As it is written— In these verses and quotations from Scripture, the Apostle is evidently giving a description of the general character and morals of the infidel Jews in his own time, when he wrote the Epistle; a description, which suits their case as exactly as the foregoing one of the degeneracy of the heathen world suits theirs, the passage being picked and chosen for the purpose; but the manner of representing it is different. In the case of the Gentiles, he speaks out plainly; for the Jews would freely enough attend to an account of their corruptions; and the Gentile, it is probable, would be more in danger of despising and neglecting whathe said, than of being disgusted at it. But had he used the Jews in the same open manner, it would have roused every passion and prejudice of the Jewish reader; and he could have expected no other but a rejection of his letter with indignation. To keep him therefore in temper, Hebrews 1 gives no intimation of his design, but enters upon it covertly,—as it is written. 2. He couches the charge under Scripture expressions, and turns the eyes of the Jew rather to ancient facts, in which notwithstanding, as in a glass,he might see the very deformed complexion of the present Jews. 3. He uses the term law, in Romans 3:19. (which there signifies the whole Old Testament,) rather than Scriptures, as being of greater force and authority with the Jews; and then concludes in that general manner; We know that whatsoever things the law saith, it saith to them that are under the law; meaning the Jews, and suggesting the obligation that they were under to attend to a charge advanced against them out of their law, which they owned was of divine authority. This was sufficient for a Jew who was disposed to reflect, and at the same time avoids what might pervert his calm and sober reflections. It is farther observable, that these quotations from Scripture do not prove that these characters belonged to all the ancient Jews without exception: for there were at the same time in the nation persons of a different character; nor could the Apostle intend that they should be applied to every individual among the Jews in his own time; for then they would have included himself with the rest of the Apostles, and all the other Jews who had embraced the Christian faith, and were persons of undoubted piety and holiness. Nay, he could not suppose, that even his account of the corrupt morals of the heathen world, given in chap. Romans 1:18, &c. was true of them all, without exception. His own arguments, chap Romans 2:10; Romans 2:14-15; Romans 2:26-27 evince the contrary. It was sufficient to his purpose, if the generality of mankind were corrupt: for this appears ground sufficient for the rejection or excision of them, with regard either to temporal life, or the privileges of the church; that is to say, God might in justice have destroyed the wholeworld,whichwasgenerallyexceedinglyvicious,althoughthere were some few persons of piety and goodness in it (for whose happiness he easily could and certainly would have provided in the world to come through the alone merit of Christ). The Apostle is here speaking of bodies of people,—of Jews and Gentiles in a collective capacity. In the affair of the golden calf, wherein the Israelites so corrupted themselves, Exodus 32:7-8. God might justly have rejected and consumed them, and have made his promise good in the person of Moses and his posterity, as he proposed, Romans 3:10 though we have reason to think that there were some who had not engaged in that instance of idolatry and defectionfrom God; for we find that numbers appeared on the Lord's side, Romans 3:26-29. In short, the Apostle is taking collective bodies of men into the church, or continuing them in it; in reference to which it is true, that those may not be taken into the church in this world, who yet shall be taken into the kingdom of heaven in the world to come; and many are now taken into the church, who shall for ever be excluded from happiness in the other world. Consequently a set of texts, which prove the general corruption of the Jewish nation, may be a good argument of their deserving to be rejected from the privileges of God's church; or that it must be by grace alone, that they, in this general collective sense, could be continued in the visible church and special covenant of God, notwithstanding there might be among them some righteous persons, not involved in the general corruption; who, whether they were in the church, or out of it, would be taken care of in the great day of account;—that is, whether they were or were not justified with regard to the donation and possession of church privileges, or the escaping of the wrath which would fall on the Jewish nation, when they were rejected, and their polity demolished,—would certainly be justified, and saved in the day of judgment. In fine, we cannot have a just idea of the Apostle's arguments, unless we keep in mind that he is arguing concerning the rejection of Jews, and the reception of Gentiles, in a general collective capacity, to the present privileges of the church and covenant of God; namely, in such a sense and capacity, that some good and righteous men might be left out among the rejected, and some unrighteous persons taken in among the elect and justified. See on Psalms 14:3.
Related Commentaries of Romans 3:10
Romans 3:10-19
10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
15 Their feet are swift to shed blood:
16 Destruction and misery are in their ways:
17 And the way of peace have they not known:
18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.
19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guiltyb before God.