The Meaning of Romans 3:11 Explained

Romans 3:11

KJV: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

YLT: There is none who is understanding, there is none who is seeking after God.

Darby: there is not the man that understands, there is not one that seeks after God.

ASV: There is none that understandeth, There is none that seeketh after God;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

There is  none  that understandeth,  there is  none  that seeketh after  God. 

What does Romans 3:11 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 3:11

That understandeth [συνιων]
Present active participle of συνιω — suniō late omega form of μι — ̇mi verb συνιημι — suniēmi to send together, to grasp, to comprehend. Some MSS. have the article ο — ho before it as before εκζητων — ekzētōn (seeking out). [source]
Understandeth [συνιῶν]
See on foolish, Romans 1:21. [source]
Seeketh after [ἐκζητῶν]
Lit., seeketh out. See on 1 Peter 1:10. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Romans 3:11

Romans 8:28 According to his purpose [κατα προτεσιν]
Old word, seen already in Acts 27:13 and for “shewbread” in Matthew 12:4. The verb προτιτημι — protithēmi Paul uses in Romans 3:24 for God‘s purpose. Paul accepts fully human free agency but behind it all and through it all runs God‘s sovereignty as here and on its gracious side (Romans 9:11; Romans 3:11; 2 Timothy 1:9). [source]
1 Timothy 1:4 To fables [μυτοις]
Dative case of old word for speech, narrative, story, fiction, falsehood. In N.T. only 2 Peter 1:16; 1 Timothy 1:4; 1 Timothy 4:7; Titus 1:14; 2 Timothy 4:4. Genealogies (γενεαλογιαις — genealogiais). Dative of old word, in lxx, in N.T. only here and Titus 3:9. Endless Old verbal compound (from α — a privative and περαινω — perainō to go through), in lxx, only here in N.T. Excellent examples there for old words used only in the Pastorals because of the subject matter, describing the Gnostic emphasis on aeons. Questionings (εκζητησεις — ekzētēseis). “Seekings out.” Late and rare compound from εκζητεω — ekzēteō (itself Koiné{[28928]}š word, Romans 3:11 from lxx and in papyri). Here only in N.T. Simplex ζητησις — zētēsis in Acts 15:2; 1 Timothy 6:4; Titus 3:9; 2 Timothy 2:23. A dispensation Pauline word (1 Corinthians 9:17; Colossians 1:25; Ephesians 1:9; Ephesians 3:9; 1 Timothy 1:4), Luke 16:2-4 only other N.T. examples. In faith (εν πιστει — en pistei). Pauline use of πιστις — pistis f0). [source]
1 Timothy 1:4 Endless [απεραντοις]
Old verbal compound (from α — a privative and περαινω — perainō to go through), in lxx, only here in N.T. Excellent examples there for old words used only in the Pastorals because of the subject matter, describing the Gnostic emphasis on aeons. Questionings (εκζητησεις — ekzētēseis). “Seekings out.” Late and rare compound from εκζητεω — ekzēteō (itself Koiné{[28928]}š word, Romans 3:11 from lxx and in papyri). Here only in N.T. Simplex ζητησις — zētēsis in Acts 15:2; 1 Timothy 6:4; Titus 3:9; 2 Timothy 2:23. A dispensation Pauline word (1 Corinthians 9:17; Colossians 1:25; Ephesians 1:9; Ephesians 3:9; 1 Timothy 1:4), Luke 16:2-4 only other N.T. examples. In faith (εν πιστει — en pistei). Pauline use of πιστις — pistis f0). [source]
1 Timothy 1:4 Questionings [εκζητησεις]
“Seekings out.” Late and rare compound from εκζητεω — ekzēteō (itself Koiné{[28928]}š word, Romans 3:11 from lxx and in papyri). Here only in N.T. Simplex ζητησις — zētēsis in Acts 15:2; 1 Timothy 6:4; Titus 3:9; 2 Timothy 2:23. [source]
Hebrews 11:6 Of them that diligently seek him [τοῖς ἐκζητοῦσιν αὐτὸν]
Lit. unto them that seek him out. Comp. Acts 15:17; Hebrews 12:17; 1 Peter 1:10. The verb is used of seeking God, Romans 3:11. God's beneficent will and attitude toward the seeker are not always apparent at the first approach. In such cases there is occasion for faith, in the face of delay, that diligent seeking will find its reward. One is reminded of Jesus' lessons on importunity in seeking God, Luke 11:5-10; Luke 18:1-8.He hides himself so wondrouslyAs though there were no God;He is least seen when all the powersOf ill are most abroad.Or he deserts us at the hourThe fight is almost lost,And seems to leave us to ourselvesJust when we need him most.It is not so, but so it looks;And we lose courage then;And doubts will come if God hath keptHis promises to men.”Faber. [source]

What do the individual words in Romans 3:11 mean?

none there is - understanding seeking after - God
οὐκ ἔστιν συνίων ἐκζητῶν τὸν Θεόν

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.
  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
συνίων  understanding 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: συνίημι 
Sense: to set or bring together.
ἐκζητῶν  seeking  after 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἐκζητέω  
Sense: to seek out, search for.
τὸν  - 
Parse: Article, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Θεόν  God 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: θεός  
Sense: a god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities.