the Week of Christ the King / Proper 29 / Ordinary 34
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King James Version
Romans 4:3
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That's why the Scriptures say, "Abraham believed God, and because of this he was accepted as one who is right with God."
For what does the scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness."
For what sayth the scripture? Abraham beleved god and it was counted vnto him for rightewesnes.
For what does the Scripture say? "Avraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness."
For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."Genesis 15:6">[fn]Genesis 15:6; Galatians 3:6; James 2:23;">[xr]
For what does the Scripture say? "ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS."
because the Scripture says, "Abraham believed God, and God accepted Abraham's faith, and that faith made him right with God."
For what does the scripture say? And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him for righteousness.
For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness.
For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness."
For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness."
For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was imputed to him for righteousness.
For what says the Scripture? "And Abraham believed God, and this was placed to his credit as righteousness."
For what seith the scripture? Abraham bileued to God, and it was arettid to him to riytwisnesse.
For what saith the scripture? And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness.
For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."
The Scriptures say, "God accepted Abraham because Abraham had faith in him."
For what does the Scripture say? "ABRAHAM BELIEVED IN (trusted, relied on) GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIS ACCOUNT AS RIGHTEOUSNESS (right living, right standing with God)."
For what saith the scripture? And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness.
But what does it say in the holy Writings? And Abraham had faith in God, and it was put to his account as righteousness.
For what does the Tanakh say? "Avraham put his trust in God, and it was credited to his account as righteousness."
for what does the scripture say? And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.
For what saith the scripture ? That Abraham believed Aloha, and he reckoned it to him for righteousness.
For what saith the scripture? That Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
For what saith the Scripture? Abraham beleeued God, and it was counted vnto him for righteousnes.
For the Scriptures tell us, "Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith."
The Holy Writings say, "Abraham put his trust in God and that made him right with God."
For what does the scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness."
For what saith the Scripture? Abraham beleeued God, and it was counted to him for righteousnesse.
For what said the scripture? Abraham believed in God, and it was counted to him for righteousness.
For what doth the Scripture say? And Abraham believed in God, and it was reckoned unto him as righteousness.
For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God: and it was reputed to him unto justice.
For what sayth the scripture? Abraham beleued God, and it was counted vnto hym for ryghteousnes.
The scripture says, "Abraham believed God, and because of his faith God accepted him as righteous."
For what does the Scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness.
For what does the scripture say? "And Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness."
For what does the Scripture say? "And Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness." Gen. 15:6
for what doth the writing say? `And Abraham did believe God, and it was reckoned to him -- to righteousness;'
But what sayeth ye scripture? Abraha belened God, & yt was counted vnto him for righteousnes.
for what saith the scripture? "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness."
For what does the scripture say? " Abraham believed God , and it was credited to him as righteousness ."
For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." Genesis 15:6">[fn]
The Good Book says, "Abraham trusted God, and because of this faith, God saw him as righteous."
For what does the Scripture say? "ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS."
For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness."
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
what: Romans 9:17, Romans 10:11, Romans 11:2, Isaiah 8:20, Mark 12:10, James 4:5, 2 Peter 1:20, 2 Peter 1:21
Abraham: Genesis 15:6, Galatians 3:6-8, James 2:23
counted: Romans 4:5, Romans 4:9, Romans 4:11, Romans 4:22-25, Psalms 106:31
Reciprocal: Matthew 20:9 - they received Romans 3:22 - which is Galatians 3:14 - the blessing Galatians 4:30 - what 1 Timothy 5:18 - the scripture
Cross-References
And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord .
And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand;
All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat, the firstfruits of them which they shall offer unto the Lord , them have I given thee.
And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.
