Romans 3:16 (LSB)

Passage

Destruction and misery are in their paths,

Nearby Context

Romans 3:14 “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness”;

Romans 3:15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood,

Romans 3:16 Destruction and misery are in their paths,

Romans 3:17 And the path of peace they have not known.”

Romans 3:18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "destruction", "misery", and "paths". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "destruction" and "misery", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "Their feet are swift to shed blood..." into verse 17's "And the path of peace they have...", so "destruction" and "misery" belong inside that flow. In Romans context, the local focus is righteousness by faith, union with Christ, life in the Spirit, and God's covenant faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "destruction" and "misery" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.