εἷς· (eis) in Romans 3:10: Adjective Nominative Singular Masculine
εἷς· (eis) in Romans 3:10
Textual Witness
The witness reads εἷς in Romans 3:10 within the phrase Οὐκ ἔστι δίκαιος οὐδὲ εἷς.
How The Form Affects Interpretation
The form contributes emphasis to the denial by excluding even one exception, which makes the statement more forceful in context.
How To Communicate It
In translation and teaching, it can be rendered naturally as 'not even one' or 'no one,' depending on the surrounding syntax and style.
What Not To Say
- Grammatical form should serve context, not override it.
- Masculine form here is grammatical, not a direct theological gender statement.
- If syntax is uncertain, keep the reading conservative and avoid overclaiming from form alone.
What Does The Label Mean?
Adjective: the word modifies or characterizes a noun or stands in for one in context, here expressing the idea of one.
Nominative: the form usually marks a subject or a predicate/complement role, and here it fits the clause's negated assertion.
Singular: the form is grammatically singular in this occurrence, pointing to one entity or one case within the statement.
Masculine: the noun class is masculine in form, which does not by itself make a theological or biological gender claim.
What The Form Does In This Verse
οὐδὲ
The form is coordinated with the preceding negation and supports the statement that no righteous person is being affirmed in the clause.
It functions as a nominative substantive-like numeral in the negated predicate, meaning not even one person is included.
It does not introduce a separate subject or change the lemma into another word, and it does not by itself specify who is in view.
How Much The Form Matters Here
High: The substantive numeral intensifies the negated claim that there is not even one righteous person in view.
Substantive numeral in a negated claim. completes the negated statement by excluding even a single exception. Attached to the negation not even. Governed by the quoted statement about righteousness. The numeral gives emphasis, while the quotation and context decide who is in view.
How strong is the negation? The form completes the phrase not even one, intensifying the denial of an exception.
Direct: The substantive numeral directly supports renderings like not even one or no one.
The form intensifies the negation, but the surrounding quotation and argument determine the scope.
Number form alone defines the entire anthropology of the passage: The form emphasizes the statement, but the quotation and Romans 3 argument carry the broader claim. masculine form proves only males are in view: The masculine form is grammatical in this construction and should not be narrowed without contextual support.
How The Interpretation Is Derived
The witness reads εἷς in Romans 3:10 within the phrase Οὐκ ἔστι δίκαιος οὐδὲ εἷς.
The lemma εἷς means 'one' and can function as a numeral or as a substantive in context.
Here the nominative singular form follows οὐδὲ and works with the prior clause to intensify the denial, not even one righteous person.
The verse states a sweeping denial of righteous status within the quoted line, and εἷς sharpens that denial to include no single exception.
In the flow of Romans 3, the form supports Paul's broader argument about universal need and the absence of righteousness apart from God's saving action.
For readers and speakers, the form helps communicate a total negation clearly and forcefully, without needing extra qualifiers.
Do not derive a hidden subject, a standalone theological category, or a claim that grammar alone determines the whole interpretation.