Romans 3:20 · Bible study
Romans 3:20 Commentary: Law, Works, and the Knowledge of Sin
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Paul concludes that no one is justified by obeying the law; its purpose is to give precise knowledge of sin, not salvation.
Research Summary
- Meaning: No one can be declared righteous before God by obeying the law; the law’s role is to give precise knowledge of sin.
- Key words: δικαιωθήσεται (will be justified), ἐπίγνωσις (precise knowledge), σὰρξ (flesh/humanity), νόμος (law).
- Main debate: Whether “works of the law” applies only to ceremonial law or includes the moral law; context favors the moral law.
- Theological theme: The universal inability to achieve righteousness through law-keeping, setting up justification by faith.
- Best use: A cornerstone for teaching grace; helps people stop relying on their own performance and trust Christ alone.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Therefore no one will be justified in His sight by works of the law. For the law merely brings awareness of sin.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Because by the works of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight; for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.
KJV King James Version 1769
Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
because by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight; for through the law cometh the knowledge of sin.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
wherefore by works of law shall no flesh be declared righteous before Him, for through law is a knowledge of sin.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Wherefore by works of law no flesh shall be justified before him; for by law [is] knowledge of sin.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Because by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified before him. For by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Porque por las obras de la ley ninguna|strong="G3756, G3956" carne se justificará delante de él; porque por la ley es el conocimiento del pecado.
Assim, ninguém será justificado diante dele pelas obras da Lei, porque o que vem pela Lei é o conhecimento do pecado.
Car nul ne sera justifié devant lui par les œuvres de la loi, puisque c’ est par la loi que vient la connaissance du péché.
darum daß kein Fleisch durch des Gesetzes Werke vor ihm gerecht sein kann; denn durch das Gesetz kommt Erkenntnis der Sünde.
Daarom zal uit de werken der wet geen vlees gerechtvaardigd worden, voor Hem; want door de wet is de kennis der zonde.
poiché per le opere della legge nessuno sarà giustificato al suo cospetto; giacché mediante la legge è data la conoscenza del peccato.
Przeto z uczynków zakonu nie będzie usprawiedliwione żadne ciało przed oblicznością jego, gdyż przez zakon jest poznanie grzechu.
потому что делами закона не оправдается пред Ним никакая плоть; ибо законом познается грех.
所以 凡 有血氣的，沒有 一個因 行 律法能在 神 面前 稱義，因為 律法 本是叫人知 罪。
Because by the works of the law no man is able to have righteousness in his eyes, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Romans 3:20
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Paul here seals his indictment of universal sin. The phrase “works of the law” does not refer only to ceremonial observances but to moral obedience, as the surrounding context makes clear (Cambridge Bible). “No flesh” (πᾶσα σάρξ) means every human being, with overtones of frailty and inability (Vincent). The verb δικαιωθήσεται (future passive) indicates a forensic verdict: no one will be declared righteous at God’s bar on the basis of law-keeping. The second clause gives the reason: the law produces ἐπίγνωσις, precise, full knowledge of sin (Thayer). As Wesley put it, “by the law is only the knowledge of sin, but no deliverance either from the guilt or power of it.” The law diagnoses the disease; it cannot cure. This verdict clears the stage for the righteousness of God revealed apart from the law in Romans 3:21.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Broad view (moral law included): Romans 3:10-18 quotes moral passages; Paul's argument covers universal sin, not just ritual failure.
- Narrow view (ceremonial law only): Some early fathers (Chrysostom, Jerome) restrict 'works of the law' to Jewish rituals, noting the phrase's use in other contexts.
- Mixed view (both moral and ceremonial): Paul uses 'law' flexibly; the moral law is primary, but ceremonial works are also ineffective for justification.
