Section 3:9–20
The Jews also are sinners
In this section, Paul used quotations from the Old Testament to show that the Jews sin against God. They are not better than the Gentiles. God will hold them responsible for their sins. Paul also said that when someone follows the law of Moses, that does not make God say he is righteous.
Here are other possible headings for this section:
Both Jews and Gentiles sin
-or-
No One is Righteous (New International Version)
-or-
Everyone has sinned
Paragraph 3:9–18
3:9a–b
Are we any better? Not at all: This is a rhetorical question and its answer. The rhetorical question causes the reader to think of what might be the answer. Paul then told what the answer was. Here are some ways to translate this:
• As a rhetorical question and its answer. For example:
Do we have any advantage? Not at all! (New International Version (2011))
-or-
are we Jews better than others? No! (New Century Version)
-or-
Is the status of the Jews in God’s estimation better than that of the Gentiles? No
• As a statement. For example:
We Jews are not better off, no, not at all.
-or-
We Jews have no advantage ⌊over the Gentiles⌋. No none at all.
-or-
The status of the Jews in God’s estimation is no better than that of the Gentiles. No.
Many Jews thought that they were better than the Gentiles/Greeks because they had God’s word and God chose them to be his people. Paul asked this question and answered “no” to show that Jews also were sinners.
3:9a
What then?: This is a rhetorical question. It causes the reader to think about what the answer might be. Paul used it to introduce the next question. Here are other ways to translate this question:
What does all this mean? (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
What shall we conclude then? (New International Version)
-or-
What then will we say?
we: Some English versions add the word “Jews” here. In 3:9c, Paul spoke of Jews and Greeks, so he would include himself with the Jews in this case.
any better: Here this phrase means “to have an advantage.” It compares one group with another and indicates that one is better than the other. See the examples above.
3:9b
Not at all: The Greek words are more literally “not certainly” or “not entirely.” But many English versions and scholars translate the Greek as Not at all (Berean Standard Bible) or “Certainly not” (NET Bible). Some English versions add the word “No,” perhaps for a more natural English expression. Here are other ways to translate these words:
By no means!
-or-
Certainly not! (NET Bible)
3:9c
For: This conjunction introduces an explanation of “Are we any better? Not at all!” in 3:9a–b. In some languages it is more natural to omit this conjunction and allow the context to imply that connection. For example:
we have already… (New Jerusalem Bible)
we: This pronoun refers to Paul as the writer of this letter (1:1). The style of using we when only one person is speaking or writing occurs in Greek literature and in the Bible.
It does not refer to the same people as “we” in 3:9a. You may want to use “I” to indicate that Paul was not including Jews here. For example:
I (Good News Translation)
have already made the charge: This phrase means “accused beforehand.” Paul said earlier in this letter that Jews and non-Jews are sinners. Now he reminded his readers that he said that. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:
have already accused (God’s Word)
-or-
said before that they were to blame
-or-
already said that…are all guilty (New Century Version)
-or-
already said that…all have sin
Greeks: The basic meaning of this word is “people who are from Greece.” But in the New Testament the word usually refers to anyone who is not a Jew. So it includes Romans and other non-Jewish peoples. In some languages a literal translation would wrongly refer only to people from Greece. If that is true in your language, you may want to:
• Use a more general word. For example:
Gentiles (Contemporary English Version)
• Translate the literal meaning and explain it in a footnote. Here is an example footnote:
This word in the New Testament usually refers to anyone who is not a Jew.
under sin: There are two ways to interpret the Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as under sin :
(1) It means that all people are sinners. For example:
guilty of sin (New Century Version)
(New Century Version)
(2) It means that all people are under the power of sin. For example:
under the dominion of sin (New Jerusalem Bible)
(Revised Standard Version, New International Version (2011), Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, Revised Edition, New Living Translation (2004), God’s Word, Contemporary English Version, Revised English Bible)
The Berean Standard Bible, New International Version (1984), English Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, King James Version, and NET Bible translate literally, but the phrase under sin is not clear as to its exact meaning in English. It could mean interpretation (1) or (2). If a literal translation in your language allows for interpretation (1), you may want to translate that way.
But if a literal translation in your language will only follow interpretation (2), it is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), because the examples of under sin in 3:10–18 clearly refer to people responsible for their sin and not to sin controlling them. Also, interpretation (1) fits better with the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as “we have already made the charge,” as those responsible rather than being victims.
Here are other ways to translate this phrase according to interpretation (1):
are sinners
-or-
sin habitually
sin: This word refers to doing something that God said is wrong to do, or not doing something that God said they should do.
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