Focused Passage

Romans 3:9-20

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

9What then? Are we any better? Not at all. For we have already made the charge that Jews and Greeks alike are all under sin.

10As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one.

11There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.

12All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”

13“Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The venom of vipers is on their lips.”

14“Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”

15“Their feet are swift to shed blood;

16ruin and misery lie in their wake,

17and the way of peace they have not known.”

18“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

19Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.

20Therefore no one will be justified in His sight by works of the law. For the law merely brings awareness of sin.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 9

Original words

WhatΤίG5101Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Neuter SingularthenοὖνG3767ConjunctionAre we any betterπροεχόμεθαG4284Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 1st Person PluralNotοὐG3756Adverbat allπάντωςG3843AdverbForγὰρG1063Conjunctionwe have already made the chargeπροῃτιασάμεθαG4256Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 1st Person Plural[that] JewsἸουδαίουςG2453Adjective - Accusative Masculine PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctionGreeksἝλληναςG1672Noun - Accusative Masculine PluralalikeτεG5037ConjunctionareεἶναιG1510Verb - Present Infinitive ActiveallπάνταςG3956Adjective - Accusative Masculine Pluralunderὑφ’G5259PrepositionsinἁμαρτίανG266Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Verse 10

Original words

AsκαθὼςG2531Adverbit is writtenγέγραπταιG1125Verb - Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular-ὅτιG3754ConjunctionThere isἔστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singularno oneΟὐκG3756AdverbrighteousδίκαιοςG1342Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singularnot evenοὐδὲG3761AdverboneεἷςG1520Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Verse 11

Original words

There isἔστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singularno oneοὐκG3756AdverbwhoG3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularunderstandsσυνίωνG4920Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular-ἔστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singularno oneοὐκG3756AdverbwhoG3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularseeksἐκζητῶνG1567Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular-τὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularGodΘεόνG2316Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Verse 12

Original words

AllπάντεςG3956Adjective - Nominative Masculine Pluralhave turned awayἐξέκλινανG1578Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralvvvἅμαG260Adverbthey have together become worthlessἠχρεώθησανG889Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Pluralthere isἔστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singularno oneοὐκG3756AdverbwhoG3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingulardoesποιῶνG4160Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine SingulargoodχρηστότηταG5544Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular-ἔστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularnotοὐκG3756AdverbevenἕωςG2193PrepositiononeἑνόςG1520Adjective - Genitive Masculine Singular

BSB notes

  • Psalm 14:1–3 and Psalm 53:1–3 (see also LXX)
Verse 13

Original words

TheirαὐτῶνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine Singularthroats [are]λάρυγξG2995Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularopenἀνεῳγμένοςG455Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine SingulargravesτάφοςG5028Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular-ταῖςG3588Article - Dative Feminine PluraltheirαὐτῶνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person PluraltonguesγλώσσαιςG1100Noun - Dative Feminine Pluralpractice deceitἐδολιοῦσανG1387Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural[The] venomἰὸςG2447Noun - Nominative Masculine Singularof vipersἀσπίδωνG785Noun - Genitive Feminine Plural[is] onὑπὸG5259PrepositiontheirαὐτῶνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural-τὰG3588Article - Accusative Neuter PlurallipsχείληG5491Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural

BSB notes

  • Psalm 5:9
  • Psalm 140:3
Verse 14

Original words

[Their]ὧνG3739Personal / Relative Pronoun - Genitive Masculine Plural-τὸG3588Article - Nominative Neuter SingularmouthsστόμαG4750Noun - Nominative Neuter Singularare fullγέμειG1073Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singularof cursingἀρᾶςG685Noun - Genitive Feminine SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionbitternessπικρίαςG4088Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular

BSB notes

  • Psalm 10:7 (see also LXX)
Verse 15

Original words

TheirαὐτῶνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural-οἱG3588Article - Nominative Masculine Pluralfeet [are]πόδεςG4228Noun - Nominative Masculine PluralswiftὀξεῖςG3691Adjective - Nominative Masculine Pluralto shedἐκχέαιG1632Verb - Aorist Infinitive ActivebloodαἷμαG129Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Verse 16

Original words

ruinσύντριμμαG4938Noun - Nominative Neuter SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionmiseryταλαιπωρίαG5004Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular[lie] inἐνG1722PrepositiontheirαὐτῶνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural-ταῖςG3588Article - Dative Feminine PluralwakeὁδοῖςG3598Noun - Dative Feminine Plural
Verse 17

Original words

andκαὶG2532Conjunction[the] wayὁδὸνG3598Noun - Accusative Feminine Singularof peaceεἰρήνηςG1515Noun - Genitive Feminine SingularvvvοὐκG3756Adverbthey have not knownἔγνωσανG1097Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural

BSB notes

  • Isaiah 59:7–8 (see also LXX)
Verse 18

Original words

There isἔστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularnoοὐκG3756AdverbfearφόβοςG5401Noun - Nominative Masculine Singularof GodΘεοῦG2316Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularbeforeἀπέναντιG561PrepositiontheirαὐτῶνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural-τῶνG3588Article - Genitive Masculine PluraleyesὀφθαλμῶνG3788Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural

BSB notes

  • Psalm 36:1
Verse 19

Original words

NowδὲG1161Conjunctionwe knowΟἴδαμενG1492Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 1st Person PluralthatὅτιG3754ConjunctionwhateverὅσαG3745Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter PluraltheG3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularlawνόμοςG3551Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularsaysλέγειG3004Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singularit saysλαλεῖG2980Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singularto those who areτοῖςG3588Article - Dative Masculine PluralunderἐνG1722PrepositiontheτῷG3588Article - Dative Masculine SingularlawνόμῳG3551Noun - Dative Masculine Singularso thatἵναG2443ConjunctioneveryπᾶνG3956Adjective - Nominative Neuter SingularmouthστόμαG4750Noun - Nominative Neuter Singularmay be silencedφραγῇG5420Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Passive - 3rd Person SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctiontheG3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularwholeπᾶςG3956Adjective - Nominative Masculine SingularworldκόσμοςG2889Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular-γένηταιG1096Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Middle - 3rd Person Singularheld accountableὑπόδικοςG5267Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular-τῷG3588Article - Dative Masculine Singularto GodΘεῷG2316Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Verse 20

Original words

ThereforeδιότιG1360ConjunctionnoοὐG3756AdverboneπᾶσαG3956Adjective - Nominative Feminine Singular. . .σὰρξG4561Noun - Nominative Feminine Singularwill be justifiedδικαιωθήσεταιG1344Verb - Future Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singularin His sightἐνώπιονG1799Preposition. . .αὐτοῦG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person SingularbyἐξG1537PrepositionworksἔργωνG2041Noun - Genitive Neuter Pluralof the lawνόμουG3551Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularForγὰρG1063Conjunction[the] lawνόμουG3551Noun - Genitive Masculine Singularmerely bringsδιὰG1223PrepositionawarenessἐπίγνωσιςG1922Noun - Nominative Feminine Singularof sinἁμαρτίαςG266Noun - Genitive Feminine 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.