Romans 3:14

14 They open their mouths and pollute the air.

Romans 3:14 Meaning and Commentary

Romans 3:14

Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.
] These words are taken from ( Psalms 10:7 ) , by cursing is meant, cursing of God, which is sometimes internal with the heart, and sometimes external with the mouth, as here; and of all good men, though without cause, and to no purpose with respect to the persons they curse, since God has blessed them, and they are blessed, and greatly to their own detriment, for, in the issue, their curses will be turned against themselves. There is also a cursing of superiors, as parents, masters, magistrates, kings, and governors; which is a sore evil, and attended with bad consequences; likewise of themselves, and their fellow creatures: and "the mouth [being] full [of it]", denotes the frequency of the sin; scarce anything else comes out of it but cursing; which discovers the sad corruption of the heart; "for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh", ( Matthew 12:34 ) ( Luke 6:45 ) . By "bitterness" is meant, either sin in general, which is "an evil and bitter [thing]", ( Jeremiah 2:19 ) , in its nature and effects; or sinful words, such as oaths, curses, imprecations, all wrathful and deceitful words.

Romans 3:14 In-Context

12 They've all taken the wrong turn; they've all wandered down blind alleys. No one's living right; I can't find a single one.
13 Their throats are gaping graves, their tongues slick as mud slides. Every word they speak is tinged with poison.
14 They open their mouths and pollute the air.
15 They race for the honor of sinner-of-the-year,
16 litter the land with heartbreak and ruin,
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.