for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
English Standard Version (ESV)
What's easily missed here is the subtle shift in tense. Paul writes "all have sinned" (a past action establishing a present state) and then "come short" (a present condition resulting from that past). This means our sin isn't just a history lesson; it's a present reality that leaves us perpetually missing the mark of God's glory right now.
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul is demonstrating that no one is righteous on their own, whether Jew or Gentile, by showing that everyone has failed to meet God's standard. He has just established that both groups are under sin's dominion and that obeying the Law doesn't bring righteousness. Therefore, this verse serves as the crucial conclusion before Paul pivots to God's solution in Christ.
Paul drops a bombshell in Romans 3:23, stating a universal truth about humanity. What does it mean that 'all have sinned'?
Paul isn't just saying that everyone has made a few mistakes. The Greek word he uses here, 'hemarton,' often points to a completed action in the past that has ongoing results. Think of it like a past event that has fundamentally changed your current state.
This means our sin isn't just a collection of bad deeds; it's a condition that affects our very being. As the commentaries suggest, this 'sinning' is a historical fact that produced our sinful state. It’s not about a few slip-ups, but a deep-seated reality affecting every single one of us, creating a fundamental need for something more.
After stating that everyone has sinned, Paul immediately follows with a consequence: falling short of God's glory. What is this 'glory' we're missing?
The phrase 'fall short of the glory of God' (husterountai tēs doxēs tou Theou) is powerful. It implies not just missing a goal, but a deficiency, a lack. The 'glory of God' can be understood in a few ways here, but a central idea is the honor, approval, and radiant presence of God.
Because of our sin, we are destitute of this divine favor and approval. We fail to reflect God's perfect character and thus cannot stand in His glorious presence. Think of it like a runner failing to reach the finish line – they haven't achieved the goal of the race. In the same way, our sin prevents us from attaining the ultimate purpose for which we were created: to know and glorify God.
Understand the original words
Ask a follow-up
hēmarton · Greek Verb
To miss the mark; to fall short of God’s standard of holiness and perfection. It is a rebellion against God's law and a corruption of human nature.
doxa · Greek Noun
The manifestation of God's presence, majesty, and character. For humans, it refers to the state of perfection originally intended for creation that was forfeited through sin.
This passage describes Adam and Eve's sin in the Garden of Eden, showing that the act of sinning and its consequences, like falling short of God's design, is a foundational human experience.
Psalm 14:2-3This psalm echoes the idea of universal sinfulness, stating that 'no one does good, not even one,' and that all have 'turned aside together' and are corrupt, directly supporting the claim that all have sinned.
Ecclesiastes 7:20This verse explicitly states, 'Surely there is no one on earth who does right, who always does good and never sins,' reinforcing the scope of 'all have sinned' presented in Romans.
1 John 1:8-10John addresses the denial of sin, asserting that if we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us, further emphasizing the pervasive nature of sin among humanity.
Isaiah 53:6This prophecy, speaking of the suffering Servant, says 'all we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—each of us—to his own way,' painting a vivid picture of universal deviation from God's path and a shared falling short.
meyerRomans 3:23: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"
Romans 3:23 . Ἥμαρτον ] The sinning of every man is presented as a historical fact of the past, whereby the sinful state is produced. The perfect would designate it as a completed subsisting fact. Calvin, moreover, properly remarks that according to Paul there is nulla justitia “nisi perfecta et absoluta,” and “si verum esset, nos partim operibus justificari, partim Dei gratia, non valeret hoc Pauli argumentum.” Luther aptl…
ellicottRomans 3:23: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"
(23) All have sinned and come short. —Strictly, all sinned; the Apostle looking back upon an act done in past time under the old legal dispensation, without immediate reference to the present: he then goes on to say that the result of that act (as distinct from the act itself) continues on into the present. The result is that mankind, in a body, as he now sees them, and before they come within the range of the new Christian…
What's easily missed here is the subtle shift in tense. Paul writes "all have sinned" (a past action establishing a present state) and then "come short" (a present condition resulting from that past). This means our sin isn't just a history lesson; it's a present reality that leaves us perpetually missing the mark of God's glory right now.
Paul is demonstrating that no one is righteous on their own, whether Jew or Gentile, by showing that everyone has failed to meet God's standard. He has just established that both groups are under sin's dominion and that obeying the Law doesn't bring righteousness. Therefore, this verse serves as the crucial conclusion before Paul pivots to God's solution in Christ.
Paul is demonstrating that no one is righteous on their own, whether Jew or Gentile, by showing that everyone has failed to meet God's standard. He has just established that both groups are under sin's dominion and that obeying the Law doesn't bring righteousness. Therefore, this verse serves as the crucial conclusion before Paul pivots to God's solution in Christ.
"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," — What's easily missed here is the subtle shift in tense. Paul writes "all have sinned" (a past action establishing a present state) and then "come short" (a present condition resulting from that pas…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026