Rom 16:20: "crush Satan under your feet" and Gen 3:15
Says Rom 16:20 reads ὁ δὲ θεὸς τῆς εἰρήνης συντρίψει τὸν Σατανᾶν ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας ὑμῶν ἐν τάχει ("The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet," BSB), with no quotation formula; the enemy is Satan.
Says Gen 3:15 ends הוּא יְשׁוּפְךָ רֹאשׁ וְאַתָּה תְּשׁוּפֶנּוּ עָקֵב ("He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel," BSB). One verb, שׁוּף, serves both clauses: יְשׁוּפְךָ is third masculine singular with a second masculine singular suffix, תְּשׁוּפֶנּוּ the reverse (both Qal imperfect); BSB has "crush," then "strike." הוּא and זַרְעָהּ ("her seed") are masculine singular.
Says Swete has αὐτός σου τηρήσει κεφαλήν, καὶ σὺ τηρήσεις αὐτοῦ πτέρναν: τηρέω ("to watch over, guard," Abbott-Smith p. 445) twice, and masculine αὐτός though σπέρμα is neuter. With no συντρίβω and no word for feet, it shares no Greek word with Rom 16:20.
Says Gen 3 names a serpent (הַנָּחָשׁ; Swete 3:13 Ὁ ὄφις ἠπάτησέν με), not Satan. Rev 12:9 has ὁ ὄφις ὁ ἀρχαῖος, ὁ καλούμενος Διάβολος καὶ ὁ Σατανᾶς; in 2 Cor 11:3 Paul writes ὁ ὄφις ἐξηπάτησεν Εὕαν.
Uncertain An allusion is possible: an enemy crushed, with deceivers (ἐξαπατῶσι τὰς καρδίας, 16:18) two verses earlier. The main alternative is the wider picture of enemies under the feet (Ps 8:6; 110:1; compare 1 Cor 15:25–27), without Gen 3 in view. Here God crushes, under the believers' feet. The link is thematic, not verbal. No lean is taken here.
See also the exegetical note (note.exegetical.Rom.16.17-Rom.16.20.watch-and-peace).
Claims
- SaysRom 16:20 ὁ δὲ θεὸς τῆς εἰρήνης συντρίψει τὸν Σατανᾶν ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας ὑμῶν ἐν τάχει has no quotation formula, and the enemy is named Satan.
- SaysGen 3:15 הוּא יְשׁוּפְךָ רֹאשׁ וְאַתָּה תְּשׁוּפֶנּוּ עָקֵב has one verb, שׁוּף, in both clauses (יְשׁוּפְךָ Qal imperfect third masculine singular with second masculine singular suffix; תְּשׁוּפֶנּוּ second masculine singular with third masculine singular suffix); BSB "crush" and "strike"; הוּא and זַרְעָהּ are masculine singular.
- SaysSwete Gen 3:15 αὐτός σου τηρήσει κεφαλήν, καὶ σὺ τηρήσεις αὐτοῦ πτέρναν has τηρέω in both clauses and masculine αὐτός though σπέρμα is neuter; it has no συντρίβω and no word for feet, so Rom 16:20 shares no Greek word with it.
- SaysGen 3 speaks of a serpent (הַנָּחָשׁ; Swete 3:13 Ὁ ὄφις ἠπάτησέν με), not of Satan by name; Rev 12:9 calls the ancient serpent the devil and Satan; Paul uses ἐξαπατάω of the serpent deceiving Eve in 2 Cor 11:3.
- UncertainAn allusion to Gen 3:15 in Rom 16:20 is possible (an enemy crushed; deceivers in 16:18); the main alternative is the wider picture of enemies under the feet (Ps 8:6; Ps 110:1; 1 Cor 15:25–27) with no particular reference to Gen 3. Thematic, not verbal. No lean.
Citations
- OSHB CC BY 4.0 Gen 3:15 (יְשׁוּפְךָ morph HVqi3ms/Sp2ms; תְּשׁוּפֶנּוּ morph HVqi2ms/Sp3ms; רֹאשׁ, עָקֵב morph HNcmsa; הוּא morph HPp3ms; זַרְעָהּ morph HNcmsc/Sp3fs); Gen 3:13 (הַנָּחָשׁ morph HTd/Ncmsa)
- LXX (Swete) CC BY-SA 4.0 Gen 3:13, 3:15 (vol. 1 p. 5; apparatus: no entry at 3:13 or 3:15 except the range note "15—23 plurima rescr A^d"). LXX read on the Swete page image, vol. 1 (1909), p. 5.
- Abbott-Smith public domain τηρέω, p. 445
- OpenBible.info Cross Ref CC BY 4.0 Gen.3.15 → Rom.16.20 (177 votes); Rom.16.20 → Gen.3.15 (20 votes)
- SBLGNT CC BY 4.0 Rom 16:18, 20; 1 Cor 15:25, 27; 2 Cor 11:3; Rev 12:9
- BSB public domain Rom 16:20; Gen 3:15; Ps 8:6; Ps 110:1
Quotations from LXX (Swete) are used under CC BY-SA 4.0 · Credits
2026-11-10
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