Translation
For there is no just man on earth who does good and does not miss the mark.
Go to footnote numberParaphrase
For no one on earth is truly righteous; no one does only good without falling short of the spiritual standard [set by God].
Footnotes
1
This Hebrew word is one of the words that is often translated “sin,” but its root meaning is “to miss the mark, or fall short.”
Why is this in the Bible? Solomon’s purpose in writing this book (or dictating it to a scribe) was to provide a reality check about life. We should not be overly hard on ourselves or on others because the reality is that we all miss the mark or fall short occasionally. This was not intended as a condemnation of the righteous, but an honest comment about real life.