Romans 3:13
“Their throat is an open tomb; with their tongues they have practiced deceit”; “the poison of asps is under their lips”;
Truth to Learn
Our words can be powerful weapons of pain if not controlled.
Behind the Words
The word translated “throat” is the Greek word larugx, from which we get the medical term larynx. This is the part of the throat that produces the sound necessary for speech.
“They have practiced deceit” is translated from the word dolioō, meaning “to lure as with bait” or “to use carefully crafted words to deceive.” As pointed out below, this verse is a quotation of the Old Testament. The Hebrew equivalent of this word means “smooth.” In Psalms 5:9, therefore, it literally says “they have smooth tongues.”
Meaning Explained
This verse is made up of two direct quotations from the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament.):
Their throat is an open tomb; with their tongues they have practiced deceit (Psalms 5:9b)
the poison of asps is under their lips (Psalms 140:3b)
Paul’s use of the Septuagint to quote from rather than the Masoretic Text (the predominant Hebrew version of the Old Testament at that time) is interesting. In fact in all of his writings Paul, like all the other writers of the New Testament, quotes predominantly from the Septuagint rather than the Masoretic Text. For the other writers of the New Testament this may not seem too strange since they were predominantly not from the “learned” class of Jews. Paul, on the other hand, was brought up under Gamaliel, one of the leading Jewish teachers of the time. Paul’s use of the Septuagint probably reflects the fact that most Christians of the first and second centuries used and were familiar with the Septuagint. Thus, he was quoting from a version that they would recognize readily.
Regarding his message, Paul is continuing to demonstrate what the Scriptures have to say about the condition of all people (Jew or Gentile), that we are unrighteous sinners, not deserving of God’s blessing. In this passage Scripture says our throat is an open tomb. As pointed out in Behind the Words, the word throat refers to the larynx which is the source of speech. Paul tells us that it is like an open grave which, according to Proverbs 30:15, 16 is never satisfied. In other words, natural man continually utters harmful speech.
This passage then tells us that natural man practices deceit with his tongue. Without God’s regeneration, man uses smooth words to deceive others into satisfying his own desire. That sounds like good ol’ everyday advertizing to me. Back in the 1940s they would have called it propaganda! Finally, this passage tells us that the words of unregenerate man can bite like a deadly snake.
Application
We have all felt the pain of deceitful, dishonest words used against us to intentionally harm us. And, we have just learned that it’s a part of our fallen human nature to do that to others. As Christians we can overcome our natural tendency to use our words in such a hurtful way. We can only do so, however, by submitting ourselves to our God and asking the Holy Spirit to control our speech so that it glorifies Him.
In God’s service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2009 Will Krause. All rights reserved.
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