An Exegetical Analysis of Romans 10:20: The Semantic Range and Voice of εὑρέθην in Pauline Quotation of Isaiah 65:1 LXX
This exegetical study of Romans 10:20: Are all English translations in error? is based on a b-greek discussion from Sun Dec 1 04:03:27 2002. The discussion commences with an inquiry into the translation of εὑρέθην (from εὑρίσκω) in Romans 10:20, particularly whether prevalent English translations adequately capture a nuance of “was to be found” or “available to be found,” a rendering proposed by certain Dutch translations. The initial contention posits that traditional English versions might inadvertently overlook a subtle parallelism between “was visible/to be seen” and “was to be found” in the broader context of the passage.
The central exegetical issue at hand revolves around the precise semantic range and grammatical voice of the aorist passive form εὑρέθην in Romans 10:20, especially considering its role as a quotation from Isaiah 65:1 (LXX). Scholars debate whether εὑρέθην should be interpreted as a straightforward passive (“I was found by…”), a reflexive or middle voice (“I found myself / revealed myself”), or an intransitive (“I appeared / was present”). A closely related concern is the grammatical function of the dative phrase τοῖς ἐμὲ μὴ ζητοῦσιν (tois eme_ me_ ze_tousin), questioning whether it denotes an agent, a recipient, or merely an interested party. The discussion further delves into the parallelism between the two clauses of Romans 10:20 and Isaiah 65:1, and the implications of Paul’s selective permutation of verbs from the Septuagintal source text.
Greek text (Nestle 1904)
Ἠσαΐας δὲ ἀποτολμᾷ καὶ λέγει· Εὑρέθην τοῖς ἐμὲ μὴ ζητοῦσιν, ἐμφανὴς ἐγενόμην τοῖς ἐμὲ μὴ ἐπερωτῶσιν.
Key differences with SBLGNT (2010):
- The primary clauses of the quotation are identical in both Nestle 1904 and SBLGNT 2010.
- The only variation is in the capitalization of the initial letter of Ἠσαΐας, which is a stylistic convention and does not reflect a substantive textual variant in this particular verse.
Textual criticism (NA28) affirms the stability of the quoted material in Romans 10:20. The minor textual apparatus for this verse primarily concerns the introductory phrase (“Isaiah is so bold as to say”) rather than the direct quotation itself. Lexical notes from KITTEL (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament) and BDAG (Bauer, Danker, Arndt, Gingrich, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature) are crucial for understanding the nuances of the verbs.
- εὑρίσκω (heurisko_): BDAG (s.v. 1.b) lists the passive sense as “be found, find oneself, be,” citing examples like Acts 8:40 (Φίλιππος δὲ εὑρέθη εἰς Ἄζωτον – “Philip found himself or was present at Azotus”). It also suggests that a Semitic phrase, meaning “to arrive in, or at,” may underlie some expressions. This supports an intransitive or reflexive understanding. KITTEL (Vol. II, pp. 768-769) covers its range from discovery to perception, noting its passive/middle uses for “to be found,” “to be present,” or “to come into being,” particularly in LXX prophetic contexts where God reveals himself.
- ἐμφανής (emphane_s): BDAG defines it as “manifest, visible, evident.” When used with γίνομαι, as in the second clause, it means “become manifest/visible” or “appear.” KITTEL also situates it within the broader concept of divine revelation.
- ζητέω (ze_teo_): BDAG defines “to seek to find, look for.” KITTEL (Vol. II, pp. 892-895) details its meaning of “to seek, search for.”
- ἐπερωτάω (epero_tao_): BDAG defines “to ask a question of s.o., interrogate; to ask for something, request, appeal to.” KITTEL (Vol. II, pp. 696-697) elaborates on its sense of “to ask, question, inquire.”
