Psalm 14:3

Verse 3. The ungodly are "vile" persons ( Nahum 1:14 ). "I will make thy grave; for thou art vile." Sin makes men base, it blots their name, it taints their blood: They are altogether become filthy; in the Hebrew it is, they are become stinking. Call wicked men ever so bad, you cannot call them out of their name; they are "swine" ( Matthew 7:6 ); "vipers" ( Matthew 3:7 ); "devils" ( John 6:70 ). The wicked are the dross and refuse ( Psalms 119:119 ); and heaven is too pure to have any dross mingle with it. Thomas Watson.

Verse 3. Altogether become filthy. Thus the Roman satirist describes his own age:

Verse 3. There is none that doeth good, no, not one. Origen maketh a question, how it could be said that there was none, neither among the Jews nor Gentiles, that did any good; seeing there were many among them which did clothe the naked, feed the hungry, and did other good things: he hereunto maketh this answer: -- That like as one that layeth a foundation, and buildeth upon it a wall or two, yet cannot be said to have built a house till he have finished it; so although these might do some good things, yet they attained not unto perfect goodness, which was only to be found in Christ. But this is not the apostle's meaning only to exclude men from the perfection of justice; for even the faithful and believers were short of that perfection which is required; he therefore showeth what men are by nature, all under sin and in the same state of damnation, without grace and faith in Christ: if any perform any good work, either it is of grace, and so not of themselves, or if they did it by the light of nature, they did it not as they ought, and so it was far from a good work indeed. Andrew Willet (1562-1621), on Ro 3:10.

HINTS FOR PASTORS AND LAYPERSONS

Verse 2-3. God's search for a naturally good man; the result; lessons to be learned therefrom.

Verse 3. Total depravity of the race.