Question
Is your understanding the same — in why “itself” is used opposing “Spirit”, Rom 8:16, 26
Response
Back in ‘those days’ of the 1611 the word ‘itself’ was proper and took on a gender as I think the OED states:
[orig. two words, it pron. and self: see herself, himself. In 17-18th c. often treated as its + self; its is still used when an adj. intervenes, as in its very self, its own self; cf. himself IV.]
I. 1. Emphatic or limiting use. Usually in apposition with a n. in nom. or obj.: Very, the very, that very; alone (L. ipsum). Rarely alone as subject.
The use of “itself” is first of all reflexive; that is, the action being described reflects back on the subject in some special way. And this would be the case whether the reflexive pronoun was “itself,” “himself, “ or “herself.” However, the fact that the translators clearly used “itself” instead of “himself” when they knew that with the “Spirit” they were dealing with a “he,” (note how that in the last half of verse 27 they render the Spirit’s identity with “he”); obviously there is something distinctive and/or emphatic being indicated by the use of “itself.” And there is.
The reflexive “itself” can be used with a subject that is clearly described as being either male or female. (Notice another example of this in Leviticus 18:25, “And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants.” The land is a “her” with “her inhabitants. But when it comes to describing the repulsive action of the land responding to the LORD visiting the iniquity thereof upon it, it says “and the land itself vomiteth out…” Again, the land is clearly looked upon as a “her,” is understood to so be, and the KJV translators know it to be so. But they say “the land itself vomiteth…”) In using the word “itself” this way it should be evident that the reflexive pronoun is being magnified in its forcefulness, importance, and necessity by having grammatical attention drawn to it. Therefore, the reflexive action of the subject is being emphasized by the unusual use of “itself,” with the result being that all that is to be thought of in the context is the action of the subject.
In Leviticus 18:25 all that is to be thought of is that when the LORD does this the land will be so repulsed by it that she is going to wretch and convulse and forcefully spue out her abominable inhabitants. It’s not the inhabitants that are to be thought of, but the defiled land. She is to be thought of when this happens.
The same applies in what we are taught in Romans 8:16 and Romans 8:26 regarding the Spirit’s ministries with us. With the reflexive “itself” being used to describe the Spirit’s actions, all we are to think about is what it is that we are being told that He does for us. The circumstances of life may indicate something else; the sufferings of this present time may cause us to think something else, or perplex us into not knowing what to think and pray for as we ought. But the Spirit does something for us. And by saying that “the Spirit itself” does it, the attention is deliberately drawn exclusively to the Spirit’s action, which is where our attention needs to be focused so we can “walk by faith” in connection with it.
I should also add this regarding the use of the reflexive “itself,” especially with regards to the Spirit in Romans 8, but it applies also to the LORD’s land in Leviticus 18.
Just as in the excellency of older English the relative pronoun “which” was open used instead of “who” to draw special attention to the excellent estate, rank, or dignity of the person being spoken about, (as the KJV translators open made use of), so also did this apply with the reflexive “itself.” (In fact, we still do this today with both the word “itself” and “it.” My English grammar books still talk about this. An example would be to say. She is a queen and looks it. Or, The Englishman in him at last asserted itself.) By using “itself” with the Spirit in Romans 8, and the land in Leviticus 18, the excellent estate, rank, and dignity of both the Spirit and the land are also being pointedly indicated.
In Leviticus 18 the dignity of the LORD’s land, seeing it is the LORD’s land, is particularly what causes it to wretch and vomit out the inhabitants. With us in Romans 8, the dignity of having the Spirit deal with us as sons and so both bear witness and intercede for us ought to have an additional comforting and encouraging impact upon our souls.
Keith Blades
Enjoy The Bible Ministries
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