Romans 3:11

11 Not one who has the knowledge of what is right, not one who is a searcher after God;

Romans 3:11 Meaning and Commentary

Romans 3:11

There is none that understandeth
This is rightly concluded, from what the Psalmist says, ( Psalms 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.

Romans 3:11 In-Context

9 What then? are we worse off than they? In no way: because we have before made it clear that Jews as well as Greeks are all under the power of sin;

10 As it is said in the holy Writings, There is not one who does righteousness;

11 Not one who has the knowledge of what is right, not one who is a searcher after God;

12 They have all gone out of the way, there is no profit in any of them; there is not one who does good, not so much as one:

13 Their throat is like an open place of death; with their tongues they have said what is not true: the poison of snakes is under their lips: