Romans 3:15

“their feet are swift to shed blood;”

Romans 3:15 · direct translation from the Greek
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15

Quotation · Isaiah 59:7-8

Go to Isaiah 59:7-8

In the series of quotations that begins in 3:10, Paul abbreviates Isaiah 59:7-8: feet that run to shed blood, destruction and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.

Formula: καθὼς γέγραπται ὅτι “as it is written” (Romans 3:10)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: ὀξεῖς οἱ πόδες αὐτῶν ἐκχέαι αἷμα σύντριμμα καὶ ταλαιπωρία ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτῶν καὶ ὁδὸν εἰρήνης οὐκ ἔγνωσαν

Hebrew (Masoretic text): רַגְלֵיהֶם לָרַע יָרֻצוּ וִימַהֲרוּ לִשְׁפֹּךְ דָּם נָקִי מַחְשְׁבוֹתֵיהֶם מַחְשְׁבוֹת אָוֶן שֹׁד וָשֶׁבֶר בִּמְסִלּוֹתָם דֶּרֶךְ שָׁלוֹם לֹא יָדָעוּ וְאֵין מִשְׁפָּט בְּמַעְגְּלוֹתָם נְתִיבוֹתֵיהֶם עִקְּשׁוּ לָהֶם כֹּל דֹּרֵךְ בָּהּ לֹא יָדַע שָׁלוֹם

Septuagint (Isaiah 59:7-8 in the Septuagint numbering): οἱ δὲ πόδες αὐτῶν ἐπὶ πονηρίαν τρέχουσιν, ταχινοὶ ἐκχέαι αἷμα, καὶ οἶ διαλογισμοὶ αὐτῶν διαλογισμοὶ ἀφρόνων· σύντριμμα καὶ ταλαιπωρία ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτῶν, καὶ ὁδὸν εἰρήνης οὐκ ἔγνωσαν, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν κρίσις ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτῶν· αἱ γὰρ τρίβοι αὐτῶν διεστραμμέναι ἅς διοδεύουσιν, καὶ οὒκ οἴδασιν εἰρήνην.

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 12 consecutive words: “σύντριμμα καὶ ταλαιπωρία ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτῶν καὶ ὁδὸν εἰρήνης οὐκ ἔγνωσαν.”

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Romans 3:15, word by word

their feetπόδεςpodes

foot

Foot.

Where else “podes” appears
swiftὀξεῖςoxeis

swift

Moving with great speed, quick to do something.

Where else “oxeis” appears
to shedἐκχέαιekcheai

pour out

To empty out a liquid, like wine or blood.

Where else “ekcheai” appears
bloodαἷμαhaima

blood

The red fluid that runs through the bodies of people and animals.

Where else “haima” appears

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Quotation · Isaiah 59:7-8

In the series of quotations that begins in 3:10, Paul abbreviates Isaiah 59:7-8: feet that run to shed blood, destruction and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.

See them side by side

Romans 3:15

15their feet are swift to shed blood;

Isaiah 59:7-8

7Their feet run to evil, and they hurry to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of wickedness; devastation and shattering are on their highways.

The context

14whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness;

15 · This verse (above)

16ruin and misery are in their paths,

Read all of Romans 3

To study Romans 3 in a group

  1. 1. What it says

    What does Paul say about everyone, and about how they are treated through God's grace? (vv. 22-24)

  2. 2. What it means

    Although some were unfaithful, Paul says God's faithfulness is not nullified. How does he explain this? (vv. 3-4)

  3. 3. How I live it

    Paul speaks of a gift that is not earned (v. 24). How can you live today with gratitude for what you have received without deserving it?

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