As it is written. ROMANS iii. 10.
Paul refers to a poetic quotation he is about to make.
Where did he find such a passage. Perhaps in the Psalms, the fourteenth or fifty-third, or in others, where there are similar despairing words about humanity.
Why did he not quote them correctly? Because he wrote from memory, and memory is often treacherous.
Why did he not look into his Concordance, and be sure he was right? There were no Concordances in his day, nor any printed books.
Why did he not look into his Bible? Surely Paul had a Bible! No! In those days nobody had a whole Bible; because Paul himself wrote a large part of what we call the Bible.
But there were Old Testament books? Yes, in huge parchment rolls, kept in synagogues and libraries; but Paul probably did not own a set of these rolls, nor could he have well carried them with him on his travels.
Barnes the Presbyterian commentator, declares that Paul quoted the sense of his authorities, not their words.