Translation Variants
The grammatical analysis of Romans 10:20 focuses on the aorist passive indicative εὑρέθην (1st person singular of εὑρίσκω) and the aorist middle indicative ἐμφανὴς ἐγενόμην (1st person singular of γίνομαι with the predicate adjective ἐμφανής). The core contention lies in whether εὑρέθην, despite its passive morphology, carries a semantic passive, middle (reflexive), or intransitive sense. The dative phrase τοῖς ἐμὲ μὴ ζητοῦσιν is critical here. If it were a dative of agent, it would typically denote a personal agent, which is less common without ὑπό + genitive, thereby strengthening the argument for a non-agentive dative (e.g., dative of recipient or interest).
The parallelism with ἐμφανὴς ἐγενόμην τοῖς ἐμὲ μὴ ἐπερωτῶσιν is highly significant. This second clause clearly signifies “I became manifest/visible to those who did not ask for me,” with the dative functioning as a dative of recipient or interest, not an agent. Paul’s quotation of Isaiah 65:1 LXX in Romans 10:20 involves a permutation of the two clauses and a slight grammatical change: the LXX reads ἐμφανὴς ἐγενήθην τοῖς ἐμὲ μὴ ζητοῦσιν, εὑρέθην τοῖς ἐμὲ μὴ ἐπερωτῶσιν. Paul reverses the order and uses ἐγενόμην (aorist middle) instead of ἐγενήθην (aorist passive). This deliberate alteration suggests that Paul may indeed view εὑρέθην as functionally akin to a middle voice, reinforcing the idea of God’s proactive self-disclosure.
The examples cited in the original discussion (2 Pet 3:14, Heb 11:5, Rev 16:20, 18:21, 20:15) illustrate the semantic flexibility of εὑρίσκω. While 2 Peter 3:14 (“to be found by him”) presents a clear passive, other instances, especially with negation, convey “not exist” or “not be present,” supporting an intransitive usage (e.g., Rev 16:20 “no mountains were to be found,” implying cessation of existence). The English phrasing “was to be found” can ambiguously imply either necessity/potentiality or simple existence/availability, which fuels the debate.
Rhetorically, Paul quotes Isaiah 65:1 (LXX) to underscore God’s sovereign initiative in revealing himself to the Gentiles (“those who did not seek” or “ask”), a revelation contrasted with Israel’s failure to respond despite their active, albeit misdirected, search. The structure of synonymous parallelism emphasizes God’s proactive accessibility rather than merely a passive consequence of being sought. The proposed interpretations of “findable” or “ready to be found” attempt to capture this proactive divine self-disclosure, moving beyond a strictly passive reception by an external agent.
Conclusions and Translation Suggestions
The morphological passive εὑρέθην in Romans 10:20, when considered in its Septuagintal context and Paul’s adaptation, functions semantically closer to a middle or intransitive voice, conveying God’s active self-revelation or proactive presence to those not seeking him. The dative construction is best interpreted as a dative of recipient or interest, rather than an agentive dative. This interpretation is strongly supported by the parallel clause ἐμφανὴς ἐγενόμην, which clearly signifies active manifestation, and by lexical evidence for εὑρίσκω that includes meanings such as “to be present” or “to reveal oneself.” While phrases like “was to be found” or “findable” in English might aim to capture a nuance of availability, they often fall short of conveying the direct and intentional divine self-disclosure inherent in the passage.
- “I revealed myself to those who were not seeking me; I became manifest to those who were not asking for me.”
This translation emphasizes God’s active initiative and self-disclosure, capturing a reflexive or middle nuance for εὑρέθην and aligning directly with the meaning of ἐμφανὴς ἐγενόμην. - “I was available to be found by those who did not seek me; I became visible to those who did not inquire of me.”
This rendering highlights divine accessibility and aligns with the “findable” or “ready to be found” interpretation, maintaining a sense of potentiality and parallelism. - “I was present for those who were not seeking me; I appeared to those who were not asking for me.”
This option foregrounds God’s objective presence or appearance, treating εὑρέθην as essentially intransitive, which resonates with various lexical definitions and contextual uses.