OET interlinear ROM 4:2

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”