Romans 4

Abraham — he believed, and it was reckoned to him for righteousness; reckon eleven times. Wage and grace, the one who works and the one who believes, David’s blessed. Righteousness reckoned in the foreskin, circumcision as sign and seal, father of all who believe through foreskin. A promise that came not through law but through righteousness of faith — heir of the world. The God who gives life to the dead and calls what is not — beyond hope, upon hope, unwavering before a dead body and a dead womb. Written for our sake: handed over because of trespasses, raised because of justification.

Τί οὖν ἐροῦμεν ⸀εὑρηκέναι Ἀβραὰμ τὸν ⸀προπάτορα ⸀ἡμῶν κατὰ σάρκα;

What then shall we say that Abraham our forefather according to the flesh found?

first here Abraham Ἀβραάμ Abraam

εἰ γὰρ Ἀβραὰμ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη, ἔχει καύχημα· ἀλλ’ οὐ ⸀πρὸς θεόν,

For if Abraham was justified from works, he has a boast — but not before God.

τί γὰρ ἡ γραφὴ λέγει; Ἐπίστευσεν δὲ Ἀβραὰμ τῷ θεῷ καὶ ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην.

For what does the scripture say? “And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him for righteousness.”

Why this rendering

Rom.4.3 Observation

Syntactic observation

Ἐπίστευσεν δὲ Ἀβραὰμ τῷ θεῷ καὶ ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην — and Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him for righteousness. This is the Septuagint of Genesis 15:6 and the spine of the chapter: λογίζομαι, reckon, comes eleven times (vv.3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 22, 23, 24). This edition keeps all eleven as reckon and does not scatter them into count, credit, consider — it is the verb of Luke 22:37, reckoned with the lawless, and of Acts 19:27, reckoned as nothing. εἰς δικαιοσύνην, for righteousness: εἰς is the preposition of direction, kept as for and not paraphrased as as righteous. Vv.4-5 set ἐργάζομαι (work), μισθός (wage), ὀφείλημα (debt) and χάρις (grace) side by side — wage is the word of Matt 20:8, pay them the wage, and debt the word of Matt 6:12, forgive us our debts. V.1 κατὰ σάρκα, according to the flesh, can attach to forefather or to found; this language attaches it to the forefather, and so does the English word order. V.2 καύχημα, a boast, is a different word from 3:27 καύχησις, boasting.

Rendering options · 2

Adopted

“reckon” in all eleven places — one verb

Basis The verb that is a chapter’s spine keeps one word.

“count · credit”

Basis Natural convention.

Rejected The eleven-fold repetition becomes invisible — the repetition is the argument.

τῷ δὲ ἐργαζομένῳ ὁ μισθὸς οὐ λογίζεται κατὰ χάριν ἀλλὰ κατὰ ὀφείλημα·

Now to the one who works, the wage is not reckoned according to grace but according to debt;

τῷ δὲ μὴ ἐργαζομένῳ, πιστεύοντι δὲ ἐπὶ τὸν δικαιοῦντα τὸν ἀσεβῆ, λογίζεται ἡ πίστις αὐτοῦ εἰς δικαιοσύνην,

but to the one who does not work but believes on the one who justifies the impious, his faith is reckoned for righteousness,

καθάπερ καὶ Δαυὶδ λέγει τὸν μακαρισμὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ᾧ ὁ θεὸς λογίζεται δικαιοσύνην χωρὶς ἔργων·

just as David also speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God reckons righteousness apart from works:

first here daughter Δαυίδ Dauid

Μακάριοι ὧν ἀφέθησαν αἱ ἀνομίαι καὶ ὧν ἐπεκαλύφθησαν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι,

“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds were forgiven and whose sins were covered over;

μακάριος ἀνὴρ ⸀οὗ οὐ μὴ λογίσηται κύριος ἁμαρτίαν.

blessed is the man to whom the Lord will never reckon sin.”

Ὁ μακαρισμὸς οὖν οὗτος ἐπὶ τὴν περιτομὴν ἢ καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν ἀκροβυστίαν; λέγομεν ⸀γάρ· Ἐλογίσθη τῷ Ἀβραὰμ ἡ πίστις εἰς δικαιοσύνην.

Is this blessedness then upon the circumcision, or also upon the foreskin? For we say: “Faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.”

