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.
Romans 3:12 nkjv
They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one."
Romans 3:12 niv
All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one."
Romans 3:12 esv
All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one."
Romans 3:12 nlt
All have turned away;
all have become useless.
No one does good,
not a single one."
Romans 3 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference Note |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 14:3 | They have all turned aside; they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one. | Direct OT source for Rom 3:12. |
| Ps 53:3 | Every one of them has turned aside; they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one. | Parallel OT source, reinforcing the point. |
| Rom 3:9-10 | What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin... as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one..." | Immediate context, affirming universal sin. |
| Rom 3:23 | For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. | Universal scope of sin, lack of God's standard. |
| Rom 5:12 | Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned. | Origin of universal sinfulness in Adam. |
| Isa 53:6 | All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way... | Depravity described as turning away from God. |
| Ecc 7:20 | Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins. | Acknowledges universal human sinfulness. |
| Gen 6:5 | The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. | Depravity of human heart prior to the flood. |
| Jer 17:9 | The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? | Root of human inability to do good from within. |
| Mk 10:18 | Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone." | Defines ultimate goodness as belonging to God alone. |
| Tit 3:3 | For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. | Describes former state of human depravity. |
| Eph 2:1-3 | You were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world... among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh... | Humanity's spiritual death and natural inclination. |
| Job 15:14 | What is man, that he should be clean? Or he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous? | Questions human capacity for righteousness. |
| 1 Jn 1:8 | If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. | Denying sin is self-deception. |
| Gal 3:22 | But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. | Purpose of Scripture to reveal universal sin. |
| Jn 3:19 | This is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. | Preference for evil over light, indicating nature. |
| 1 Cor 2:14 | The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he cannot understand them because they are spiritually discerned. | Natural man's inability to comprehend spiritual truth. |
| Mt 7:17-18 | Every healthy tree bears good fruit, but a diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. | Analogy for nature producing specific fruit. |
| Rom 6:20 | For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. | Demonstrates being under the power of sin. |
| Isa 64:6 | We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. | Even "righteous" acts tainted by human sin. |
Romans 3 verses
Romans 3 12 Meaning
Romans 3:12 asserts the universal moral depravity and spiritual uselessness of humanity before God. It declares that all people have deviated from God's righteous standard, collectively rendering themselves corrupted and incapable of truly pleasing God by doing what is inherently good from a pure heart. This is not to say that people cannot perform outwardly civil or beneficial acts, but that no one's innate human goodness meets God's holy and perfect standard or seeks Him from a pure motive.
Romans 3 12 Context
Romans 3:12 is a crucial component of Paul's extended argument, starting in Rom 1:18, that all humanity—both Gentiles and Jews—is without excuse and universally guilty before God. Paul systematically breaks down any claim to human righteousness or advantage, especially for those relying on the Law or circumcision. Verses 10-18 form a powerful catena (a chain or mosaic) of Old Testament scriptures (primarily from Psalms and Isaiah), assembled by Paul to underscore the pervasive and inescapable reality of human sinfulness. This particular verse, drawn from Ps 14:3 and Ps 53:3, serves as an undeniable indictment of humanity's inability to pursue God or perform true good according to His perfect standard. This comprehensive declaration of universal sin sets the stage for Paul's grand reveal of God's solution: righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ (Rom 3:21ff).
Romans 3 12 Word analysis
All (πάντες - pantes): This Greek term emphasizes totality and universality. It unequivocally states that this condition applies without exception to every human being, reinforcing the conclusion drawn in Rom 3:9 that "all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin."
have turned aside (ἐξέκλιναν - exeklinan): Derived from ekklino, meaning "to bend out," "to turn away from the right path," or "to deviate." It implies a departure from a known standard—God's revealed path of righteousness. It suggests an active and conscious choice, inherited through humanity's fallen nature, to abandon the way of God for one's own way.
together (ἅμα - hama): Signifies simultaneously, at the same time, or jointly. It underlines the collective and widespread nature of this deviation, indicating that humanity shares in this turning away, not merely as isolated incidents but as a pervasive condition.
they have become worthless (ἠχρειώθησαν - ēchreiōthēsan): From achreioō, meaning "to make useless," "to render unprofitable," or "to corrupt." In the passive voice, it indicates a state of having been rendered useless or corrupted. This describes a moral degeneration and spiritual defilement that makes humanity unfit for God's purposes or pleasing Him by their own efforts. They have become defiled, akin to spoiled goods or a field that yields no harvest.
no one does good (οὐκ ἔστιν ποιῶν χρηστότητα - ouk estin poiōn chrēstotēta): This is an emphatic double negative in Greek (οὐκ ἔστιν...οὐδὲ εἷς). Poion (doing) comes from poieō (to make, to do). Chrēstotēs means "goodness," "kindness," or "moral excellence." This phrase denies any human capacity for innate, self-generated good that aligns with God's perfect and holy standard. It’s not a denial of common human kindness or civic morality but an assertion that no human, from their fallen nature, acts with perfect righteousness and pure motive that is pleasing to God.
not even one (οὐδὲ εἷς - oude heis): This extremely strong negative phrase reiterates and emphasizes the absolute universality of the prior statement. It leaves no room for exception, underscoring that no individual human being, without divine intervention, achieves this true goodness.
Words-group analysis:
- "All have turned aside; together they have become worthless": This combined phrase illustrates humanity's collective rebellion against God's way, leading to a state of profound moral corruption and spiritual uselessness in His eyes. It speaks to a fundamental reorientation of human will away from God, resulting in spiritual bankruptcy.
- "no one does good, not even one": This emphatic declaration highlights humanity's utter inability to produce genuine, unblemished moral goodness in accordance with God's holy character. It underscores the absence of spiritual uprightness and right motivation stemming from human nature alone. It provides the stark background against which the concept of God's freely given righteousness through Christ will be presented as the only solution.
Romans 3 12 Bonus section
- Theological Foundation: This verse, as part of Rom 3:10-18, is crucial for understanding the biblical doctrine of Total Depravity. It signifies that sin has affected every part of a person's being—intellect, emotions, will, and conscience—making them utterly incapable of doing good that meets God's holy standard or seeking God truly on their own terms.
- A Pervasive Lie Countered: The concept expressed here directly opposes prevailing ancient and modern philosophies that assert the innate goodness of humanity or the idea that human beings can, by self-effort, attain spiritual righteousness. Paul, through this citation, shows that humanistic optimism about self-improvement misses the core problem of sin's corruption.
- Pre-requisite for Grace: Understanding the bleak picture painted in this verse is essential for truly appreciating the good news of justification by faith. If humanity were not utterly lost and helpless, the cross of Christ would seem excessive or unnecessary. The universal 'no one does good' makes 'God's amazing grace' (Eph 2:8-9) profoundly meaningful.
- Corporate Guilt and State: The phrase "together they have become worthless" emphasizes a collective state of corruption, not just individual isolated acts of wrongdoing. It describes humanity's inherent condition resulting from the fall in Adam, shared by all who are naturally born into the world.
Romans 3 12 Commentary
Romans 3:12 is a stark but foundational statement concerning the fallen nature of humanity. Drawn directly from Old Testament Psalms, Paul employs it as part of his irrefutable argument that both Jew and Gentile are equally "under sin" (Rom 3:9). This verse effectively demolishes any notion of inherent human goodness, self-righteousness, or ability to merit God's favor. "All have turned aside" signifies a collective and deliberate deviation from God's righteous path, indicative of an inherent spiritual rebellion. This deviation leads to being "worthless" or corrupted, meaning humanity is spiritually unproductive and defiled in God's sight. The powerful negation, "no one does good, not even one," seals the argument: by nature, humanity possesses no capacity to perform truly good deeds—deeds that perfectly conform to God's holiness and originate from a pure heart motivated solely by love for Him. This universal condemnation does not deny that individuals may perform acts considered good in a civil or societal context; rather, it refers to spiritual goodness that meets God’s perfect standard. This verse establishes the crucial problem of sin, thus powerfully setting the stage for the Gospel's solution—God's righteousness provided freely through faith in Jesus Christ (Rom 3:21-26). It compels a humble recognition of our desperate need for a Savior, demonstrating that salvation must come entirely from God as a gift of grace, not as a reward for human merit.