Daniel's Literal Translation and Commentary
The Renewed Covenant by Daniel Gregg
"Romans 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; 10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: 14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: 15 Their feet are swift to shed blood: 16 Destruction and misery are in their ways: 17 And the way of peace have they not known: 18 There is no fear of God before their eyes. 19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who with the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
As it is written : This means everything that is quoted and the summary statement in vs. 19. Only the general statement at the end in vs. 19 applies universally. The points go together to support Paul's thesis that all are under sin in verse 9.
comment1: These verses are used by antinomian Christians as a proof text that no one can be righteous. Calvinists especially like to use this passage to shore up their doctrine of Total Depravity. However that is not what theses verses prove. Paul's object is to prove that everyone is a sinner, but not all the statements apply equally or universally. Paul starts his indictment with total sinners who can do no righteousness, but he ends it with a more general statement in Rom. 3:19. However, the general statement does not say the whole world is totally depraved. It only says they are all guilty before God.
comment2: Verses 10-17 are quoted from Psalm 14:1-3; Psalm 5:9; 10:7; 36:1; and Isaiah 59:7-8. Psalm 14:1-3 speaks about the wicked, but it is important to notice that David offsets them from God's people in the remainder of the Psalm. In Psalm 5:9, David is speaking about his enemies, but in 5:11-12 David offsets them from the righteous. Psalm 10:7 is clearly about the wicked, and clearly David is not lumping the godly into the same category. Psalm 36:1 is similar. The Isaiah passage also excludes the righteous, however, starting in 59:9 the prophet speaks for the nation in a collective sense, including himself as a sinner. There is no assertion in these texts that every individual on earth is totally wicked, nor is there anything to contradict that good people cannot seek and do righteousness.
comment3: Paul's method here is a drash דרש. He is bringing a collection of texts together to make the single point that everyone is a sinner in one way or another. If some of the stronger statements do not apply, then Paul will catch the rest in vs. 19. The phrase, "There is none righteous" has to be taken first in its context in the Psalms, where clearly David is only speaking about the category of the very wicked. There is none righteous among the wicked he is speaking about. A similar remark can be make about the rest of the texts. Many people have lived in these ways. Paul knows well that it does not include everyone. That is why he finishes off proving that everyone is a sinner with Romans 3:19. (DLC: torahtimes.org)
Daniel's Literal Translation and Commentary: (http://www.torahtimes.org/translation/rom0309.html)
All Rights Reserved, 2009 by Daniel Gregg. No part of this article may be copied without including the above reference to the author's original: torahtimes.org. It is preferable only to include what is in the boxes, however the live link in the second box may be omitted if necessary.