πῶς οὖν ἐλογίσθη; ἐν περιτομῇ ὄντι ἢ ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ; οὐκ ἐν περιτομῇ ἀλλ’ ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ·

How then was it reckoned? When he was in circumcision or in foreskin? Not in circumcision but in foreskin;

καὶ σημεῖον ἔλαβεν περιτομῆς, σφραγῖδα τῆς δικαιοσύνης τῆς πίστεως τῆς ἐν τῇ ἀκροβυστίᾳ, εἰς τὸ εἶναι αὐτὸν πατέρα πάντων τῶν πιστευόντων δι’ ἀκροβυστίας, εἰς τὸ ⸀λογισθῆναι αὐτοῖς τὴν δικαιοσύνην,

and he received a sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith that was in the foreskin, so that he might be father of all who believe through foreskin, so that righteousness might be reckoned to them,

Why this rendering

Rom.4.11 Observation

Syntactic observation

καὶ σημεῖον ἔλαβεν περιτομῆς, σφραγῖδα τῆς δικαιοσύνης τῆς πίστεως τῆς ἐν τῇ ἀκροβυστίᾳ — and he received a sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith that was in the foreskin. In vv.9-12 ἀκροβυστία, foreskin, comes six times and περιτομή, circumcision, six times — this language sets two words of the body against each other, foreskin ↔ circumcision. σημεῖον, sign, is the word of Acts 2:43, wonders and signs. σφραγίς, seal, is here for the first time in the New Testament and is a word of Revelation. Vv.11-12 have father three times — father of all who believe, father of circumcision, our father Abraham. V.12 στοιχοῦσιν τοῖς ἴχνεσιν, keep in step with the footsteps: στοιχέω is the verb of Acts 21:24, keep in step with the law — a word for walking in line. The genitives stack: τῆς δικαιοσύνης τῆς πίστεως τῆς ἐν τῇ ἀκροβυστίᾳ — this edition keeps the stack as a seal of the righteousness of the faith.

Rendering options · 1

Adopted

“foreskin ↔ circumcision” — two words of the body

Basis As settled at 2:25.

καὶ πατέρα περιτομῆς τοῖς οὐκ ἐκ περιτομῆς μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς στοιχοῦσιν τοῖς ἴχνεσιν τῆς ⸂ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ πίστεως⸃ τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν Ἀβραάμ.

and father of circumcision to those who are not of circumcision only but who also keep in step with the footsteps of the faith of our father Abraham that he had in foreskin.

Οὐ γὰρ διὰ νόμου ἡ ἐπαγγελία τῷ Ἀβραὰμ ἢ τῷ σπέρματι αὐτοῦ, τὸ κληρονόμον αὐτὸν ⸀εἶναι κόσμου, ἀλλὰ διὰ δικαιοσύνης πίστεως·

For the promise to Abraham or to his seed, that he would be heir of the world, was not through law but through righteousness of faith;

εἰ γὰρ οἱ ἐκ νόμου κληρονόμοι, κεκένωται ἡ πίστις καὶ κατήργηται ἡ ἐπαγγελία·

for if those of law are heirs, faith has been made empty and the promise has been abolished;

ὁ γὰρ νόμος ὀργὴν κατεργάζεται, οὗ ⸀δὲ οὐκ ἔστιν νόμος, οὐδὲ παράβασις.

for the law works out wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there transgression.

Διὰ τοῦτο ἐκ πίστεως, ἵνα κατὰ χάριν, εἰς τὸ εἶναι βεβαίαν τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν παντὶ τῷ σπέρματι, οὐ τῷ ἐκ τοῦ νόμου μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ ἐκ πίστεως Ἀβραάμ (ὅς ἐστιν πατὴρ πάντων ἡμῶν,

For this reason it is from faith, so that it may be according to grace, so that the promise may be sure to all the seed — not to the one of the law only but also to the one of the faith of Abraham (who is father of us all,

καθὼς γέγραπται ὅτι Πατέρα πολλῶν ἐθνῶν τέθεικά σε), κατέναντι οὗ ἐπίστευσεν θεοῦ τοῦ ζῳοποιοῦντος τοὺς νεκροὺς καὶ καλοῦντος τὰ μὴ ὄντα ὡς ὄντα·

as it stands written: “I have set you as father of many nations”) — before the God whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls the things that are not as being.

