Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Romans 3:11
There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
There is none that understandeth – In the Hebrew Psa 14:2, God is represented as looking down from heaven to see, that is, to make investigation, whether there were any that understood or sought after him. This circumstance gives not only high poetic beauty to the passage, but deep solemnity and awfulness. God, the searcher of hearts, is represented as making investigation on this very point. He looks down from heaven for this very purpose, to ascertain whether there were any righteous. In the Hebrew it is not asserted, though it is clearly and strongly implied, that none such were found. That fact the apostle states. If, as the result of such an investigation, none were found; if God did not specify that there were any such; then it follows that there were none. For none could escape the notice of his eye; and if there had been any, the benevolence of his heart would have led him to record it. To understand is used in the sense of being wise; or of having such a state of moral feeling as to dispose them to serve and obey God. The word is often used in the Bible, not to denote a mere intellectual operation of the mind, but the state of the heart inclining the mind to obey and worship God; Psa 107:43; Psa 119:27, Psa 119:100; Pro 5:5; Isa 6:10; Lest they should understand with their heart, etc.
That seeketh after God – That endeavors to know and do his will, and to be acquainted with his character. A disposition not to seek after God, that is, to neglect and forget him, is one of the most decided proofs of depravity. A righteous man counts it his highest privilege and honor to know God, and to understand his will. A man can indulge in wickedness only by forgetting God. Hence, a disposition not to seek God is full proof of depravity.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
There is none that understandeth; a more particular proof of the corruption of the soul, and the faculties thereof; and first of the mind, taken out of the forecited Psalms, which may be compared with the scriptures which speak of the ignorance and blindness of the mind, Deu 32:29; Job 32:9; Isa 1:3; Jer 4:22; 10:14.
There is none that seeketh after God; a proof of the corruption of the will, which follows also in the forecited Psalms.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
There is none that understandeth,…. This is rightly concluded, from what the Psalmist says, Ps 14:2, “The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men”, on all the children of men, Jews and Gentiles, “to see if there were any that did understand”; and it appears, upon this survey of them, there was not one understanding person among them: man thinks himself a very wise and understanding creature, though he is born a very ignorant one: true indeed, he has not lost by sin the natural faculty of the understanding, so as to become like the horse and mule, which are without any; and it must be allowed, that natural men have some understanding of things natural, civil, and moral; though there is none that understands even these, as Adam did: but then they have no understanding of things spiritual; no spiritual knowledge of God; no true sense of themselves, their sin and misery; nor do they truly know the way of salvation by Christ; nor have they any experience of the work of the Spirit of God upon their souls; nor any experimental knowledge of the doctrines of the Gospel: no man can understand these of himself, by the mere strength of reason, and light of nature; nor can even a spiritual man fully understand them in this life; in consequence of this account and character of men it follows, that
there is none that seeketh after God; that worships him in Spirit and in truth, or prays to him with the Spirit, and with the understanding; who seek him chiefly, and in the first place, with their whole hearts, earnestly, diligently, and constantly; who seek him in Christ, and under the assistance of the Spirit; who seek after the knowledge of God in Christ, communion with him through the Mediator, or his honour and glory.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
That understandeth (). Present active participle of , late omega form of – verb , to send together, to grasp, to comprehend. Some MSS. have the article before it as before (seeking out).
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Understandeth [] . See on foolish, ch. 1 21.
Seeketh after [] . Lit., seeketh out. See on 1Pe 1:10.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “There is none that understandeth,” (ouk estin ho sunion) “There is not (even) the one understanding”; Their understanding is darkened, blinded by the God of this world, Psa 10:4; Eph 4:18; 2Co 4:3-4. They, even the Jews, were said to be foolish, sottish, to have no understanding, no knowledge, Jer 4:22.
2) “There is none that seeketh after God,” (ouk estin ho ekzeton ton theon) “There is (exists) not (even) one seeking God,” Psa 53:1-2; Isa 53:6. “All we like sheep have gone astray.” None by nature seeks God for his own good, his soul’s chief need, except God takes the initiative to seek and convict him as he did Adam and Eve in the garden, Gen 3:8-11; Isa 9:13; Jer 5:3; Isa 55:6-7; Joh 6:44; Joh 16:7-11.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
11. The first effect is, that there is none that understands: and then this ignorance is immediately proved, for they seek not God; for empty is the man in whom there is not the knowledge of God, whatever other learning he may possess; yea, the sciences and the arts, which in themselves are good, are empty things, when they are without this groundwork.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
11. Understandeth The Old Testament speaks of wisdom, folly, and understanding not so much from the intellectual as from the moral standpoint. To be wicked is to be a fool; to be righteous was to understand. So truly is the holy book the utterance of the moral sense.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
Ver. 11. None that seeketh ] That seeketh and fetcheth him out of his retiring room, as she did, Mar 7:24-25 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
11. ] In the Psalm, Jehovah looked down from heaven on the children of men, to see . . He found none . This result is put barely by the Apostle as the testimony of Scripture, giving the sense, but departing from the letter.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Rom 3:11 . . For the form ( or ), see Winer, p. 97. If we read the meaning is, There is no one to understand: if the article (as in the LXX) be omitted, There is no one who has sense.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
none. Greek. ou. App-105.
understandeth. Greek. suniemi. Occurs twenty-six times.
Always “understand”, save Mar 6:52 and 2Co 10:12.
seeketh after. Greek. ekzeteo. See Act 15:17.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
11.] In the Psalm,-Jehovah looked down from heaven on the children of men, to see . . He found none. This result is put barely by the Apostle as the testimony of Scripture, giving the sense, but departing from the letter.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Rom 3:11. , there is none that understandeth) They are without understanding in relation to what is good.- , there is none that seeketh after) They are without the will to do good. To seek after, implies that God is hidden, Isa 45:15.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Rom 3:11
Rom 3:11
There is none that understandeth,-This and the following are quotations from David depicting the sinfulness of the Jewish people. [There are none who understand perfectly or have strictly a true knowledge of Gods law and a just appreciation of his goodness, or have such a state of moral feeling as to dispose them to serve and obey God.]
There is none that seeketh after God;-[There is none whose thoughts and endeavors are directed toward God. (Heb 11:6). A righteous man counts it his highest privilege and honor to know God and to understand his will. A man can indulge in wickedness only by forgetting God.]
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
none that understandeth: Rom 1:22, Rom 1:28, Psa 14:2-4, Psa 53:2, Psa 53:4, Psa 94:8, Pro 1:7, Pro 1:22, Pro 1:29, Pro 1:30, Isa 27:11, Jer 4:22, Hos 4:6, Mat 13:13, Mat 13:14, Mat 13:19, Tit 3:3, 1Jo 5:20
seeketh: Rom 8:7, Job 21:15, Job 21:16, Isa 9:13, Isa 31:1, Isa 55:6, Isa 65:1, Hos 7:10
Reciprocal: Job 24:13 – they know Psa 119:155 – for they Dan 3:3 – the princes Hos 4:14 – therefore Zep 1:6 – and those Mat 7:7 – seek Joh 8:43 – do Joh 17:25 – the world Rom 1:31 – Without understanding
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Rom 3:11. There is none that understandeth, etc. Latter half of Psa 14:2; so quoted that the negative sense which results indirectly from the text in the Hebrew and LXX. is expressed by Paul directly(Meyer). As regards the meaning, both parts of the verse refer to impiety; sin being represented as folly, and then as failure to seek God.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
There is none that understandeth, There is none that seeketh after God;
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
11. Neither does any one understand, neither is there any one who seeketh out God, i. e., seeketh God till he finds Him. Hence the legitimate conclusion confirmatory of the utter impossibility that any one through water baptism, sacraments, church-rites, legal obedience and ecclesiastical loyalty can possibly ever reach a personal knowledge of God in the salvation of the soul, that being a personal enterprise on the part of the human spirit and the Holy Spirit, utterly independent of clerical, ritualistical or legalistic administrations.