Romans 3:13 Meaning and Explanation
“Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Drawing on the Psalms, Paul pictures sinful speech: a throat like an open grave, tongues practiced in deceit, lips dripping with serpent's venom.
What Does Romans 3:13 Mean?
Paul's chain of Scripture now turns to the mouth, gathering images from the Psalms. The throat is an open grave, breathing out death; the tongue traffics in deceit; under the lips hides the poison of a snake. Sin is not abstract here, it speaks, and its speech wounds and corrupts.
How telling that the indictment lingers on words. Of all the ways our fallenness shows itself, speech is among the most revealing, for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The verse invites a sober look at our own words, and a longing to have lips cleansed and a heart renewed, that what we say might give life rather than death.
Frequently Asked Questions About Romans 3:13
What does Romans 3:13 mean?
Drawing on the Psalms, Paul pictures sinful speech: a throat like an open grave, tongues practiced in deceit, lips dripping with serpent's venom.