Romans 3:9

Man universally and fatally guilty: no hope in human merit. This with special reference to Jewish prejudice

9. What then? are we better? i.e., probably, "we Jews." The effect of the last passage has been specially to convince the Jewof his sin and danger; and here the Apostle speaks, as he was so ready to do, as a Jew with Jews. The delicacy of his so doing here is remarkable, where it is a question of humiliation.

proved Or charged, as in margin. "Wehave before proved:" a use of plural for singular frequent with St Paul.

under sin The grammar of the Gr. suggests motionunder; q. d., "fallenunder sin," i.e. from an ideal (not actual) state of original righteousness, such as is implied when we speak of individuals as "fallen human creatures." "In Adamall" fell, as from a standing. "Under sin:" i.e. so as to be subject to its weight, its power and doom. This is the first occurrence of the word Sin in the Epistle. It is repeated nearly fifty times in the first eight Chapter s.