Rom 2:19: guide of the blind, light in darkness (Isa 42:6–7; 49:6)

Says Rom 2:19: the Jew is confident that he is ὁδηγὸν εἶναι τυφλῶν, φῶς τῶν ἐν σκότει ("a guide of the blind, a light of those in darkness").

Says In Isa 42:6–7 the Lord gives his servant לִבְרִית עָם לְאוֹר גּוֹיִם (livrit 'am le'or goyim, "as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations"; BDB p. 21), לִפְקֹחַ עֵינַיִם עִוְרוֹת (lifqoakh 'enayim 'ivrot, "to open blind eyes"), and to bring out יֹשְׁבֵי חֹשֶׁךְ (yoshve khoshekh, "those who sit in darkness"). Swete's LXX has ἀνοῖξαι ὀφθαλμοὺς τυφλῶν and καθημένους ἐν σκότει.

Says Swete's text at 42:6 (Codex Vaticanus, B) lacks "a light of the nations." His apparatus reports it in the margin by B's correctors (Bab mg), in a corrector of Codex Sinaiticus (ℵc.b; Swete's sigla), in Codices A and Q, and in Γ (a palimpsest of the Prophets); Sinaiticus's first hand (ℵ*) has it with μου. Isa 49:6 has it: וּנְתַתִּיךָ לְאוֹר גּוֹיִם (unetattikha le'or goyim, "I will make you a light for the nations"), LXX εἰς φῶς ἐθνῶν.

Says The Servant is Israel (49:3) yet restores Israel (49:5–6). Luke 2:32 calls Christ "a light for revelation to the Gentiles" (echoing Isa 42:6; 49:6), and Acts 13:47 quotes Isa 49:6.

Implies Paul's titles share the vocabulary of Israel's calling: light, the blind, darkness. He does not deny the calling; he charges that the teacher does not teach himself (2:21).

Uncertain Whether 2:19 alludes to Isa 42:6–7 or reflects a common Jewish self-description (see the historical note).