What Old Testament passages connect with the message in Romans 3:15? Romans 3:15 in a Sentence “Their feet are swift to shed blood.” Why Paul Cites the Old Testament Here Paul strings together several quotations to show that sin is universal, deeply rooted, and repeatedly exposed by Israel’s own Scriptures. Romans 3:15 echoes two key passages: Isaiah 59:7–8 • “Their feet run after evil; they are swift to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are sinful thoughts; ruin and destruction lie in their wake. The path of peace they do not know; there is no justice in their tracks. They have made their roads crooked; no one who walks in them will know peace.” • Context: Isaiah indicts Judah for covenant unfaithfulness. The prophet pictures violent feet as evidence that the nation has broken fellowship with God. • Connection to Romans 3: Paul lifts Isaiah’s line to prove that the same sinful bent Isaiah saw in Judah describes all humanity—Jew and Gentile alike. Proverbs 1:15–16 • “My son, do not walk the road with them or set foot upon their path, for their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed blood.” • Context: Solomon warns his son against joining violent men who entice the innocent. • Connection to Romans 3: Paul reinforces Isaiah’s accusation with wisdom literature, showing that Scripture consistently portrays violence as the natural course of sin. Further Old-Testament Echoes of Swift Bloodshed The theme is not isolated. The following passages deepen the picture: • Genesis 4:8–11 — Cain rises up and kills Abel; the first recorded murder unveils how quickly sin moves to violence. • Psalm 10:8–10 — The wicked “lie in wait to murder the innocent”; their feet lurk in ambush. • Psalm 106:37–38 — Israel “shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters.” • Isaiah 1:15 — “Your hands are covered with blood,” God tells a rebellious Judah. Each text shows that when hearts turn from God, bloodshed soon follows. Putting It All Together • Isaiah sets the prophetic charge: covenant people guilty of violent eagerness. • Proverbs confirms the same verdict in everyday life: sinners rush toward wrongdoing. • Paul strings these testimonies to declare the universal indictment: every human heart, left to itself, proves the charge true—our feet really are “swift to shed blood.” The Old Testament background, therefore, gives Romans 3:15 its weight. Paul isn’t crafting a new accusation; he is echoing a centuries-long witness that the living God has already delivered in His Word. |
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