Romans 3:12
in Romans 3All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
They have all turned aside, they are together become unprofitable; There is none that doeth good, no, not so much as one:
KJV
They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
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This verse in Romans 3
Commentary
16 notes on this verse“All have turned aside, together they have become useless.” It seems to me that he is not said to have turned aside except one who at some time stood on the straight road. From this it appears that that first work of rational nature, which was made by God, was upright, and was set upon the straight road by the gift of the Creator himself.
This site's exposition
There is no one righteous
on Romans 3:10-12
The verdict now comes from Scripture itself. Three lines open the chain: no one righteous, no one who understands, and no one seeking God. All have turned away and together become worthless, and the denial has reached desire as well as deed.
This site's exposition
All have turned away
Origen presses the verb: only a man who once stood on the right way could have turned away from it. Theodore of Mopsuestia sees David's words as a fair summary of Paul's own day. Matthew Henry adds that those who forsake God soon become worthless.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
No one doubts that those who do not look to God for help are inclined to seek help from vain things, and vanity is an idol. Thus they become useless. Once that happens they cannot do good either, for those who have already fallen just …
A commentator
Theodore of MopsuestiaPAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH · Written before 428.
proposed
Paul did not treat this passage as if it were prophetic but rather because what David said about transgressors was still a good summary of what was going on in Paul's day. Even now we still cite texts of this kind in our sermons, because …
"What then have we more than they? For we have proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin. As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one." He had accused the Gentiles, he had accused the Jews; it came next in order to mention the righteousness which is by faith. For if the law of nature availed not, and the written Law was of no advantage, but both weighed down those that used them not aright, and made it plain that they were worthy of greater punishment, then after this the salvation which is by grace was necessary. Speak then of it, O Paul, and display it. But as yet he does not venture, as having an eye to the violence of the Jews, and so turns afresh to his accusation of them; and first he brings in as accuser, David speaking of the same things at length, which Isaiah mentioned all in short compass, so furnishing a strong curb for them, so that they might not bound off, nor any of his hearers, while the matters of faith were laid open to them, might after this start away; being beforehand safely held down by the accusations of the prophets. For there are three excesses which the prophet lays down; he says that all of them together did evil, and that they did not do good indifferently with evil, but that they followed after wickedness alone, and followed it also with all earnestness. And next that they should not say, "What then, if these things were said to others?" he goes on:
The Medieval Church2 voices
Furthermore, as soon as anyone turns away from good, he immediately becomes useless. For vice is nothing other than a perversion of the natural impulses toward good; therefore, by driving a person toward what is contrary to nature, it renders him useless. For nature no …
Then he removes the good works themselves. First, he cites offenses against the divine law when he says, all have turned out of the way, namely, from regulation by divine law: they have all turned to their own way (Isa 56:11). Second, failure to pursue …
8 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
A commentator
BonaventureCollations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 14 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
The Scripture shut up all things under sin, the first through ignorance, the second through weakness, and the third through malice, so that when Christ came, He could have mercy on them all. And the Apostle wonders at this, and quotes the authority of the …
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
Those that have forsaken God soon grow good for nothing, useless burdens of the earth. Those that are in a state of sin are the most unprofitable creatures under the sun; for it follows, [5.] There is none that doeth good; no, not a just man upon the earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not, Eccl. vii.
He argues thence that justification must needs be by faith, and not by the law, which he gives several reasons for (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Does this recommend us to God, or will this justify us? No, by no means." Or, "Are we Christians (Jews and Gentiles) so much better antecedently than the unbelieving part as to have merited God's grace? Alas! no: before free grace made the difference, those of us that had been Jews and those that had been Gentiles were all alike corrupted." They are all under sin.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
They are all gone out of the way,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
They are all gone out of the way - παντες εξεκλιναν, they have all diverged from the right way, they have either abandoned or corrupted the worship of God: the Jews, in forsaking the law and the prophets, and the Gentiles, in acting contrary to the law which God had written on their hearts. And the departure of both from the truth proves the evil propensity of human nature in general. They are together become unprofitable - ηχρειωθησαν.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
As it is written, &c.-- (Ps 14:1-3; These statements of the Psalmist were indeed suggested by particular manifestations of human depravity occurring under his own eye; but as this only showed what man, when unrestrained, is in his present condition, they were quite pertinent to the apostle's purpose.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
They have all gone out of the way - They have “declined” from the true path of piety and virtue. They are together - They have at the same time; or they have equally become unprofitable. They are as one; they are joined, or united in this declension. The expression denotes union, or similarity. Become unprofitable - This word in Hebrew means to become “putrid” and “offensive,” like fruit that is spoiled. In Arabic, it is applied to “milk” that becomes sour. Applied to moral subjects, it means to become corrupt and useless. They are of no value in regard to works of righteousness. There is none ... - This is taken literally from the Hebrew.
The words behind it
13 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| πάντες | pantes | All | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| ἐξέκλιναν, | exeklinan | turned away, | G1578 → | |
| ἅμα | hama | together | G260 → | |
| ἠχρεώθησαν· | echreothesan | they became worthless; | G889 → | |
| οὐκ | ouk | none | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| ἔστιν | estin | there is | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| ὁ | ho | who | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ποιῶν | poion | is practicing | G4160 → | 569 times |
| χρηστότητα, | chrestoteta | good, | G5544 → | 10 times |
| οὐκ | ouk | not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| ἔστιν | estin | there is | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| ἕως | he'os | so much as | G2193 → | |
| ἑνός. | henos | one. | G1520 → | 343 times |
πάντεςAll
pantesG3956 →1235 times
ἐξέκλιναν,turned away,
exeklinanG1578 →
ἅμαtogether
hamaG260 →
ἠχρεώθησαν·they became worthless;
echreothesanG889 →
οὐκnone
oukG3756 →1664 times
ἔστινthere is
estinG1510 →2333 times
ὁwho
hoG3588 →19766 times
ποιῶνis practicing
poionG4160 →569 times
χρηστότητα,good,
chrestotetaG5544 →10 times
οὐκnot
oukG3756 →1664 times
ἔστινthere is
estinG1510 →2333 times
ἕωςso much as
he'osG2193 →
ἑνός.one.
henosG1520 →343 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 14:3All have turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.
it leads to
- Isaiah 53:6
We all like sheep have gone astray, each one has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Romans 3:23
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Romans 3:10–12
As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one.
- Isaiah 64:6
Each of us has become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.
- Psalms 14:1
The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt; their acts are vile. There is no one who does good.
- Isaiah 53:6
Through
Isaiah 53:6We all like sheep have gone astray, each one has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all.
it leads to
- 1 Peter 2:25
For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
- 1 Peter 3:18
For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit,
- 1 Peter 2:25
Through
Isaiah 64:6Each of us has become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.
it leads to
- Romans 7:18
I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh; for I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
- Romans 7:18
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies17
On this verse
On this chapter
About Romans
This page draws on 13 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrosiaster, COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES; Bonaventure, Collations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 14; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans; John Chrysostom, Homily on Romans 7; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS; Theodore of Mopsuestia, PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Romans and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Romans.