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InterlinearVerse GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOB JOS JDG RUTH 1 SAM 2 SAM PSA AMOS HOS 1 KI 2 KI 1 CHR 2 CHR PROV ECC SNG JOEL MIC ISA ZEP HAB JER LAM YNA (JNA) NAH OBA DAN EZE EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL LAO GES LES ESG DNG 2 PS TOB JDT WIS SIR BAR LJE PAZ SUS BEL MAN 1 MAC 2 MAC 3 MAC 4 MAC YHN (JHN) MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC (JAM) GAL 1 TH 2 TH 1 COR 2 COR ROM COL PHM EPH PHP 1 TIM TIT 1 PET 2 PET 2 TIM HEB YUD (JUD) 1 YHN (1 JHN) 2 YHN (2 JHN) 3 YHN (3 JHN) REV
Rom C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16
Rom 4 V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7 V8 V9 V11 V12 V13 V14 V15 V16 V17 V18 V19 V20 V21 V22 V23 V24 V25
OET (OET-LV) Therefore how it_was_counted?
In circumcision being, or in uncircumcision?
Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision,
OET (OET-RV) So how did that happen? Because he was circumcised or when he was still uncircumcised? No, it was before he was circumcised.
God called Abraham righteous because he believed what God told him (Genesis 15:1–6). In this section, Paul used that example to show that all people must believe in God for him to call them righteous. He did that for Abraham before Abraham was circumcised. So that shows that God makes people right with himself because they believe in him and not because they are circumcised.
Here are other possible headings for this section:
The Example of Abraham (GNT)
God called Abraham righteous because he believed
Abraham is/as an example of how to become righteous before God
The lesson/model of God calling Abraham righteous because he believed God
In what context was it credited?
So then, how did God declare that to him?
Now consider how God accepted Abraham’s faith and called him righteous.
In what context was it credited?: This is a rhetorical question. Paul used this question to introduce the next question. In some languages a question is not natural here. If that is true in your language, translate it as a statement. For example:
Consider how/when it was counted to him.
Think about how/when God counted his faith as righteousness.
This verse begins with a Greek conjunction that indicates a general connection to the previous verses. The BSB leaves this word implicit. In some languages it would be natural to translate it. For example:
Then, when was it counted to him?
was it credited: The word it refers to Abraham’s faith. Also, the phrase “as righteousness” is implied from 4:9d. In some languages it is more natural or more clear to include the implied information or explain what it means here. For example:
was his faith counted to him
was it counted to him as righteousness
was his faith counted to him as righteousness
This clause is passive. Some languages must use an active clause. For example:
did God count his faith to him
Was it after his circumcision, or before?
Was he circumcised at the time, or not? (NET).
Did God do that before someone circumcised him/Abraham or after?
Was it after his circumcision, or before?: The Greek is more literally “was he in circumcision or in uncircumcision?” It asks whether he was circumcised or not at the time God counted him as righteous.
This is a rhetorical question. Paul answered it in 4:10c. The question causes the reader to think what the answer might be. You should translate it as a question, because Paul answered it in 4:10c.
Was it after…or before: The word it refers to the event of God counting Abraham as righteous. In some languages a word or phrase other than it must be used to clearly refer to that event. For example:
Was that event before or after
Was that deed done before or after
his circumcision: Here is another way to translate this phrase:
someone circumcised him
It was not after, but before.
God said that to him before he was circumcised, not while he was circumcised.
God did that before someone circumcised him/Abraham, not after!
It was not after, but before: There words are the answer to the question in 4:10b. The Greek is literally “not in circumcision but in uncircumcision.” It indicates that God counted Abraham righteous as an uncircumcised man. Here are other ways to translate these words:
Not when he had been circumcised, but while he was still uncircumcised (NJB)
It was not after, but before he was circumcised (ESV)
In some languages it is more natural to have the positive first. For example:
It was before, not after (GNT)
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion
πῶς οὖν ἐλογίσθη? ἐν περιτομῇ ὄντι, ἢ ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ?
how (Some words not found in SR-GNT: πῶς Οὖν ἐλογίσθη Ἐν περιτομῇ ὄντι ἤ ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ Οὐκ ἐν περιτομῇ ἀλλʼ ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ)
In these two sentences Paul is not asking for information, but is using these two questions to emphasize that Abraham was made righteous without being circumcised. If you would not use a rhetorical question for this purpose in your language, you could translate his words as a statement or an exclamation and communicate the emphasis in another way. You may need to combine these sentences. Alternate translation: [Then you surely know how it was credited to him! You surely know whether it was in circumcision or in uncircumcision!] or [Then you surely know how it was credited to him, whether in circumcision or in uncircumcision!]
Note 2 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result
πῶς οὖν
how (Some words not found in SR-GNT: πῶς Οὖν ἐλογίσθη Ἐν περιτομῇ ὄντι ἤ ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ Οὐκ ἐν περιτομῇ ἀλλʼ ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ)
Here, then introduces a result clause that is in the form of a rhetorical question. Use a natural way in your language for indicating result. Alternate translation: [How, as a result,] or [So then, how]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom
πῶς
how
How here means “in what circumstances.” Paul is not asking how God made Abraham righteous, but is asking whether or not Abraham was circumcised when God made him righteous. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [In what circumstances]
Note 4 topic: writing-pronouns
ἐλογίσθη & οὐκ ἐν περιτομῇ
˱it˲_˓was˒_reckoned & (Some words not found in SR-GNT: πῶς Οὖν ἐλογίσθη Ἐν περιτομῇ ὄντι ἤ ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ Οὐκ ἐν περιτομῇ ἀλλʼ ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ)
In this verse the pronoun it refers to Abraham’s faith, as stated in the previous verse. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: [was Abraham’s faith credited … His faith was not in circumcision]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive
πῶς οὖν ἐλογίσθη
how (Some words not found in SR-GNT: πῶς Οὖν ἐλογίσθη Ἐν περιτομῇ ὄντι ἤ ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ Οὐκ ἐν περιτομῇ ἀλλʼ ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ)
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: [How then did God credit it]
Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis
ἐν περιτομῇ ὄντι, ἢ ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ? οὐκ ἐν περιτομῇ, ἀλλ’ ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ
in in circumcision in (Some words not found in SR-GNT: πῶς Οὖν ἐλογίσθη Ἐν περιτομῇ ὄντι ἤ ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ Οὐκ ἐν περιτομῇ ἀλλʼ ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ)
Here Paul is leaving out some the words that a sentence would need in many languages to be complete. If it would be helpful in your language, you could supply these words from the previous sentence. Alternate translation: [Was it credited being in circumcision, or was it credited being in uncircumcision? It was not credited in circumcision, but it was credited in uncircumcision]
Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns
ἐν περιτομῇ ὄντι, ἢ ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ? οὐκ ἐν περιτομῇ, ἀλλ’ ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ
in in circumcision in (Some words not found in SR-GNT: πῶς Οὖν ἐλογίσθη Ἐν περιτομῇ ὄντι ἤ ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ Οὐκ ἐν περιτομῇ ἀλλʼ ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ)
If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas of circumcision and uncircumcision, you could express the same ideas in a different way. Paul implies that Abraham is the subject of these sentences. Alternate translation: [While Abraham was circumcised, or while he was uncircumcised? It was not while he was circumcised, but while he was uncircumcised]
OET (OET-LV) Therefore how it_was_counted?
In circumcision being, or in uncircumcision?
Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision,
OET (OET-RV) So how did that happen? Because he was circumcised or when he was still uncircumcised? No, it was before he was circumcised.
Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.
Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.