Romans 3 and Psalm 14

Reviewing and Comparing Romans 3 and Psalm 14.

Some people claim that Paul quoted from Psalm 13/14 from the LXX. I believe it is more likely that the LXX of Psalm 13/14 was later (after Paul wrote to the Romans) conformed to match what Paul wrote in Romans 3.

The Vaticanus LXX can be checked HERE. However, the pages load very very slowly (at least on my computer). To find the Psalm, go to thumbnail 630. Some of it is also on page 631.

When discussing and debating evidentiary matters, going to the source is the best solution to settle questions about the exhibit entered into evidence. However, if you despair of getting the relevant page to open on your computer, you may also review this secondary source. You can look at how this material is added in as verse 3b in the Greek OT with Brenton English translation.

3b τάφος ἀνεῳγμένος ὁ λάρυγξ αὐτῶν, ταῖς γλώσσαις αὑτῶν ἐδολιοῦσαν· ἰὸς ἀσπίδων ὑπὸ τὰ χείλη αὐτῶν, ὧν τὸ στόμα ἀρᾶς καὶ πικρίας γέμει, ὀξεῖς οἱ πόδες αὐτῶν ἐκχέαι αἷμα, σύντριμμα καὶ ταλαιπωρία ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτῶν, καὶ ὁδὸν εἰρήνης οὐκ ἔγνωσαν· οὐκ ἔστι φόβος Θεοῦ ἀπέναντι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτῶν.

3b Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; their feet are swift to shed blood: destruction and misery are in their ways; and the way of peace they have not known: there is no fear of God before their eyes.

It is included as a footnote (*) in the Greek Old Testament provided online by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. These words are not in the Hebrew text.

The Septuagint text muffles and muddles what is actually the citation by Paul of a number of Old Testament texts from different locations. It suggests that someone revised this portion of the Greek Old Testament to make it match the citations made by Paul.

• “Their throat is an open sepulchre, with their tongues they have used deceit” is from Psalm 5:9
• “the poison of asps is under their lips” is from Psalm 140:3
• “whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness” is from Psalm 10:7
• “their feet are swift to shed blood: destruction and misery are in their ways; and the way of peace they have not known” is from Isaiah 59:7-8
• “there is no fear of God before their eyes” is from Psalm 36:1. 

“If” Paul is quoting the Greek Old Testament and those words were then in Psalm 14, then the conclusion would be that we need to trash the Hebrew original language apographs, and buy & use only a Greek Old Testament, or an English translation of it! On the other hand, we might realize how many huge messes exist in what has been passed down to us as the Greek OT, and instead trust the Hebrew text and the English translation based on it. Paul, under inspiration of the Spirit, is citing various OT passages that support that the Scriptures conclude all under sin.

The portion in the clip below (from page 630 at the link I gave in the first paragraph) that is circled in red is from what Brenton calls 3b, the suspect portion matching Romans 3 – but is missing in the Hebrew text.

The typed portion below that I place in double brackets is not in the scan clipped below, but is over on the next page.

 ΕἰΣΤὸΤέΛΟΣΨΑΛΜὸΣΤῷΔΑΥΐΔ. - ΕΙΠΕΝ ἄΦΡΩΝ ἐΝ ΚΑΡΔίᾳ ΑὐΤΟῦ· ΟὐΚ ἔΣΤΙ ΘΕόΣ. ΔΙΕΦΘάΡΗΣΑΝ ΚΑὶ ἐΒΔΕΛύΧΘΗΣΑΝ ἐΝ ἐΠΙΤΗΔΕύΜΑΣΙΝ, ΟὐΚ ἔΣΤΙ ΠΟΙῶΝ ΧΡΗΣΤόΤΗΤΑ, ΟὐΚ ἔΣΤΙΝ ἕΩΣ ἑΝόΣ. 2 ΚύΡΙΟΣ ἐΚ ΤΟῦ ΟὐΡΑΝΟῦ ΔΙέΚΥΨΕΝ ἐΠὶ ΤΟὺΣ ΥἱΟὺΣ ΤῶΝ ἀΝΘΡώΠΩΝ ΤΟῦ ἰΔΕῖΝ Εἰ ἔΣΤΙ ΣΥΝΙὼΝ ἢ ἐΚΖΗΤῶΝ ΤὸΝ ΘΕόΝ. 3A ΠάΝΤΕΣ ἐΞέΚΛΙΝΑΝ, ἅΜΑ ἠΧΡΕΙώΘΗΣΑΝ, ΟὐΚ ἔΣΤΙ ΠΟΙῶΝ ΧΡΗΣΤόΤΗΤΑ, ΟὐΚ ἔΣΤΙΝ ἕΩΣ ἑΝόΣ. 3B ΤάΦΟΣ ἀΝΕῳΓΜέΝΟΣ ὁ ΛάΡΥΓΞ ΑὐΤῶΝ, ΤΑῖΣ ΓΛώΣΣΑΙΣ ΑὑΤῶΝ ἐΔΟΛΙΟῦΣΑΝ· ἰὸΣ ἀΣΠίΔΩΝ ὑΠὸ Τὰ ΧΕίΛΗ ΑὐΤῶΝ, ὧΝ Τὸ ΣΤόΜΑ ἀΡᾶΣ ΚΑὶ ΠΙΚΡίΑΣ ΓέΜΕΙ, ὀΞΕῖΣ Οἱ ΠόΔΕΣ ΑὐΤῶΝ ἐΚΧέΑΙ ΑἷΜΑ, ΣύΝΤΡΙΜΜΑ ΚΑὶ ΤΑΛΑΙΠΩΡίΑ ἐΝ ΤΑῖΣ [[ὁΔΟῖΣ ΑὐΤῶΝ, ΚΑὶ ὁΔὸΝ ΕἰΡήΝΗΣ ΟὐΚ ἔΓΝΩΣΑΝ· ΟὐΚ ἔΣΤΙ ΦόΒΟΣ ΘΕΟῦ ἀΠέΝΑΝΤΙ ΤῶΝ ὀΦΘΑΛΜῶΝ ΑὐΤῶΝ.]]

[Note: Our Psalm 14 is Psalm 13 in the Greek Old Testament.]