What is clear: The law cannot justify anyone; its purpose is to provide knowledge of sin.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Scope of 'works of the law' | The phrase refers to deeds prescribed by the law, whether moral or ceremonial, and cannot justify. | Some interpreters (Chrysostom, Jerome) limit it to ceremonial works; others (Calvin, most modern commentators) include the moral law, citing the context of universal sin. |
| Meaning of justification | Justification is a forensic legal term: being declared righteous in God's court. | Catholic tradition often includes the infusion of righteousness as a process, while Protestant tradition emphasizes a one-time declaration; here the focus is on the verdict before God. |
| The law's function | The law provides knowledge of sin, not a remedy. | Some traditions see the law as still guiding the believer (third use); others emphasize the law's role in convicting the unregenerate. |
| Universality of 'no flesh' | All human beings are included, both Jews and Gentiles. | Whether 'flesh' carries moral weakness (Adamic corruption) or simply means humanity; most see it as emphasizing human inability. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Paul’s argument from Romans 1:18 to 3:20 has systematically silenced every human claim to righteousness. The Gentile world stands condemned for suppressing truth (Romans 1); the Jewish boast in the law has been dismantled (Romans 2, 3). Verse 19 states that the law speaks to those under it, primarily Jews, so that “every mouth may be closed.” Verse 20 is the logical conclusion: the law’s standard is so holy and humanity’s failure so complete that “no flesh” can be justified in God’s sight.
The expression “works of the law” echoes Jewish confidence in covenant obedience, but Paul has already demonstrated from Scripture (the catena of Psalms in Romans 3:10-18) that all are under sin. The law, whether Torah for Jews or conscience for Gentiles (Romans 2:14-15), does one thing reliably: it exposes sin. The Greek term ἐπίγνωσις implies more than casual awareness; it is convicting, precise knowledge. As the Psalmist writes:
“Don’t enter into judgment with your servant, for in your sight no man living is righteous.”
— Psalms 143:2 (WEB)
In Jewish tradition, the law was sometimes seen as the path to life (Leviticus 18:5), but Paul reorients its purpose: it shows the disease but supplies no cure. The word “justified” is forensic, the vocabulary of the courtroom, not the workshop. The law cannot deliver the verdict of acquittal. This historical and theological groundwork makes the “but now” of verse 21 explode with gospel hope.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Romans 3:20. The Greek text is stable across the major manuscript traditions.
Reception History
This verse has been central to Christian understanding of law and grace. Augustine cited it in his anti-Pelagian writings to argue that the law reveals sin but does not confer righteousness. During the Reformation, Luther and Calvin made it a key text for justification by faith alone. The Council of Trent (1547) affirmed that no one can be justified by the works of the law without grace, but distinguished between works performed before and after justification. In Protestant homiletics, Romans 3:20 is regularly used to expose self-righteousness and drive hearers to Christ. Across traditions, the verse is recognized as a boundary marker for gospel preaching, a necessary diagnosis before the cure is proclaimed.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The law’s demand is total. No human being, Jew or Gentile, lives up to God’s standard (Romans 3:10-12, 19).
- The law’s verdict is final. By works of the law, no flesh will be declared righteous; the courtroom verdict is guilty (Psalm 143:2).
- The law’s purpose is diagnostic. It brings precise knowledge of sin, not the cure (Romans 3:20b; cf. Romans 7:7).
Five-point outline
- The scope of the problem: “no flesh”, every human, including the religious, stands condemned.
- The nature of the works: “works of the law”, moral obedience, not just ritual, is the issue.
- The bar of judgment: “in his sight”, God’s perfect holiness sees through every excuse.
- The insufficiency of the law: justification is not possible by doing the law.
- The proper function of the law: “knowledge of sin”, the law reveals the condition but cannot heal it.
Illustration hooks
- A medical scan: The law is like a scan that reveals a tumor. The scan does not cure; it forces you to look for a surgeon.
- A mirror: The law shows the dirt on your face, but it cannot wash you. You need something more than a mirror.
- A speed limit sign: It tells you the limit and exposes you when you break it. The sign alone never gets you safely home.
Questions your congregation is asking
- “I’m trying to be a good person; doesn’t that count for something?”
- “If the law can’t save me, why did God give it in the first place?”
- “How can I know if I’ve done enough to be accepted by God?”
