11 There is none who is understanding, there is none who is seeking after God.
God from the heavens looked on the sons of men, To see if there be an understanding one, `One' seeking God.
Jehovah from the heavens Hath looked on the sons of men, To see if there is a wise one -- seeking God. The whole have turned aside, Together they have been filthy: There is not a doer of good, not even one. Have all working iniquity not known? Those consuming my people have eaten bread, Jehovah they have not called.
For my people `are' foolish, me they have not known, Foolish sons `are' they, yea, they `are' not intelligent, Wise `are' they to do evil, And to do good they have not known.
and we have known that the Son of God is come, and hath given us a mind, that we may know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ; this one is the true God and the life age-during!
And, according as they did not approve of having God in knowledge, God gave them up to a disapproved mind, to do the things not seemly;
`Because of this, in similes do I speak to them, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor understand, and fulfilled on them is the prophecy of Isaiah, that saith, With hearing ye shall hear, and ye shall not understand, and seeing ye shall see, and ye shall not perceive,
And humbled hath been the excellency of Israel to his face, And they have not turned back unto Jehovah their God, Nor have they sought Him for all this.
I have been inquired of by those who asked not, I have been found by those who sought Me not, I have said, `Behold Me, behold Me,' Unto a nation not calling in My name.
Seek ye Jehovah, while He is found, Call ye Him, while He is near,
In the withering of its branch it is broken off, Women are coming in setting it on fire, For it `is' not a people of understanding, Therefore pity it not doth its Maker, And its Former doth not favour it.
And the people hath not turned back unto Him who is smiting it, And Jehovah of Hosts they have not sought.
`Till when, ye simple, do ye love simplicity? And have scorners their scorning desired? And do fools hate knowledge?
Fear of Jehovah `is' a beginning of knowledge, Wisdom and instruction fools have despised!
What `is' the Mighty One that we serve Him? And what do we profit when we meet with Him?' Lo, not in their hand `is' their good, (The counsel of the wicked Hath been far from me.)
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Romans 3
Commentary on Romans 3 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 3
The apostle, in this chapter, carries on his discourse concerning justification. He had already proved the guilt both of Gentiles and Jews. Now in this chapter,
The many digressions in his writings render his discourse sometimes a little difficult, but his scope is evident.
Rom 3:1-18
Rom 3:19-31
From all this Paul infers that it is in vain to look for justification by the works of the law, and that it is to be had only by faith, which is the point he has been all along proving, from ch. 1:17, and which he lays down (v. 28) as the summary of his discourse, with a quod erat demonstrandu-hich was to be demonstrated. We conclude that a man is justified by faith, without the deeds of the law; not by the deeds of the first law of pure innocence, which left no room for repentance, nor the deeds of the law of nature, how highly soever improved, nor the deeds of the ceremonial law (the blood of bulls and goats could not take away sin), nor the deeds of the moral law, which are certainly included, for he speaks of that law by which is the knowledge of sin and those works which might be matter of boasting. Man, in his depraved state, under the power of such corruption, could never, by any works of his own, gain acceptance with God; but it must be resolved purely into the free grace of God, given through Jesus Christ to all true believers that receive it as a free gift. If we had never sinned, our obedience to the law would have been our righteousness: "Do this, and live.' But having sinned, and being corrupted, nothing that we can do will atone for our former guilt. It was by their obedience to the moral law that the Pharisees looked for justification, Lu. 18:11. Now there are two things from which the apostle here argues: the guiltiness of man, to prove that we cannot be justified by the works of the law, and the glory of God, to prove that we must be justified by faith.