Focused Passage

Romans 3:1-8

All Under Sin and the Righteousness of God Revealed Through Faith in Christ

Paul moves from defending God's faithfulness despite Jewish unfaithfulness, to proving that all humanity is under sin, to silencing every mouth before God, and then to announcing the righteousness of God given through faith in Jesus Christ.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

1What, then, is the advantage of being a Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision?

2Much in every way. First of all, they have been entrusted with the very words of God.

3What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God’s faithfulness?

4Certainly not! Let God be true and every man a liar. As it is written: “So that You may be proved right when You speak and victorious when You judge.”

5But if our unrighteousness highlights the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unjust to inflict His wrath on us? I am speaking in human terms.

6Certainly not! In that case, how could God judge the world?

7However, if my falsehood accentuates God’s truthfulness, to the increase of His glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?

8Why not say, as some slanderously claim that we say, “Let us do evil that good may result”? Their condemnation is deserved!

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 1

Original words

WhatΤίG5101Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Neuter SingularthenοὖνG3767Conjunction[is] theτὸG3588Article - Nominative Neuter SingularadvantageπερισσὸνG4053Adjective - Nominative Neuter SingularofτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Singular[being] a JewἸουδαίουG2453Adjective - Genitive Masculine SingularOrG2228Conjunctionwhat [is]τίςG5101Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Feminine SingulartheG3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingularvalueὠφέλειαG5622Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular-τῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine Singularof circumcisionπεριτομῆςG4061Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Verse 2

Original words

MuchπολὺG4183Adjective - Nominative Neuter SingularinκατὰG2596PrepositioneveryπάνταG3956Adjective - Accusative Masculine SingularwayτρόπονG5158Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularvvvγὰρG1063ConjunctionvvvμὲνG3303ParticleFirst of allπρῶτονG4412Adverb - Superlative-ὅτιG3754Conjunctionthey have been entrusted withἐπιστεύθησανG4100Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person PluraltheτὰG3588Article - Accusative Neuter Pluralvery wordsλόγιαG3051Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Singularof GodΘεοῦG2316Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular

BSB notes

  • Or the oracles
Verse 3

Original words

WhatΤίG5101Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Neuter SingularifεἰG1487Conjunction-γάρG1063ConjunctionsomeτινεςG5100Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Pluraldid not have faithἠπίστησάνG569Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural{Will} theirαὐτῶνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural-G3588Article - Nominative Feminine Singularlack of faithἀπιστίαG570Noun - Nominative Feminine SingularvvvμὴG3361AdverbnullifyκαταργήσειG2673Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularGod’sΘεοῦG2316Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular-τὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine SingularfaithfulnessπίστινG4102Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Verse 4

Original words

vvvμὴG3361AdverbCertainly notγένοιτοG1096Verb - Aorist Optative Middle - 3rd Person Singular-δὲG1161Conjunction-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine Singular{Let} GodΘεὸςG2316Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularbeγινέσθωG1096Verb - Present Imperative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person SingulartrueἀληθήςG227Adjective - Nominative Masculine SingularandδὲG1161ConjunctioneveryπᾶςG3956Adjective - Nominative Masculine SingularmanἄνθρωποςG444Noun - Nominative Masculine Singulara liarψεύστηςG5583Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularAsκαθὼς*G2531Conjunctionit is writtenγέγραπταιG1125Verb - Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular-ὍπωςG3704ConjunctionSo thatἂνG302ParticleYou may be proved rightδικαιωθῇςG1344Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Passive - 2nd Person SingularwhenἐνG1722PrepositionYouσουG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular-τοῖςG3588Article - Dative Masculine PluralspeakλόγοιςG3056Noun - Dative Masculine PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctionvictoriousνικήσειςG3528Verb - Future Indicative Active - 2nd Person SingularwhenἐνG1722PrepositionYouσεG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 2nd Person Singular-τῷG3588Article - Dative Neuter SingularjudgeκρίνεσθαίG2919Verb - Present Infinitive Middle or Passive

BSB notes

  • Or when You are judged; Psalm 51:4 (see also LXX)
Verse 5

Original words

ButδὲG1161ConjunctionifΕἰG1487ConjunctionourἡμῶνG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Plural-G3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingularunrighteousnessἀδικίαG93Noun - Nominative Feminine SingularhighlightsσυνίστησινG4921Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singularthe righteousnessδικαιοσύνηνG1343Noun - Accusative Feminine Singularof GodΘεοῦG2316Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularwhatτίG5101Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singularshall we sayἐροῦμενG2046Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural[That]G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularGodΘεὸςG2316Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular[is]μὴG3361AdverbunjustἄδικοςG94Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine Singularto inflictἐπιφέρωνG2018Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular[His]τὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine Singularwrath [on us]ὀργήνG3709Noun - Accusative Feminine SingularI am speakingλέγωG3004Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person SingularinκατὰG2596Prepositionhuman termsἄνθρωπονG444Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Verse 6

Original words

vvvμὴG3361AdverbCertainly notγένοιτοG1096Verb - Aorist Optative Middle - 3rd Person SingularIn that caseἐπεὶG1893ConjunctionhowπῶςG4459Adverb-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine Singular{could} GodΘεὸςG2316Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularjudgeκρινεῖG2919Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingulartheτὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularworldκόσμονG2889Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Verse 7

Original words

HoweverδὲG1161ConjunctionifεἰG1487Conjunction-G3588Article - Nominative Feminine Singular-ἐνG1722PrepositionmyἐμῷG1699Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Neuter 1st Person Singular-τῷG3588Article - Dative Neuter SingularfalsehoodψεύσματιG5582Noun - Dative Neuter SingularaccentuatesἐπερίσσευσενG4052Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularGod’sΘεοῦG2316Noun - Genitive Masculine SingulartruthfulnessἀλήθειαG225Noun - Nominative Feminine Singularto the increaseεἰςG1519Prepositionof HisαὐτοῦG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular-τὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine SingulargloryδόξανG1391Noun - Accusative Feminine SingularwhyτίG5101Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular{am} IκἀγὼG2504Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person SingularstillἔτιG2089AdverbcondemnedκρίνομαιG2919Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 1st Person SingularasὡςG5613Adverba sinnerἁμαρτωλὸςG268Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Verse 8

Original words

[Why]καὶG2532Conjunctionnot [say]μὴG3361AdverbasκαθὼςG2531Adverb-καθώςG2531AdverbsomeτινεςG5100Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Masculine PluralslanderouslyβλασφημούμεθαG987Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 1st Person Plural-καὶG2532Conjunctionclaim [that]φασίνG5346Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralweἡμᾶςG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 1st Person PluralsayλέγεινG3004Verb - Present Infinitive Active-ὅτιG3754ConjunctionLet us doΠοιήσωμενG4160Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 1st Person PluralevilκακὰG2556Adjective - Accusative Neuter Plural-τὰG3588Article - Accusative Neuter PluralthatἵναG2443Conjunction-τὰG3588Article - Nominative Neuter PluralgoodἀγαθάG18Adjective - Nominative Neuter Pluralmay resultἔλθῃG2064Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person SingularTheirὧνG3739Personal / Relative Pronoun - Genitive Masculine Plural-τὸG3588Article - Nominative Neuter SingularcondemnationκρίμαG2917Noun - Nominative Neuter SingularisἐστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingulardeservedἔνδικόνG1738Adjective - Nominative Neuter Singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.