Romans 3:9

What then?

(τ ουν?). Paul's frequent query, to be taken with verses Romans 3:1; Romans 3:2.Are we in worse case than they?

(προεχομεθα?). The American Revisers render it: "Are we in better case than they?" There is still no fresh light on this difficult and common word though it occurs alone in the N.T. In the active it means to have before, to excel. But here it is either middle or passive. Thayer takes it to be middle and to mean to excel to one's advantage and argues that the context demands this. But no example of the middle in this sense has been found. If it is taken as passive, Lightfoot takes it to mean, "Are we excelled" and finds that sense in Plutarch. Vaughan takes it as passive but meaning, "Are we preferred?" This suits the context, but no other example has been found. So the point remains unsettled. The papyri throw no light on it.No, in no wise

(ου παντως). "Not at all." See 1 Corinthians 5:10.We before laid to the charge

(προηιτιασαμεθα). First aorist middle indicative of προαιτιαομα, to make a prior accusation, a word not yet found anywhere else. Paul refers to Romans 1:18-32 for the Greeks and Romans 2:1-29 for the Jews. The infinitive εινα with the accusative παντας is in indirect discourse.Under sin

(υπο αμαρτιαν). See Galatians 3:22; Romans 7:14.