Romans 3:19

“Now we know that what things soever the law saith, etc..] By “the law” is meant, not the law of nature, nor the civil law of nations, nor the ceremonial law of the Jews, nor barely the five books of Moses, nor the book of Psalms, of the Prophets, or the writings of the whole Old Testament; but the moral law, as it appears in the whole word of God, which every man is bound to observe, of which all are transgressors, by which is the knowledge of sin, which no man can be justified by, and which Christ was made under, and came to fulfil. This law is represented as a person speaking, and saying many things, some of which are here mentioned; so, hrwt hrma, “the law says” so and so, is an usual…”

“Now we know that what . . . the law--that is, the Scriptures, considered as a law of duty. saith, it saith to them that are under the law--of course, therefore, to the Jews. that every mouth--opened in self-justification. may be stopped, and all the world may become--that is, be seen to be, and own itself. guilty--and so condemned before God.”

“Now we know - We all admit. It is a conceded plain point. What things soever - Whether given as precepts, or recorded as historical facts. Whatever things are found in the Law. “The law saith.” This means here evidently the Old Testament. From that the apostle had been drawing his arguments, and his train of thought requires us here to understand the whole of the Old Testament by this. The same principle applies, however, to all law, that it speaks only to those to whom it is expressly given. It saith to them ... - It speaks to them for whom it was expressly intended; to them for whom the Law was made. The apostle makes this remark in order to prevent the Jew from evading the force of his…”

“Whatsoever the law - The Old Testament. Saith, it saith to them that are under the law - That is, to those who own its authority; to the Jews, and not the gentiles. St. Paul quoted no scripture against them, but pleaded with them only from the light of nature. Every mouth - Full of bitterness, Rom 3:14, and yet of boasting, Rom 3:27. May become guilty - May be fully convicted, and apparently liable to most just condemnation. These things were written of old, and were quoted by St. Paul, not to make men criminal, but to prove them so. Romans 3:20”

“3:19 Paul speaks of the entire Old Testament as the law (see also 1 Cor 9:8, 9; 14:21, 34; Gal 4:21). • Those to whom it was given (literally those in the law) were the Jews, who were given the Scriptures. • How can Paul conclude that the entire world is guilty before God on the basis of evidence from the Old Testament that Jews are sinful? He argues from the greater to the lesser, a standard Jewish rhetorical technique: If the law shows that the Jews, God’s own people, are guilty, then how much more are the Gentiles, who have not had the benefit of God’s instruction, also guilty.”

“what things: Rom 3:2, Rom 2:12-18; Joh 10:34, Joh 10:35, Joh 15:25; Co1 9:20, Co1 9:21; Gal 3:23, Gal 4:5, Gal 4:21, Gal 5:18 that: Rom 3:4, Rom 1:20, Rom 2:1; Sa1 2:9; Job 5:16, Job 9:2, Job 9:3; Psa 107:42; Eze 16:63; Mat 22:12, Mat 22:13; Joh 8:9; Co1 1:29 and all the: Rom 3:9, Rom 3:23, Rom 2:1, Rom 2:2; Gal 3:10, Gal 3:22 guilty before God: or, subject to the judgment of God Romans 3:20”