Romans 3:13

13 “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.”[a]“The poison of vipers is on their lips.”[b]

Romans 3:13 in Other Translations

King James Version (KJV)
13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
English Standard Version (ESV)
13 "Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive." "The venom of asps is under their lips."
New Living Translation (NLT)
13 “Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with lies.” “Snake venom drips from their lips.”
The Message Bible (MSG)
13 Their throats are gaping graves, their tongues slick as mud slides. Every word they speak is tinged with poison.
American Standard Version (ASV)
13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; With their tongues they have used deceit: The poison of asps is under their lips:
GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
13 Their throats are open graves. Their tongues practice deception. Their lips hide the venom of poisonous snakes.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
13 Their throat is an open grave; they deceive with their tongues. Vipers' venom is under their lips.
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
13 "Their throats are like open graves. With their tongues they tell lies." (Psalm 5:9) "The words from their lips are like the poison of a snake." (Psalm 140:3)

Romans 3:13 Meaning and Commentary

Romans 3:13

Their throat is an open sepulchre
The several vices of the instruments of speech are here, and in the following verse, exposed: "the throat" is said to "be an open sepulchre", as in ( Psalms 5:9 ) , so called, for its voracity and insatiableness; both as an instrument of speech, for the words of the wicked are devouring ones; and as an instrument of swallowing, and so may denote the sinner's eager desire after sin, the delight and pleasure he takes in it, the abundance of it he takes in, and his insatiable greediness for it; likewise for its filthy stench, the communication of evil men being corrupt; and because, as by an open grave, persons may fall unawares to their hurt, so the evil communications of wicked men, as they corrupt good manners, are dangerous and hurtful: R. Aben Ezra explains it by (dym Nwoa) , "immediate destruction", or sudden death:

with their tongues they have used deceit;
which may design the sin of flattery, for the words in ( Psalms 5:9 ) ; the place referred to, are, "they flatter with their tongue"; either God or men, themselves or others, their princes or their neighbour; for there are flatterers in things sacred and civil, there are self-flatterers, court flatterers, and flattering preachers, and all abominable and mischievous; or the phrase may design the sin of lying, either politically, officiously, perniciously, and religiously; and in this latter way, either with respect to doctrine or practice:

the poison of asps is under their lips;
or as in ( Psalms 140:3 ) , "adders' poison is under their lips". The asp is but a small creature, and so is the tongue, ( James 3:5 ) , but there is a world of mischief in it, signified by poison; which, as that, is latent and secret, is under it; and as that stupefies and kills insensibly, so an evil tongue does, and that in a deadly and incurable manner: oftentimes the Jews speak of the evil imagination, or corruption of nature entering into persons, and operating in them, (owekb orak) "as poison in an angry serpent" F23.


FOOTNOTES:

F23 T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 62. 2. Yoma, fol. 9. 2.

Romans 3:13 In-Context

11 there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”
13 “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.”“The poison of vipers is on their lips.”
14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;

Cross References 2

Footnotes 2

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