Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Romans 3:13 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 13. 13Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
This verse moves the indictment into deceptive and poisonous speech through Psalm imagery.
Read It With
- Romans 3:9–20
Read Romans 3:13 with 3:9–20. This verse moves the indictment into deceptive and poisonous speech through Psalm imagery. The complete unit establishes: Paul places every group under culpable acts and the enslaving power Sin, leaving no platform for boasting.
Why This Verse Appears Here
The catena closes the universal indictment before God's saving action is announced. Within that movement, this verse moves the indictment into deceptive and poisonous speech through Psalm imagery.
What Remains True
This verse moves the indictment into deceptive and poisonous speech through Psalm imagery. This supports the unit's enduring claim: Paul places every group under culpable acts and the enslaving power Sin, leaving no platform for boasting.
How It Can Shape Life
- For Romans 3:13, preserve this contribution in practice: moves the indictment into deceptive and poisonous speech through Psalm imagery. Use confession before accusation and address systems as well as private acts.
Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read Romans 3:9–20 — Scripture Places Every Mouth Under Sin and God's AccountabilitySources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact reader-facing Scripture wording, paragraph markers, supplied-word markup, and complete verse coverage.
Exact location: Romans 3:9–20, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM corpus
Open source ↗Greek textual evidence
The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition
Michael W. Holmes, editor; Society of Biblical Literature and Logos
Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software, 2010
Supports: Greek wording, clause relationships, and base text for original-language discussion.
Exact location: Faithlife SBLGNT repository, data/sblgnt/text/Rom.txt, 3:9–20
Open the Romans Greek text file ↗Translation and textual notes
NET Bible - Romans with translators' and textual notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, 2005-2026 online edition
Supports: Verse-level syntax, KJV-era wording, material variants, and interpretive alternatives.
Exact location: NET Bible official Romans chapter print view, 3:9–20, translation and attached translator, study, and textual notes
Open NET Romans 3 notes