Romans 3:19

Romans 3:19 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
• New International Version (NIV)Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

Context of Romans 3:19

17They have never known how to live in peace. 18They refuse to respect God in any way.’ So, we know that God's Law belongs to the Jews. God told them to obey everything that his Law teaches. As a result, nobody can say: ‘God should not punish me.’ Everybody in the world must stand in front of God and he will judge them. 20God's Law shows people clearly that they have done wrong things. Nobody can become right with God because they obey that Law. 21But now we know how to become right with God. God has shown us the way that he will accept people as right with himself. This way is not part of the Law that he gave to Moses. But God's Law and the messages of his prophets have told us about it.

Romans 3:19 word by word

οἴδαμεν δὲ ὅτι ὅσα ὁ νόμος λέγει τοῖς ἐν τῷ νόμῳ λαλεῖ, ἵνα πᾶν στόμα φραγῇ, καὶ ὑπόδικος γένηται πᾶς ὁ κόσμος τῷ θεῷ.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Nowδέde · thenG1161
• we knowεἴδωeidō · to perceive: understandG1492
• thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• what things soeverὅσοςhosos · just as/how muchG3745
• the lawὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
• saithλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• it saithλαλέωlaleō · to speakG2980
• underἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• everyπᾶςpas · allG3956
• mouthστόμαstoma · mouthG4750
• may be stoppedφράσσωphrassō · to stopG5420
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• the worldκόσμοςkosmos · worldG2889
• may becomeγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
• guiltyὑπόδικοςhupodikos · accountableG5267
• before Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316

Cross-references for Romans 3:19

• Romans 3:2Yes, it helps in many ways. The first is that God chose to give his messages to the Jewish people.
• Romans 2:12The Gentiles do not have God's Law that he gave to Moses. If Gentiles do wrong things, God will punish them. But he will not use his Law when he judges the Gentiles. But the Jews do have God's Law. So, if Jews do wrong things, God will use his Law to judge them. The Law will show that they have done wrong things.
• John 10:34Jesus answered them, ‘It is written in your own books of God's Law that God said, “You are gods.”
• John 15:25Their book of God's Law says, “They hated me without any good reason.” What that book already said long ago had to happen.
• 1 Corinthians 9:20When I was among Jews, I lived like they do, because I wanted to bring Jews to Christ. The Law that God gave to Moses no longer has authority over me. But I chose to obey that Law when I was among Jewish people who obey it. I did that so that I could help them to believe in Christ.
• Galatians 3:23But before God showed us the way of faith, the Law had authority over us. God's Law kept us safe, until God showed us that we must believe in Christ.
• Galatians 4:5In that way, he made us free from the authority of the Law. Before that, we were like slaves under the Law. But God's Son paid our debt, so that God would accept us as his true children.
• Galatians 5:18But if God's Spirit leads you, then the rules of God's Law have no authority over you.
• Romans 3:4No, certainly it does not mean that! God will always do what he says. He will always say what is true, even if everyone in the world should tell lies. This is what is written in the Bible: ‘Your message is true. It shows that you are right. People may say that you are wrong. But it will always be clear that you are right.’
• Romans 1:20Ever since God made the world, he has been showing people clearly about himself. We cannot see God. But the things that he has made show us clearly what he is like. We can understand his great power that continues for ever. We can know that he is the true God. So there is no reason for anyone to say, ‘We could not know about God.’
• Romans 2:1So I say this to each one of you: Do not judge other people. If you decide that someone else has done a bad thing, remember that you also do the same bad things. You are really saying that God should punish you also! When you judge someone, God will not punish them and then forgive you.
• 1 Samuel 2:9He takes care of his faithful people. But he puts wicked people in a dark place where they can do nothing. It is not a person's own strength that makes him great.
• Job 5:16So poor people can hope for justice. Wicked people have to be quiet.
• Job 9:2‘The things that you have said are true. But nobody can show God that he is completely good.
• Psalms 107:42Good people see what God has done, and it makes them happy. Wicked people have nothing to say!
• Ezekiel 16:63I will forgive you for your sins so that you are no longer guilty. Then you will remember your sins. You will be too ashamed to say anything. That is what the Almighty Lord says.” ’

Commentaries on Romans 3:19

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 19What things soever the law saith - That the word law, here, does not mean the pentateuch, is evident from the preceding quotations, not one of which is taken from that work. Either the term law must here mean the Jewish writings in general, or that rule of moral conduct which God had given to both Jews and Gentiles: to the former in their own Scriptures; to the latter in that law written in their hearts by his own Spirit, and acknowledged in their written…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 19Now 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…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 19-20Verses 19-20 It is in vain to seek for justification by the works of the law. All must plead guilty. Guilty before God, is a dreadful word; but no man can be justified by a law which condemns him for breaking it. The corruption in our nature, will for ever stop any justification by our own works.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 19Paul refers to the entire Old Testament as the law (see also 1 Corinthians 9:8, 9; 14:21, 34; Galatians 4:21). The Jews, who received the Scriptures, were those to whom God gave the law (literally, those in the law). How can Paul conclude that the whole world [is] held accountable to God based on Old Testament evidence that Jews are sinful? He uses a common Jewish technique of argument, reasoning from the greater idea to the lesser. The law shows that the…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1919. 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.Read the comment

Topics related to Romans 3:19

• Bigotry
• Boasting
• Depravity of Man

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Boasting
• Conclude
• Destruction
• Establish
• Faith
• Fall of man
• Justifier
• Overcome

Commentaries on Romans 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings