As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
As it is.
Romans 3:4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.
Romans 11:8 (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.
Romans 15:3,4 For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me…
There.
Psalm 14:1-3 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good…
Psalm 53:1-3 To the chief Musician upon Mahalath, Maschil, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good…
none.
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Job 14:4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.
Job 15:14,16 What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous? …
There is no one righteous,
This statement is a direct reference to the universal sinfulness of humanity. It echoes the sentiments found in Psalms 14:1-3 and 53:1-3, where the psalmist laments the lack of righteousness among people. In the biblical context, "righteous" refers to being in right standing with God, adhering to His laws and commands. This phrase underscores the doctrine of original sin, suggesting that all humans are inherently flawed and unable to achieve righteousness on their own. It sets the stage for the necessity of divine intervention and grace.
not even one.
This phrase emphasizes the totality and inclusiveness of human unrighteousness. It leaves no room for exceptions, highlighting the pervasive nature of sin. Historically, this would have been a radical statement, especially to a Jewish audience that might have considered themselves righteous through adherence to the Law. It points to the need for a savior, as no human effort can achieve the righteousness required by God. This sets the groundwork for the introduction of Jesus Christ as the only source of true righteousness, fulfilling the law and offering redemption to all.
Paul pauses in Romans 3:10 to appeal to Scripture itself, rooting his argument in the Old Testament (Psalm 14:1–3; Psalm 53:1–3). By prefacing with “As it is written,” he reinforces that what follows is not a new opinion but God’s settled testimony. Other writers show the same confidence: Jesus points to “It is written” in Matthew 4:4, and Peter declares that “no prophecy was ever brought about by the will of man” (2 Peter 1:21). In every case, the phrase is a call to submit to God’s unchanging Word.
Scripture here draws a clear line: righteousness—measured by God’s perfect standard—is absent in the human race. Isaiah 64:6 notes, “all our righteous acts are like filthy rags,” while Ecclesiastes 7:20 says, “Surely there is no righteous man on earth who does good and never sins”. Paul has just shown in Romans 1–2 that both Gentiles and Jews stand guilty. Key takeaways:
• Righteousness is not relative; it mirrors God’s own holiness (Leviticus 19:2).
• Moral effort, heritage, or religious ritual cannot bridge the gap (Romans 3:20).
• The verdict levels every social, cultural, and religious distinction (Galatians 3:22).
The Spirit-inspired repetition eliminates every possible exception. Psalm 143:2 urges, “Do not bring Your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before You”. Even revered figures like Noah, Job, and Daniel were declared righteous only by faith (Hebrews 11:7, 33). Bullet-point implications:
• Every person shares a common need: salvation by grace (Ephesians 2:8–9).
• Self-reliance is exposed as futile; boasting is silenced (Romans 3:27).
• God’s solution must come from outside us, fulfilled in Christ’s atoning work (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Romans 3:10 states God’s sweeping indictment: rooted in Scripture (“As it is written”), universal in scope (“There is no one righteous”), and without exceptions (“not even one”). Humanity’s total lack of inherent righteousness underscores the necessity of the gospel: justification by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. By embracing this truth, believers find freedom from self-confidence and joy in the all-sufficient righteousness God provides in His Son.
Verses 10-18. - As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are altogether become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one (Psalm 14. or Psalms 53.). Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they hays used deceit (Psalm 5:9); the poison of asps is under their lips (Psalm 140:3): whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness (Psalm 10:7): their feet are swift to shed blood: destruction and misery are in their ways: and the way of peace have they not known (Proverbs 1:16 and Isaiah 59:7): there is no fear of God before their eyes (Psalm 36:1). These texts are from various unconnected passages of the Old Testament, quoted from the LXX., though not all accurately. They seem to be put together from memory by way of showing the general scriptural view of human depravity. It may be said that they do not establish the apostle's position of all men being guilty; for that they are for the most part rhetorical rather than dogmatic, that most of them refer only to certain classes of men, and that the righteous are spoken of too, and this in the sequence of even the most sweeping of them all (that from Psalm 14. or Psalms 53.), which does, literally understood, assert universal sinfulness. Any such objection to the cogency of the quotations may be met by regarding them as adduced, not as rigid proofs, but as only generally confirmatory of the apostle's position. See, he would say to the Jew, the picture your own Scriptures give you; observe their continued testimony to human depravity: and the main point of all the quotations is that which is brought out in the next verse, viz. that they had reference, not to the Gentile world, but to the chosen people themselves.