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Tuesday, November 26th, 2024
the Week of Christ the King / Proper 29 / Ordinary 34
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New Living Translation

Romans 4:10

But how did this happen? Was he counted as righteous only after he was circumcised, or was it before he was circumcised? Clearly, God accepted Abraham before he was circumcised!

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Abraham;   Bigotry;   Catholicity;   Circumcision;   Faith;   Justification;   Salvation;   Works;   Scofield Reference Index - Grace;   Imputation;   Righteousness;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Abraham;   Church;   Circumcision;   Law;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Genesis, Theology of;   Legalism;   Old Testament in the New Testament, the;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Romans, the Epistle to the;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Church;   Circumcision;   Justification;   Midrash;   Old Testament Quotations in the New Testament;   Romans, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Baptism;   Hebrews, Epistle to;   Justification, Justify;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Justification;   Law;   Romans Epistle to the;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Impute;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Imputation;   Propitiation;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Saul of Tarsus;  

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
So how did this happen? Did God accept Abraham before or after he was circumcised? God accepted him before his circumcision.
Revised Standard Version
How then was it reckoned to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
How was it rekened? in the tyme of circumcision? or in the tyme before he was circumcised? Not in tyme of circucision: but when he was yet vncircumcised.
Hebrew Names Version
How then was it counted? When he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
International Standard Version
Under what circumstances was it credited? Was he circumcised or uncircumcised? He had not been circumcised, but was uncircumcised.
New American Standard Bible
How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised;
New Century Version
So how did this happen? Did God accept Abraham before or after he was circumcised? It was before his circumcision.
Update Bible Version
How then was it reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision:
Webster's Bible Translation
How then was it reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
English Standard Version
How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised.
World English Bible
How then was it counted? When he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
How was it then imputed? When he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
Weymouth's New Testament
What then were the circumstances under which this took place? Was it after he had been circumcised, or before?
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Hou thanne was it arettid? in circumcisioun, or in prepucie? Not in circumcisioun, but in prepucie.
English Revised Version
How then was it reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision:
Berean Standard Bible
In what context was it credited? Was it after his circumcision, or before? It was not after, but before.
Contemporary English Version
But when did this happen? Was it before or after Abraham was circumcised? Of course, it was before.
Amplified Bible
How then was it credited [to him]? Was it after he had been circumcised, or before? Not after, but while [he was] uncircumcised.
American Standard Version
How then was it reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision:
Bible in Basic English
How, then, was it judged? when he had circumcision, or when he had it not? Not when he had it, but when he did not have it:
Complete Jewish Bible
but what state was he in when it was so credited — circumcision or uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision!
Darby Translation
How then has it been reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
Etheridge Translation
When, then, was it reckoned to him ? In circumcision or in uncircumcision ? It was not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
Murdock Translation
How then was it reckoned to him? In circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
King James Version (1611)
How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in vncircumcision? not in circumcision, but in vncircumcision.
New Life Bible
When did this happen? Was it before or after Abraham went through the religious act of becoming a Jew? It was before.
New Revised Standard
How then was it reckoned to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Howe was it then imputed? when he was circumcised, or vncircumcised? not when he was cricumcised, but when he was vncircumcised.
George Lamsa Translation
How then was it given to him? by means of circumcision, or in uncircumcision? It was not given in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
How, then, was it reckoned? When he was in circumcision or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision;
Douay-Rheims Bible
How then was it reputed? When he was in circumcision or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Howe was it then reckened? When he was in the circumcision? or whe he was in the vncircumcision? Not in the circumcision: but in vncircumcision.
Good News Translation
When did this take place? Was it before or after Abraham was circumcised? It was before, not after.
Christian Standard Bible®
In what way then was it credited—while he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? It was not while he was circumcised, but uncircumcised.
King James Version
How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
Lexham English Bible
How then was it credited? While he was circumcised or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised but while uncircumcised!
Literal Translation
How then was it counted? Being in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision!
Young's Literal Translation
how then was it reckoned? he being in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
How was it the rekened vnto him? In the circucision, or in the vncircumcision? Doutles not in the circucision, but in the vncircumcision.
Mace New Testament (1729)
how was it then accounted? whilst he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? he was not then circumcised, but uncircumcised:
THE MESSAGE
Now think: Was that declaration made before or after he was marked by the covenant rite of circumcision? That's right, before he was marked. That means that he underwent circumcision as evidence and confirmation of what God had done long before to bring him into this acceptable standing with himself, an act of God he had embraced with his whole life.
New English Translation
How then was it credited to him? Was he circumcised at the time, or not? No, he was not circumcised but uncircumcised!
New King James Version
How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised.
Simplified Cowboy Version
But many asked if God said this before or after Abraham's pickle was clipped. Let me tell you. God said it before it happened, not after.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised;
Legacy Standard Bible
How then was it counted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised;

