ROM 4:2 Parallel View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible. This view is only designed for doing comparisons of different translations. Click on the version abbreviation to see the verse in more of its context.

Key: yellow:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor, red:negative.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

UST This must be true because if Abraham became righteous based on doing the things that God commanded in his laws, then he could brag about it.” On the contrary, I would say that Abraham could not possibly boast about it to God!

BSB If Abraham was indeed justified by works, he had something to boast about, but not before God.

BLB For if Abraham was justified by works, he has ground of boasting, but not toward God.

AICNT For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.

OEB If he was pronounced righteous as the result of obedience, then he has something to boast of. Yes, but not before God.

WEB For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not toward God.

NET For if Abraham was declared righteous by the works of the law, he has something to boast about – but not before God.

LSV For if Abraham was declared righteous by works, he has to boast—but not before God;

FBV For if Abraham was set right by what he did, he would have had something to boast about—but not in God's eyes.

TCNT If Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.

T4T If it was because of Abraham’s doing good things that the record of his sins was erased {that God erased the record of his sins}, Abraham could then have been able to boast about that to people, but he would not have had any basis to boast to God about it.

LEB For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.

BBE For if Abraham got righteousness by works, he has reason for pride; but not before God.

MOF No MOF ROM book available

ASV For if Abraham was justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not toward God.

DRA For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory, but not before God.

YLT for if Abraham by works was declared righteous, he hath to boast — but not before God;

DBY For if Abraham has been justified on the principle of works, he has whereof to boast: but not before [fn]God;

4.2 Elohim

RV For if Abraham was justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not toward God.

WBS For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory, but not before God.

KJB For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
(For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath/has whereof to glory; but not before God. )

BB For if Abraham were iustified by workes, the hath he wherein to boaste, but not before God.
(For if Abraham were iustified by works, the hath/has he wherein to boaste, but not before God.)

GNV For if Abraham were iustified by workes, he hath wherein to reioyce, but not with God.
(For if Abraham were iustified by works, he hath/has wherein to reioyce, but not with God. )

CB This we saye: Yf Abraham were made righteous thorow workes, then hath he wherin to reioyse, but not before God.
(This we say: If Abraham were made righteous through works, then hath/has he wherin to reioyse, but not before God.)

TNT If Abraham were iustified by dedes the hath he wherin to reioyce: but not with god.
(If Abraham were iustified by dedes the hath/has he wherin to reioyce: but not with god. )

WYC For if Abraham is iustified of werkis of the lawe, he hath glorie, but not anentis God.
(For if Abraham is iustified of works of the law, he hath/has glory, but not anentis God.)

LUT Das sagen wir: Ist Abraham durch die Werke gerecht, so hat er wohl Ruhm, aber nicht vor GOtt.
(The say wir: Ist Abraham through the Werke gerecht, so has he wohl Ruhm, but not before/in_front_of God.)

CLV Si enim Abraham ex operibus justificatus est, habet gloriam, sed non apud Deum.
(When/But_if because Abraham ex operibus justificatus it_is, habet gloriam, but not/no apud God. )

UGNT εἰ γὰρ Ἀβραὰμ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη, ἔχει καύχημα, ἀλλ’ οὐ πρὸς Θεόν.
(ei gar Abraʼam ex ergōn edikaiōthaʸ, eⱪei kauⱪaʸma, all’ ou pros Theon.)

SBL-GNT εἰ γὰρ Ἀβραὰμ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη, ἔχει καύχημα· ἀλλʼ οὐ ⸀πρὸς θεόν,
(ei gar Abraʼam ex ergōn edikaiōthaʸ, eⱪei kauⱪaʸma; allʼ ou ⸀pros theon, )

TC-GNT Εἰ γὰρ Ἀβραὰμ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη, ἔχει καύχημα, ἀλλ᾽ οὐ πρὸς [fn]τὸν Θεόν.
(Ei gar Abraʼam ex ergōn edikaiōthaʸ, eⱪei kauⱪaʸma, all᾽ ou pros ton Theon.)

4:2 τον ¦ — CT

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / quotemarks

εἰ γὰρ Ἀβραὰμ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη, ἔχει καύχημα

if for Abraham by works /was/_justified ˱he˲_/is/_having /a/_boast

These clauses continue the the statements that an unbelieving Jew might make against Paul that began in the previous verse. You may need to indicate this with a closing quotation mark at the end of these clauses or with whatever other punctuation or convention your language uses to indicate the end of a quotation.

Note 2 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

γὰρ

for

For here indicates that what follows is the reason for the statement in the previous verse. Use a natural way in your language for indicating a reason. Alternate translation: “This must be the case because”

Note 3 topic: grammar-connect-condition-fact

εἰ & Ἀβραὰμ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη, ἔχει καύχημα

if & Abraham by works /was/_justified ˱he˲_/is/_having /a/_boast

Paul is speaking as if this were a hypothetical possibility, but he means that the unbelieving Jew might think that this is actually true. In Paul’s time some Jewish teachers taught that Abraham had a right to boast because of his faith. However, since translating this as if it were true might confuse your readers, it is best to use a hypothetical sentence, as in the UST.

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

Ἀβραὰμ & ἐδικαιώθη

Abraham & /was/_justified

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you must state who did the action, Paul implies that “God” did it. Alternate translation: “God justified Abraham” or “God made Abraham right with himself”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ἐξ ἔργων

by works

Paul assumes that his readers would understand that worksmeans “works of the law” as in 3:28. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “by doing what God requires from his people”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ἀλλ’ οὐ πρὸς Θεόν

but not toward God

In this clause Paul begins to respond to the rhetorical questions he wrote in the previous clauses and previous verse. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “I would respond by saying, ‘But not before God!’”

Note 7 topic: grammar-connect-logic-contrast

ἀλλ’ οὐ πρὸς Θεόν.

but not toward God

What follows the word but here is an emphatic contrast to what was just stated. Paul is negating the argument that he presented earlier in this verse and in the previous verse. You could make this emphasis explicit by replacing the period with an exclamation point or another natural way in your language for introducing am emphatic contrast. Alternate translation: “but certainly not before God!” or “however, not from God’s perspective!”

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

πρὸς Θεόν

toward God

Paul speaks of Abraham as if he were located in the presence of God. He means that Abraham could not boast to God about his righteousness if it was righteous by works. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternative translation: “from God’s perspective”

Parallel ROM 4:2