Leading a Discussion
Romans 3:20 closes Paul’s long argument that no one is righteous. It is a humbling verdict, but it opens the door to the gospel. This verse forces us to rethink what the law is for and to confront our tendency to trust our own performance.
Discussion questions
- Observation: What does Paul mean by “works of the law”? Read Romans 3:19-20. What phrases shape your understanding?
- Observation: Look at the cross-references: Psalm 143:2, Acts 13:39. How do these reinforce Paul’s claim?
- Interpretation: Why can’t the law justify? What does “knowledge of sin” imply about the law’s purpose?
- Interpretation: The Greek word for “knowledge” is epignōsis, meaning precise knowledge. How does the law give that kind of knowledge?
- Interpretation: How does this verse prepare the reader for the “but now” of Romans 3:21?
- Application: If the law cannot justify, how does knowing its function affect the way you read the Old Testament?
- Application: How might this truth free you from trying to earn God’s approval?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Job 15:15 | Behold, he puts no trust in his holy ones. Yes, the heavens are not clean in his sight; |
| Job 25:4 | How then can man be just with God? Or how can he who is born of a woman be clean? |
| Job 25:5 | Behold, even the moon has no brightness, and the stars are not pure in his sight; |
| Psalms 130:3 | If you, Yah, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? |
| Psalms 143:2 | Don’t enter into judgment with your servant, for in your sight no man living is righteous. |
| Acts 13:39 | and by him everyone who believes is justified from all things, from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. |
| Romans 2:13 | For it isn’t the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be justified |
| Romans 3:28 | We maintain therefore that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
11 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke stresses that the law’s purpose is not to save anyone but to expose what sin is. Just as a straightedge alone cannot make a crooked line straight but only reveals its crookedness, the moral law shows how far we have fallen and leaves us without excuse before God.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes stresses that "by the deeds of the law" refers to any kind of moral law, whether known through reason, conscience, or revelation. The law's function is not to justify people but to expose their sinfulness. Its faithful application only deepens condemnation, driving sinners to seek another way of salvation.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin firmly rejects the view that "works of the law" refers only to ceremonial rules. He argues the context proves it means the entire moral law, since the sins Paul lists are moral violations. Because no one keeps the moral law perfectly, it cannot justify anyone.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator explains that works of the law refers to acts of human obedience considered meritorious for salvation, not just ceremonial rites. The law gives a complete knowledge of sin by revealing God's holy will and its consequences, yet it offers no terms of pardon. That is not the law's role.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes draw a sharp distinction between what the Law can and cannot do. It cannot justify anyone, because its purpose is not to save but to expose sin. The Law brings only the knowledge of sin, leaving no room for self-righteousness.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill clarifies what "deeds of the law" means: works performed by sinful people, inherently imperfect and unable to justify. He stresses that justification is a legal verdict of acquittal, not an internal infusion of holiness. The law's only role is to expose sin, making justification by it impossible.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB stresses that the law's purpose is to give the knowledge of sin, not to justify anyone before God. This humbling verdict of universal guilt is deliberately laid by Paul as the necessary groundwork, preparing the soul to receive the grace of the gospel.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange stresses that circumcision is not automatically a saving advantage. Its benefit is entirely conditional: it avails only when accompanied by sincere obedience to the law. For the unbelieving Jew, circumcision actually becomes uncircumcision, making him virtually a Gentile before God.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry presents Paul's conclusion in verse 28 as the logical capstone of the entire argument from chapter 1 onward, treating it as a demonstrated truth rather than a mere assertion. The law itself, he notes, bears witness to this righteousness, so faith does not abolish the law but establishes it.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent argues that "works of the law" refers to moral duties commanded to all people, not just Jewish ceremonies. On justification, he examines classical Greek usage and concludes the word carries a primarily judicial sense—declaring someone right in relation to a standard—rather than making them inherently righteous.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley stresses that being justified does not come from keeping the law, including its moral commands, because the law only reveals sin without offering any escape from its guilt or power. No one is forgiven or accepted by God on the ground that they have kept the law.