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Romans 3:11

New Testament Epistle (Pauline) ASV (1901)

What does Romans 3:11 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “There is none that understandeth, There is none that seeketh after God;” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

There is none that understandeth, There is none that seeketh after God;
Romans 3:11 — American Standard Version

Context — Romans 3

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
8and why not (as we are slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say), Let us do evil, that good may come? whose condemnation is just.
9What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we before laid to the charge both of Jews and Greeks, that they are all under sin;
10as it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one;
11There is none that understandeth, There is none that seeketh after God;
12They have all turned aside, they are together become unprofitable; There is none that doeth good, no, not, so much as one:
13Their throat is an open sepulchre; With their tongues they have used deceit: The poison of asps is under their lips:
14Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
← Romans 3:10Romans 3:12 →
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What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“There is none that understandeth, etc..] This is rightly concluded, from what the Psalmist says, (<191402>Psalm 14:2), “The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men”, on all the children of men, Jews and Gentiles, “to see if there were any that did understand”; and it appears, upon this survey of them, there was not one understanding person among them: man thinks himself a very wise and understanding creature, though he is born a very ignorant one: true indeed, he has not lost by sin the natural faculty of the understanding, so as to become like the horse and mule, which are without any; and it must be allowed, that natural men have some understanding of things natural, civil,…”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“There is none that understandeth - In the Hebrew Psalms 14:2, God is represented as looking down from heaven to see, that is, to make investigation, whether there were any that understood or sought after him. This circumstance gives not only high poetic beauty to the passage, but deep solemnity and awfulness. God, the searcher of hearts, is represented as making investigation on this very point. He looks down from heaven for this very purpose, to ascertain whether there were any righteous. In the Hebrew it is not asserted, though it is clearly and strongly implied, that none such were found. That fact the apostle “states.” If, as the result of such an investigation, none were found; if God…”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“There is none that understandeth - The things of God. Romans 3:12”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“none that understandeth: Rom 1:22, Rom 1:28; Psa 14:2-4, Psa 53:2, Psa 53:4, Psa 94:8; Pro 1:7, Pro 1:22, Pro 1:29, Pro 1:30; Isa 27:11; Jer 4:22; Hos 4:6; Mat 13:13, Mat 13:14, Mat 13:19; Tit 3:3; Jo1 5:20 seeketh: Rom 8:7; Job 21:15, Job 21:16; Isa 9:13, Isa 31:1, Isa 55:6, Isa 65:1; Hos 7:10 Romans 3:12”
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Related study paths

Read Romans 3 in contextBrowse Greek word studiesOpen this verse in the study reader

Sources and verification