τί οὖν; προεχόμεθα; οὐ πάντως: "Are we any better? Not at all"

Says 3:9 reads Τί οὖν; προεχόμεθα; οὐ πάντως, προῃτιασάμεθα γὰρ Ἰουδαίους τε καὶ Ἕλληνας πάντας ὑφ᾽ ἁμαρτίαν εἶναι (BSB "What then? Are we any better? Not at all. For we have already made the charge that Jews and Greeks alike are all under sin").

Abbott-Smith gives two lines for προέχω at Rom 3:9: the middle "to excuse oneself" (the Revised Version margin) and, intransitively, "to excel" (the Revised Version text, taken as passive). The verb occurs nowhere else in the NT.

Uncertain The force of προεχόμεθα (proechometha). This note leans to a middle with active sense, "are we better off?" (BSB), which answers the question of advantage in 3:1. The main alternative is the passive, "are we surpassed?" A true middle, "do we make excuses?", is also proposed. The Western text replaces the word (var.Rom.3.9.proechometha).

Uncertain Who "we" are. This note leans to the Jews, Paul included, since the subject is their advantage (3:1–2). The main alternative is Paul and his fellow believers.

Says προαιτιάομαι, "to accuse or charge beforehand" (Abbott-Smith; only here in the NT), points back to the charge of 1:18–2:29. ὑφ᾽ ἁμαρτίαν is "under sin."

Implies "Under sin" means under its power, not only guilty of sins: compare πεπραμένος ὑπὸ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν (7:14) and ὑπὸ νόμον (6:14).