Rom 14:11: "every knee will bow" (Isa 45:23) and the oath "As I live"
Says Rom 14:11 cites Scripture (γέγραπται); its main lines follow Isa 45:23: כִּי־לִי תִּכְרַע כָּל־בֶּרֶךְ תִּשָּׁבַע כָּל־לָשׁוֹן ("Every knee will bow before Me, every tongue will swear allegiance," BSB).
Says Each subject is כָּל with a singular noun (בֶּרֶךְ, לָשׁוֹן), and both verbs are third feminine singular imperfects: תִּכְרַע ("bow," BDB p. 502) and Niphal תִּשָּׁבַע ("swear," BDB p. 989). Paul keeps the singular. The line has no word for "God."
Says Swete has ὅτι ἐμοὶ κάμψει πᾶν γόνυ, καὶ ὀμεῖται πᾶσα γλῶσσα τὸν θεόν; A, Q and a corrector of ℵ read ἐξομολογήσεται and τῷ θεῷ. ὀμεῖται, "will swear," is nearer the Hebrew; Paul's πᾶσα γλῶσσα ἐξομολογήσεται τῷ θεῷ matches A and Q's verb and dative but has the subject first.
Uncertain Form comparison cannot show whether A and Q keep older wording or were conformed to Romans, or which copy Paul used. No lean is taken here.
Says Isa 45:23 opens בִּי נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי ("By Myself I have sworn," BSB; Swete κατ’ ἐμαυτοῦ ὀμνύω); Paul's Ζῶ ἐγώ, λέγει κύριος is not there. Swete's Isa 49:18 has ζῶ ἐγώ, λέγει Κύριος for חַי־אָנִי נְאֻם־יְהוָה ("As surely as I live," BSB).
Uncertain Paul may put the oath "by my life" for "by myself," both sworn by God himself, or intend a link to Isa 49:18. No lean is taken here.
Implies Paul uses the Lord's oath that all will bow to him to ground 14:10 and 14:12: all will stand before God's judgment seat and give account.
See note.language.Rom.14.5-Rom.14.12.phronein-bema and var.Rom.14.10.theou-christou.
Claims
- SaysRom 14:11 cites Scripture (γέγραπται); its main lines (ὅτι ἐμοὶ κάμψει πᾶν γόνυ, καὶ πᾶσα γλῶσσα ἐξομολογήσεται τῷ θεῷ) follow Isa 45:23 כִּי־לִי תִּכְרַע כָּל־בֶּרֶךְ תִּשָּׁבַע כָּל־לָשׁוֹן.
- SaysIn Isa 45:23 each subject is כָּל with a singular noun (בֶּרֶךְ, לָשׁוֹן) and both verbs are third feminine singular imperfects (תִּכְרַע Qal "bow"; תִּשָּׁבַע Niphal "swear"); Paul's πᾶν γόνυ and πᾶσα γλῶσσα keep the singular; the Hebrew line has no word for "God."
- SaysSwete (B text) has ὅτι ἐμοὶ κάμψει πᾶν γόνυ, καὶ ὀμεῖται πᾶσα γλῶσσα τὸν θεόν; the apparatus gives ἐξομολογήσεται and τῷ θεῷ for A, Q and a corrector of ℵ. ὀμεῖται is nearer the Hebrew verb; Paul's πᾶσα γλῶσσα ἐξομολογήσεται τῷ θεῷ agrees with A and Q in verb and dative but puts the subject first.
- UncertainForm comparison only: whether the A and Q wording is older or was conformed to Romans cannot be settled from these witnesses, and it does not show which copy Paul used. No lean.
- SaysIsa 45:23 opens with an oath by God himself, בִּי נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי (Swete κατ᾿ ἐμαυτοῦ ὀμνύω); Paul's Ζῶ ἐγώ, λέγει κύριος is not in this verse; Swete Isa 49:18 has ζῶ ἐγώ, λέγει Κύριος for חַי־אָנִי נְאֻם־יְהוָה.
- UncertainPaul may put the oath "by my life" for "by myself" (Isa 45:23a), both oaths by God himself, or may intend a link to Isa 49:18. No lean.
- ImpliesPaul uses the Lord's oath in Isa 45:23 that all will bow to him to ground Rom 14:10 and 14:12 (all will stand before God's judgment seat; each will give account).
Citations
- OSHB CC BY 4.0 Isa 45:23 (בִּי נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי morph HR/Sp1cs, HVNp1cs; תִּכְרַע morph HVqi3fs; בֶּרֶךְ morph HNcfsa; תִּשָּׁבַע morph HVNi3fs; לָשׁוֹן morph HNcbsa); Isa 49:18 (חַי morph HAamsa; אָנִי morph HPp1cs)
- BDB CC BY 4.0 בֶּרֶךְ (H1290), p. 139, entry b.dd.ab; לָשׁוֹן (H3956), p. 546, entry l.cd.ab; כָּרַע (H3766), p. 502, entry k.de.aa; שָׁבַע (H7650), p. 989, entry v.av.ah
- LXX (Swete) CC BY-SA 4.0 Isa 45:23 (vol. 3 p. 187; apparatus: "ομειται] ... εξομολογησεται ℵ^c.b mg AQ | τον θεον] τον κν ℵ* τω θεω ℵ^c.b AQ"); Isa 49:18 (vol. 3 p. 194; apparatus: nothing at the quoted words). LXX read on the Swete page image, vol. 3 (1912), pp. 187, 194.
- SBLGNT CC BY 4.0 Rom 14:10–12
- BSB public domain Rom 14:11; Isa 45:23; Isa 49:18
Quotations from LXX (Swete) are used under CC BY-SA 4.0 · Credits
2026-11-09
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