and the way of peace they have not known.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse isn't just saying people are bad; it's highlighting a deep-seated ignorance. It's not that they choose not to seek peace, but rather they genuinely "have not known" the very way to it, being utterly unaware of how to achieve true peace with God or with one another.
and the way of peace they have not known.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul is quoting Old Testament passages to demonstrate that both Jews and Gentiles are universally sinful and fall short of God's glory. He's showing that humanity, left to itself, is inherently broken, filled with deceit, violence, and a deep ignorance of God's ways. This passage emphasizes the complete corruption of human nature before God intervenes.
We often think peace comes from getting what we want or avoiding conflict. But the Bible points to a deeper, more elusive peace.
Paul quotes Isaiah here, highlighting a fundamental truth: humanity, left to ourselves, is utterly clueless about 'the way of peace.' This isn't just about avoiding arguments or feeling calm. It’s about a profound reconciliation – first with God, and then flowing out to others.
Are we better than others because we know God's law? Paul says emphatically, 'No.' The same blindness to peace affects everyone.
Paul's argument in Romans 3 is relentless: the Jewish people, with all their spiritual advantages, are just as lost as the Gentiles when it comes to the way of peace. This passage strips away any sense of superiority.
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Understand the original words
eirēnē · Greek Noun
Hebrew concept of 'shalom', signifying not just absence of conflict, but wholeness, harmony, welfare, and right relationship with God and others.
Paul quotes Old Testament passages, originally describing the spiritual and moral failings of Israel and Judah during times of national crisis and exile, to demonstrate the universal human condition of sinfulness before God.
c. 740 BC
Isaiah's Prophetic Ministry
The prophet Isaiah delivers oracles describing Israel's sinfulness and its consequences, including passages that will later be quoted by Paul to describe universal human depravity.
c. 597 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
King Jehoiachin and many skilled people are exiled to Babylon, marking the beginning of the Babylonian Captivity for Judah.
587/586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple Destruction
Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and the First Temple, leading to widespread exile and the shattering of Jewish national and religious life.
c. AD 30-33
Jesus' Ministry, Death, and Resurrection
The pivotal events of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection occur, offering a new way of peace with God through faith.
c. AD 50-60— this verse
Paul's Ministry and Writing Romans
The Apostle Paul actively ministers and writes his Epistle to the Romans, likely from Corinth, summarizing the Gospel and its implications.
This verse is directly quoted in Romans 3:7, highlighting the destructive and violent actions that result from straying from God's ways and lacking knowledge of peace.
Jeremiah 6:14This passage echoes the sentiment that there is no peace for God's people, mirroring the idea that the 'way of peace' has been lost or ignored by those who stray from divine instruction.
Luke 1:79This verse speaks of Jesus coming to guide our feet into the way of peace, presenting a stark contrast to the ignorance of peace described in Romans 3:17 and highlighting Jesus as the answer.
John 14:27Jesus offers a different kind of peace, 'my peace I give to you,' which is distinct from the world's understanding and the absence of it described in Romans 3:17.
Philippians 4:7This passage describes the peace of God that surpasses all understanding, which guards hearts and minds—a peace that those who have not known the 'way of peace' are missing.
henryRomans 3:9-18: "What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;"
3:9-18 Here again is shown that all mankind are under the guilt of sin, as a burden; and under the government and dominion of sin, as enslaved to it, to work wickedness. This is made plain by several passages of Scripture from the Old Testament, which describe the corrupt and depraved state of all men, till grace restrain or change them. Great as ou…
clarkeRomans 3:17: "And the way of peace have they not known:"
And the way of peace have they not known - They neither have peace in themselves, nor do they suffer others to live in quiet: they are brooders and fomenters of discord.
This verse isn't just saying people are bad; it's highlighting a deep-seated ignorance. It's not that they choose not to seek peace, but rather they genuinely "have not known" the very way to it, being utterly unaware of how to achieve true peace with God or with one another.
Paul is quoting Old Testament passages to demonstrate that both Jews and Gentiles are universally sinful and fall short of God's glory. He's showing that humanity, left to itself, is inherently broken, filled with deceit, violence, and a deep ignorance of God's ways. This passage emphasizes the complete corruption of human nature before God intervenes.
Paul is quoting Old Testament passages to demonstrate that both Jews and Gentiles are universally sinful and fall short of God's glory. He's showing that humanity, left to itself, is inherently broken, filled with deceit, violence, and a deep ignorance of God's ways. This passage emphasizes the complete corruption of human nature before God intervenes.
"and the way of peace they have not known.”" — This verse isn't just saying people are bad; it's highlighting a deep-seated ignorance. It's not that they choose not to seek peace, but rather they genuinely "have not known" the very way to it,…
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Last reviewed October 2026