The Meaning of Romans 3:12 Explained

Romans 3:12

KJV: They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

YLT: All did go out of the way, together they became unprofitable, there is none doing good, there is not even one.

Darby: All have gone out of the way, they have together become unprofitable; there is not one that practises goodness, there is not so much as one:

ASV: They have all turned aside, they are together become unprofitable; There is none that doeth good, no, not, so much as one:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

They are  all  gone out of the way,  they are  together  become unprofitable;  there is  none  that doeth  good,  no, not  one. 

What does Romans 3:12 Mean?

Context Summary

Romans 3:9-20 - All Justly Under Judgment
A number of quotations are advanced-mostly from the Septuagint or Greek version of the Old Testament-establishing the hopeless evil of man's condition. These apply, in the first place, to God's peculiar people, the Jews; but if true of them, how terrible must be the condition of the great heathen world! Every mouth will be stopped and all the world brought in guilty before God, Romans 3:19. Various organs of the body are enumerated, and in each ease some terrible affirmation is made of inbred depravity. What need for salvation! What can atone for such sin, or cleanse such hearts, save the redeeming grace of God?
Law here is obviously employed in the wide sense of conscience as well as Scripture. It is God's ideal held up before our faces, to show us from what we have fallen. The looking-glass is intended, not to wash the face, but to show how much it needs washing. You may commend your soap, and no one will use it; but if you reveal the discoloring filth, people will be only too glad to avail themselves of the cleansing power which otherwise they would neglect and despise. The way to fill the inquiry room is to hold up the divine standard before men's consciences. [source]

Chapter Summary: Romans 3

1  The Jews prerogative;
3  which they have not lost;
9  howbeit the law convinces them also of sin;
20  therefore no one is justified by the law;
28  but all, without difference, by faith, only;
31  and yet the law is not abolished

Greek Commentary for Romans 3:12

They are together become unprofitable [αμα ηχρεωτησαν]
First aorist passive indicative of αχρεοω — achreoō Late word in Polybius and Cilician inscription of first century a.d. Some MSS. read ηχρειωτησαν — ēchreiōthēsan from αχρειος — achreios useless (α — a privative and χρειος — chreios useful) as in Luke 17:10; Matthew 25:30, but Westcott and Hort print as above from the rarer spelling αχρεος — achreos Only here in N.T. The Hebrew word means to go bad, become sour like milk (Lightfoot). [source]
No, not so much as one [ουκ εστιν εως ενος]
“There is not up to one.” [source]
They are together become unprofitable [ἅμα ἠχρειώθησαν]
Only here in the New Testament: Together carries forward the all. The Hebrew of the Psalm means have become corrupt. The Greek word is to become useless. Compare John 15:6. [source]
Good [χρησττότητα]
Only in Paul's writings. The radical idea of the word is profitableness. Compare have become unprofitable. Hence it passes readily into the meaning of wholesomeness. See on Matthew 11:30. It is opposed by Paul to ἀποτομία abruptnessseverity (Romans 11:22). It is rendered kindness in Ephesians 2:7; Colossians 3:12; Galatians 5:22. Paul, and he only, also uses ἀγαθωσύνη for goodness. The distinction as drawn out by Jerome is that ἀγαθωσύνη represents a sterner virtue, showing itself in a zeal for truth which rebukes, corrects, and chastises, as Christ when He purged the temple. Χρηστότης is more gentle, gracious, and kindly Bishop Lightfoot defines it as a kindly disposition to one's neighbor, not necessarily taking a practical form, while ἀγαθωσύνη energizes the χρηστότης . [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Romans 3:12