But in all this time was not I at Jerusalem: for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon came I unto the king, and after certain days obtained I leave of the king:
Gill's Notes on the Bible
For what saith the Scripture?.... This answers to דכתיב
מאי, "what is that which is written" c? or what does the Scripture say? which is a way of speaking used by the Jews, when anything is proposed, which seems contrary to Scripture, as here justification by works does. A testimony from Scripture is here produced, proving that Abraham was justified by faith, and not by works: the place referred to is Genesis 15:6;
Abraham believed God; the object of his faith and trust were not his riches, nor his righteousness, but Jehovah, the Son of God, the second person in the Trinity, styled in Genesis 15:1, "the Word of the Lord", the essential Word of God, and called his "shield", and "exceeding great reward"; characters which are very applicable to Christ: and this faith of his in the Lord was not a mere assent to the promise of God, but a fiducial act of faith in him; and was not merely concerned with temporal, but with spiritual things, and particularly about Christ the promised seed:
and it was counted to him for righteousness, the meaning of which is not, that Abraham imputed righteousness to God, or celebrated his righteousness and faithfulness, as some; or that the world reckoned Abraham a righteous person, as others; but that God reckoned him righteous, or imputed it to him for righteousness: and the question is, what the it is which was counted to him for righteousness? and that this is to be understood, על האמנה, "concerning faith", as R. Solomon Jarchi says, is out of question; for this is expressly said by the apostle, Romans 4:9. The only one is, whether it means the grace of faith by which he believed; or the object of faith on which he believed, and with which his faith was conversant: not the former, for that is not righteousness, nor accounted so; but is distinguished from it, and is that by which a person receives and lays hold on righteousness; besides, whatever may be alleged in favour of the imputation of Abraham's faith to himself for righteousness, it can never be thought to be imputed to others on that account; whereas the very selfsame it is imputed to others also; see Romans 4:24; it remains then that it was the promised seed, the Messiah, and his righteousness, which Abraham, by faith, looked unto, and believed in, that was made unto him righteousness by imputation. Now since so great and good a man as Abraham was not justified by works, but by faith in the righteousness of the Messiah, it follows, that none of his sons, nor any other person whatever, ought to seek for, or expect to be justified in any other way.
c T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 5. 1. & 15. 2. & passim.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
For what saith the Scripture? - The inspired account of Abraham’s justification. This account was final, and was to settle the question. This account is found in Genesis 15:6.
Abraham believed God - In the Hebrew, “Abraham believed Yahweh.” The sense is substantially the same, as the argument turns on the act of believing. The faith which Abraham exercised was, that his posterity should be like the stars of heaven in number. This promise was made to him when he had no child, and of course when he had no prospect of such a posterity. See the strength and nature of this faith further illustrated in Romans 4:16-21. The reason why it was counted to him for righteousness was, that it was such a strong, direct, and unwavering act of confidence in the promise of God.
And it - The word “it” here evidently refers to the act of believing It does not refer to the righteousness of another - of God, or of the Messiah; but the discussion is solely of the strong act of Abraham’s faith. which in some sense was counted to him for righteousness. In what sense this was, is explained directly after. All that is material to remark here is, that the act of Abraham, the strong confidence of his mind in the promises of God, his unwavering assurance that what God had promised he would perform, was reckoned for righteousness. The same thing is more fully expressed in Romans 4:18-22. When therefore it is said that the righteousness of Christ is accounted or imputed to us; when it is said that his merits are transferred and reckoned as ours; whatever may be the truth of the doctrine, it cannot be defended by “this” passage of Scripture.
Faith is uniformly an act of the mind. It is not a created essence which is placed within the mind. It is not a substance created independently of the soul, and placed within it by almighty power. It is not a principle, for the expression a principle of faith, is as unmeaningful as a principle of joy, or a principle of sorrow, or a principle of remorse. God promises; the man believes; and this is the whole of it.
(A principle is the “element or original cause,” out of which certain consequences arise, and to which they may be traced. And if faith be the root of all acceptable obedience, then certainly, in this sense, it is a principle. But whatever faith be, it is not here asserted that it is imputed for, or instead of, righteousness. See the note above.)
While the word “faith” is sometimes used to denote religious doctrine, or the system that is to be believed (Acts 6:7; Acts 15:9; Romans 1:5; Romans 10:8; Romans 16:26; Ephesians 3:17; Eph 4:5; 1 Timothy 2:7, etc.); yet, when it is used to denote that which is required of people, it always denotes an acting of the mind exercised in relation to some object, or some promise, or threatening, or declaration of some other being; see the note at Mark 16:16.