Contextual Overview

9 Now, is this blessing only for the Jews, or is it also for uncircumcised Gentiles? Well, we have been saying that Abraham was counted as righteous by God because of his faith. 10 But how did this happen? Was he counted as righteous only after he was circumcised, or was it before he was circumcised? Clearly, God accepted Abraham before he was circumcised! 11 Circumcision was a sign that Abraham already had faith and that God had already accepted him and declared him to be righteous—even before he was circumcised. So Abraham is the spiritual father of those who have faith but have not been circumcised. They are counted as righteous because of their faith. 12 And Abraham is also the spiritual father of those who have been circumcised, but only if they have the same kind of faith Abraham had before he was circumcised. 13 Clearly, God's promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was based not on his obedience to God's law, but on a right relationship with God that comes by faith. 14 If God's promise is only for those who obey the law, then faith is not necessary and the promise is pointless. 15 For the law always brings punishment on those who try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!) 16 So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham's. For Abraham is the father of all who believe.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

not in circumcision: "Faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness," at least 14 years before he was circumcised; the former having taken place some time before Ishmael's birth, at which time he was 86 years old, and the other when Ishmael was 13 years of age, and Abraham 99. Genesis 15:5, Genesis 15:6, Genesis 15:16, Genesis 16:1-3, Genesis 17:1, Genesis 17:10, Genesis 17:23-27, 1 Corinthians 7:18, 1 Corinthians 7:19, Galatians 5:6, Galatians 6:15

Reciprocal: Acts 7:8 - the covenant Romans 2:28 - neither Galatians 3:6 - as Colossians 3:11 - there James 2:23 - Abraham

Cross-References

Genesis 3:13
Then the Lord God asked the woman, "What have you done?" "The serpent deceived me," she replied. "That's why I ate it."
Genesis 4:9
Afterward the Lord asked Cain, "Where is your brother? Where is Abel?" "I don't know," Cain responded. "Am I my brother's guardian?"
Genesis 4:10
But the Lord said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground!
Genesis 9:5
"And I will require the blood of anyone who takes another person's life. If a wild animal kills a person, it must die. And anyone who murders a fellow human must die.
Genesis 18:20
So the Lord told Abraham, "I have heard a great outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah, because their sin is so flagrant.
Exodus 3:7
Then the Lord told him, "I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of distress because of their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering.
Numbers 35:33
This will ensure that the land where you live will not be polluted, for murder pollutes the land. And no sacrifice except the execution of the murderer can purify the land from murder.
Joshua 7:19
Then Joshua said to Achan, "My son, give glory to the Lord , the God of Israel, by telling the truth. Make your confession and tell me what you have done. Don't hide it from me."
2 Kings 9:26
‘I solemnly swear that I will repay him here on this plot of land, says the Lord , for the murder of Naboth and his sons that I saw yesterday.' So throw him out on Naboth's property, just as the Lord said."
Job 16:18
"O earth, do not conceal my blood. Let it cry out on my behalf.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

How was it then reckoned?.... The Arabic version adds, "and when"; and the Ethiopic version reads it, "when was Abraham justified?" expressing the sense, not the words of the original text, with which agree the following questions:

when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? that is, was he justified, or his faith reckoned to him for righteousness, when he was a circumcised, or an uncircumcised person?

not in circumcision; or when he was circumcised; for when it was said of him, that "he believed in the Lord", and "he counted it to him for righteousness", Genesis 15:6, he was then uncircumcised, and remained so many years after: for this was before the birth of Ishmael, and Ishmael was "thirteen" years of age when he and his father Abraham were circumcised; so that it must be "fourteen" years, or thereabout, before his circumcision, that this declaration of his being a justified person was made; wherefore the apostle rightly adds,

but in uncircumcision; or whilst an uncircumcised person: hence it clearly appears that circumcision could not be the cause of his justification, since it followed it; and if Abraham when uncircumcised was a justified person, as it is certain he was, why may not uncircumcised Gentiles be justified also? and especially when it is observed, that the covenant made with Abraham when uncircumcised, included the Gentiles; see Genesis 12:3.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

How - In what circumstances, or time.

When he was in circumcision ... - Before or after he was circumcised? This was the very point of the inquiry. For if he was justified by faith after he was circumcised, the Jew might pretend that it was in virtue of his circumcision; that even his faith was acceptable, because he was circumcised. But if it was before he was circumcised, this plea could not be set up; and the argument of the apostle was confirmed by the case of Abraham, the great father and model of the Jewish people, that circumcision and the deeds of the Law did not conduce to justification; and that as Abraham was justified without those works, so might others be, and the pagan, therefore, might be admitted to similar privileges.

Not in circumcision - Not being circumcised, or after he was circumcised, but before. This was the record in the case; Genesis 15:6; Compare Genesis 17:10.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Romans 4:10. How was it then reckoned? — In what circumstances was Abraham when this blessing was bestowed upon him? When he was circumcised, or before?

Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. — Faith was reckoned to Abraham for justification, as we read Genesis 15:6, (where see the note;) but circumcision was not instituted till about fourteen or fifteen years after, Genesis 17:1, c. for faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness or justification at least one year before Ishmael was born; compare Genesis 15:0, and 16. At Ishmael's birth he was eighty-six years of age, Genesis 16:16; and, at the institution of circumcision, Ishmael was thirteen, and Abraham ninety-nine years old. See Genesis 17:24, Genesis 17:25; and see Dr. Taylor.


 
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