Romans 15:14 Goodness [ἀγαθωσύνης]
See on Romans 3:12. [source]
Romans 11:22 Goodness and severity [χρηστότητα καὶ ἀποτομίαν]
For goodness, see on Romans 3:12. Ἁποτομία severityonly here in the New Testament. The kindred adverb, ἀποτόμως sharplyoccurs 2 Corinthians 13:10; Titus 1:13. From ἀποτέμνω tocut off. Hence that which is abrupt, sharp. [source]
1 Corinthians 13:4 Is kind [χρηστεύεται]
Only here in the New Testament. See on χρηστὸς , A.V., easy, Matthew 11:30, and see on χρηστότης good Romans 3:12.“The high charity which makes us servantsPrompt to the counsel which controls the world.”Dante, “Paradiso,” xxi., 70, 71. [source]
Galatians 5:22 Goodness [ἀγαθωσύνη]
PoSee on Romans 3:12. [source]
Galatians 5:22 Gentleness [χρηστότης]
See on good, Romans 3:12; see on easy, Matthew 11:30; see on gracious, 1 Peter 2:3. Better, kindness; a kindness which is useful or serviceable. [source]
Colossians 3:12 Kindness [χρηστότητα]
See on Romans 3:12. [source]
1 Thessalonians 4:17 Together with them [ἅμα σὺν αὐτοῖς]
Ἅμα , at the same time, referring to the living. We that are alive shall simultaneously or one and all (comp. Romans 3:12) be caught up. Σὺν αὐτοῖς alongwith them, i.e., the dead. Thus ἅμα is to be const. with shall be caught up. The A.V. and Rev. are inaccurate. These are the important words as related to the disquietude of the Thessalonians. [source]
Titus 3:4 Kindness [χρηστότης]
Only here in Pastorals. Elsewhere only in Paul. See on Romans 3:12, and see on easy, Matthew 11:30. [source]
1 Peter 3:11 Eschew [ἐκκλινάτω]
The old word eschew is from the Norman escheverto shun or avoid. It reappears in the German scheuento be startled or afraid, and in the English shy, and to shy (as a horse). The Greek word here occurs only twice elsewhere (Romans 3:12; Romans 16:17), where Rev. renders turn aside and turn away. It is compounded of ἐκ , out of, and κλίνω , to cause to bend or slope; so that the picture in the word is of one bending aside from his course at the approach of evil. Rev., turn away from. [source]
1 Peter 3:11 Let him turn away [εκκλινατω]
First aorist active imperative third person singular of εκκλινω — ekklinō where the lxx has εκκλινον — ekklinon (second person singular). Old verb, in N.T. only here, Romans 3:12; Romans 16:17. Peter adapted the passage all through to his own construction and use. So as to ποιησατω — poiēsatō (let him do) for ποιησον — poiēson (do thou), ζητησατω — zētēsatō (let him seek) for ζητησον — zētēson (do thou seek), διωχατω — diōxatō (let him pursue) for διωχον — diōxon (do thou pursue), all first aorist active imperatives (of ποιεω ζητεω διωκω — poieōzēteōdiōkō). See Hebrews 12:14 for “pursuing peace.” If men only did! [source]

What do the individual words in Romans 3:12 mean?

All have turned away together they have become worthless none there is who is practicing good not so much as one
πάντες ἐξέκλιναν ἅμα ἠχρεώθησαν οὐκ ἔστιν ποιῶν χρηστότητα οὐκ ἕως ἑνός

ἐξέκλιναν  have  turned  away 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἐκκλίνω  
Sense: to turn aside, deviate (from the right way and course).
ἅμα  together  they 
Parse: Adverb
Root: ἅμα  
Sense: at the same time, at once, together prep.
ἠχρεώθησαν  have  become  worthless 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἀχρειόω  
Sense: make useless, render unserviceable.
οὐκ  none 
Parse: Adverb
Root: οὐ  
Sense: no, not; in direct questions expecting an affirmative answer.
ἔστιν  there  is 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
ποιῶν  is  practicing 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ποιέω  
Sense: to make.
χρηστότητα  good 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: χρηστότης  
Sense: moral goodness, integrity.
ἕως  so  much  as 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἕως  
Sense: till, until.
ἑνός  one 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: εἷς  
Sense: one.