of spirit
This noun denotes a state of mental or spiritual stupefaction, an inability to perceive or respond. Romans 11:8 quotes Isaiah about God giving Israel 'a spirit of stupor'—judicial hardening that prevents seeing and hearing. The genitive indicates the quality of spirit given. Classical and Septuagint usage shows this for bewilderment, stupefaction, or the numbness following a shock. Later Christian usage extends it to contrition. The multilingual witnesses (stupor, estupor, assoupissement, Betäubung) emphasize the dulled, insensible state. Paul uses it to explain Israel's temporary blindness to the gospel.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Paul cites the prophets to explain how God gave Israel 'a spirit of κατάνυξις'—not enlightenment but stupefaction, a judicial hardening that made eyes unseeing and ears unhearing. This Spirit-induced numbness accounts for Israel's resistance to the Messiah. The stupor is divine response to persistent rejection, yet Paul argues it's temporary and serves larger redemptive purposes. 1×
AR["سُبَاتٍ"]·ben["অসাড়তার,"]·DE["Betaeubung"]·EN["of-stupor"]·FR["assoupissement"]·heb["תַּרְדֵּמָה"]·HI["सुन्नता-की"]·ID["kekakuan"]·IT["torpore"]·jav["kajengkang,"]·KO["혼미함의"]·PT["de-torpor,"]·RU["глаза"]·ES["de-estupor"]·SW["ya-usingizi-mzito,"]·TR["uykuşukluğu"]·urd["سستی-کی"]
Related Senses
H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)H0859a 1. you (2nd person masculine singular pronoun) (743×)H0398 1. eat (consume food) (697×)H4191 1. die (Qal: natural/general death) (645×)G3708 1. see, perceive visually (419×)G0191 1. hear, perceive sound (360×)H???? 3. (352×)G3708 2. behold, look (exclamatory) (256×)H7272 1. foot (body part) (236×)H8354 1. drink, consume liquid (209×)H3205 1. Qal active: bear/give birth (female subject) (204×)H3205 2. Qal active: beget/father (male subject) (198×)H2421 1. Qal: live, be alive (177×)H8085 2. Qal: listen, heed, pay attention (172×)H2416a 1. alive, living (state/attribute) (146×)H2416e 1. life, lifespan, lifetime (145×)G2198 1. be alive, have life (133×)H8193 1. lip, lips (body part) (123×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
κατά-νυξις, εως, ἡ, stupefaction, bewilderment, LXX __2 contrition, Refs 6th c.AD+