Was counted - ἐλογίσθη elogigisthē. The same word in Romans 4:22, is is rendered “it was imputed.” The word occurs frequently in the Scriptures. In the Old Testament, the verb חשׁב chaashab, which which is translated by the word λογίζομαι logizomai, means literally, “to think, to intend,” or “purpose; to imagine, invent,” or “devise; to reckon,” or “account; to esteem; to impute,” that is, to impute to a man what belongs to himself, or what “ought” to be imputed to him. It occurs only in the following places: Psalms 32:2; Psalms 35:4; Isaiah 10:7; Job 19:11; Job 33:10; Genesis 16:6; Genesis 38:15; 1 Samuel 1:13; Psalms 52:4; Jeremiah 18:18; Zechariah 7:10; Job 6:26; Job 19:16; Isa 13:17; 1 Kings 10:21; Numbers 18:27, Numbers 18:30; Psalms 88:4; Isaiah 40:17; Lamentations 4:2; Isaiah 40:15; Genesis 31:16. I have examined all the passages, and as the result of my examination have come to the conclusion, that there is not one in which the word is used in the sense of reckoning or imputing to a man what does not strictly belong to him; or of charging on him what ought not to be charged on him as a matter of personal right. The word is never used to denote imputing in the sense of transferring, or of charging that on one which does not properly belong to him. The same is the case in the New Testament. The word occurs about forty times (see “Schmidius’ Concord),” and, in a similar signification. No doctrine of transferring, or of setting over to a man what does not properly belong to him, be it sin or holiness, can be derived, therefore, from this word. Whatever is meant by it here, it evidently is declared that the act of believing is what is intended, both by Moses and by Paul.
For righteousness - In order to justification; or to regard and treat him in connection with this as a righteous man; as one who was admitted to the favor and friendship of God. In reference to this we may remark,
(1) That it is evidently not intended that the act of believing, on the part of Abraham, was the meritorious ground of acceptance; for then it would have been a work. Faith was as much his own act, as any act of obedience to the Law.
(2) The design of the apostle was to show that by the Law, or by works, man could not be justified; Romans 3:28; Romans 4:2.
(3) Faith was not what the Law required. It demanded complete and perfect obedience; and if a man was justified by faith, it was in some other way than by the Law.
(4) As the Law did not demand this; and as faith was something different from the demand of the Law; so if a man were justified by that, it was on a principle altogether different from justification by works. It was not by personal merit. It was not by complying with the Law. It was in a mode entirely different.
(5) In being justified by faith, it is meant, therefore, that we are treated as righteous; that we are forgiven; that we are admitted to the favor of God, and treated as his friends.
(6) In this act, faith, is a mere instrument, an antecedent, a “sine qua non,” what God has been pleased to appoint as a condition on which men may be treated as righteous. It expresses a state of mind which is demonstrative of love to God; of affection for his cause and character; of reconciliation and friendship; and is therefore that state to which he has been graciously pleased to promise pardon and acceptance.
(7) Since this is not a matter of law; since the Law could not be said to demand it; as it is on a different principle; and as the acceptance of faith, or of a believer, cannot be a matter of merit or claim, so justification is of grace, or mere favor. It is in no sense a matter of merit on our part, and thus stands distinguished entirely from justification by works, or by conformity to the Law. From beginning to end, it is, so far as we are concerned, a matter of grace. The merit by which all this is obtained, is the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, through whom this plan is proposed, and by whose atonement alone God can consistently pardon and treat as righteous those who are in themselves ungodly; see Romans 4:5. In this place we have also evidence that faith is always substantially of the same character. In the case of Abraham it was confidence in God and his promises. All faith has the same nature, whether it be confidence in the Messiah, or in any of the divine promises or truths. As this confidence evinces the same state of mind, so it was as consistent to justify Abraham by it, as it is to justify him who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ under the gospel; see Hebrews 11:0.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Romans 4:3. For, what saith the Scripture? — The Scriptural account of this transaction, Genesis 15:6, is decisive; for there it is said, Abraham believed God, and it was counted, ελογισθη, it was reckoned to him for righteousness, ειςδικαιοσυνην, for justification.