Why this rendering

Rom.4.17 Observation

Syntactic observation

κατέναντι οὗ ἐπίστευσεν θεοῦ τοῦ ζῳοποιοῦντος τοὺς νεκροὺς καὶ καλοῦντος τὰ μὴ ὄντα ὡς ὄντα — before the God whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls the things that are not as being. ζῳοποιέω, give life, is the verb of John 5:21, as the Father raises the dead and gives them life. τὰ μὴ ὄντα ὡς ὄντα sets two participles of to be against each other, negative and positive — kept as the things that are not as being. The parenthesis of vv.16-17 (ὅς ἐστιν πατὴρ πάντων ἡμῶν … τέθεικά σε) is the base text’s own, and the quotation is Genesis 17:5. V.18 παρ’ ἐλπίδα ἐπ’ ἐλπίδι, beyond hope, upon hope — one noun, two prepositions, kept as two. V.19 νενεκρωμένον (already dead) and νέκρωσις (deadness) are the verb and noun of νεκρός, dead — one root with v.17’s gives life to the dead, so that Abraham’s body and Sarah’s womb fall inside those dead. V.20 οὐ διεκρίθη, did not waver, is the verb of Matt 21:21, and ἐνεδυναμώθη, was strengthened, the verb of Acts 9:22, Saul was all the more strengthened. V.21 πληροφορηθείς, fully assured, is the verb of Luke 1:1, the things fully accomplished — here with a person as subject, a different rendering by site.

Rendering options · 1

Adopted

“the things that are not as being” — both participles kept

Basis The negative and positive of to be face each other in one clause.

ὃς παρ’ ἐλπίδα ἐπ’ ἐλπίδι ἐπίστευσεν εἰς τὸ γενέσθαι αὐτὸν πατέρα πολλῶν ἐθνῶν κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον· Οὕτως ἔσται τὸ σπέρμα σου·

He beyond hope, upon hope, believed, so that he became father of many nations, according to what was said: “So shall your seed be”;

καὶ μὴ ἀσθενήσας τῇ ⸀πίστει κατενόησεν τὸ ἑαυτοῦ ⸀σῶμα νενεκρωμένον, ἑκατονταετής που ὑπάρχων, καὶ τὴν νέκρωσιν τῆς μήτρας Σάρρας,

and not being weak in faith, he noticed his own body already dead, being about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb;

εἰς δὲ τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν τοῦ θεοῦ οὐ διεκρίθη τῇ ἀπιστίᾳ ἀλλὰ ἐνεδυναμώθη τῇ πίστει, δοὺς δόξαν τῷ θεῷ

yet at the promise of God he did not waver in unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God,

καὶ πληροφορηθεὶς ὅτι ὃ ἐπήγγελται δυνατός ἐστιν καὶ ποιῆσαι.

and being fully assured that what he has promised he is able also to do.

⸀διὸ ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην.

Therefore it was reckoned to him for righteousness.

Οὐκ ἐγράφη δὲ δι’ αὐτὸν μόνον ὅτι ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ,

Now it was not written for his sake only that it was reckoned to him,

ἀλλὰ καὶ δι’ ἡμᾶς οἷς μέλλει λογίζεσθαι, τοῖς πιστεύουσιν ἐπὶ τὸν ἐγείραντα Ἰησοῦν τὸν κύριον ἡμῶν ἐκ νεκρῶν,

but also for our sake, to whom it is going to be reckoned — to us who believe on the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,

first here Jesus Ἰησοῦς Iēsous

ὃς παρεδόθη διὰ τὰ παραπτώματα ἡμῶν καὶ ἠγέρθη διὰ τὴν δικαίωσιν ἡμῶν.

who was handed over because of our trespasses and was raised because of our justification.

Why this rendering

Rom.4.25 Observation

Syntactic observation

ὃς παρεδόθη διὰ τὰ παραπτώματα ἡμῶν καὶ ἠγέρθη διὰ τὴν δικαίωσιν ἡμῶν — who was handed over because of our trespasses and was raised because of our justification. διά with the accusative comes twice in the same form; the first is usually read as cause and the second as purpose, but the base text uses one preposition for both, and this edition keeps because of twice so that the sameness stays visible (the reading for is recorded here). παρεδόθη, was handed over, is the verb of 1:24, 26, 28 (God handed them over) and Judas’s verb at Matt 26:15 — passive, with no agent named. ἠγέρθη, was raised, is the verb of v.24, the one who raised. παράπτωμα, trespass, is the word of Matt 6:14-15, if you forgive their trespasses; δικαίωσις, justification, is the noun of the δικαιόω that fills the chapter and stands only in Romans in the New Testament (4:25; 5:18). Behind the verse lies the Septuagint of Isaiah 53:12, handed over because of their sins (διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῶν παρεδόθη).

Rendering options · 2

Adopted

“because of … because of” — the same διά twice

Basis One preposition in the base text, one word here.

“because of … for”

Basis The purposive reading.

Rejected It splits what the base text does not split.