ROM 4:2 Interlinear View

1. Greek word
2. Greek lemma
3. OET-LV words
4. OET-RV words
5. Strongs
6. Role/Morphology
7. OET Gloss
8. VLT Gloss
9. CAPS codes
10. Confidence
11. OET tags
12. OET word #
1. εἰ
2. ei
3. if
4. -
5. 14870
6. C·······
7. if
8. if
9. -
10. Y60
11. 106630
1. Γάρ
2. gar
3. For/Because
4. Because because
5. 10630
6. C·······
7. for
8. for
9. S
10. Y60
11. 106631
1. Ἀβραάμ
2. abraam
3. Abraʼam
4. Abraham
5. 110
6. N····NMS
7. Abraʼam/(ʼAⱱrāhām)
8. Abraham
9. U
10. Person=Abraham; Y60; F106636
11. 106632
1. ἐξ
2. ek
3. by
4. -
5. 15370
6. P·······
7. by
8. by
9. -
10. Y60
11. 106633
1. ἔργων
2. ergon
3. works
4. -
5. 20410
6. N····GNP
7. works
8. works
9. -
10. Y60
11. 106634
1. ἐδικαιώθη
2. dikaioō
3. was justified
4. -
5. 13440
6. VIAP3··S
7. ˓was˒ justified
8. ˓was˒ justified
9. -
10. Y60
11. 106635
1. ἔχει
2. eχō
3. he is having
4. he
5. 21920
6. VIPA3··S
7. ˱he˲ ˓is˒ having
8. ˱he˲ ˓is˒ having
9. -
10. Y60; R106632; Person=Abraham
11. 106636
1. καύχημα
2. kauχēma
3. +a boast
4. boast
5. 27450
6. N····ANS
7. ˓a˒ boast
8. ˓a˒ boast
9. -
10. Y60
11. 106637
1. ἀλλʼ
2. alla
3. but
4. -
5. 2350
6. C·······
7. but
8. but
9. -
10. Y60
11. 106638
1. οὒ
2. ou
3. not
4. -
5. 37560
6. D·······
7. not
8. not
9. -
10. Y60
11. 106639
1. πρός
2. pros
3. toward
4. towards
5. 43140
6. P·······
7. toward
8. toward
9. -
10. Y60
11. 106640
1. τόν
2. ho
3. -
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····AMS
7. ¬the
8. ¬the
9. -
10. -
11. 106641
1. Θεόν
2. theos
3. god
4. God
5. 23160
6. N····AMS
7. god
8. God
9. GN
10. Y60; Person=God
11. 106642

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 4:1–12: God considers/calls people righteous like he did with Abraham

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

4:2a–c

If Abraham was indeed justified by works, he had something to boast about, but not before God: Here, the word If introduces a situation that was not true. Abraham was not justified because of his works. But the “then” clause (he had something…) imagines what might have happened if Abraham had been justified because of his works.

Here are some ways to translate this:

Some languages have a word or phrase that indicates this if-clause is a situation that was not true. For example:
if as-might-be-said it was because of his perfect obedience to the laws that this Abraham was declared righteous in God’s sight, he would of course now have something to boast about, (but not before God)Tagbanwa Back Translation on TW.
if-it-had-been,-but-was-not,-that God made Abraham righteous through what he had done, he would have been able to boast, but not before GodBased on the Yongkom Back Translation, unpublished manuscript.
Other languages can add other words to help indicate that this if-clause is a situation that was not true. For example:
If for-example God counted him as righteous because of what he did, there would be something for him to boast-about, but the truth of it is that there is nothing that he could boast-about to God.Kankanaey Back Translation on TW.
if it were true that God called Abraham righteous because of what Abraham did, then Abraham could boast about that to someone, but he could not boast about it to God
Other languages must translate without using the word If. For example:
we know that the reason that God regarded Abraham as righteous was not because he did good deeds, so he has nothing to boast about, and certainly could not boast before God

4:2a

If Abraham was indeed justified by works,

For if Abraham was declared right before God because of what he had done,
If it were/was possible that God said that Abraham was righteous because he/Abraham did something,

This verse begins with a Greek conjunction that is usually translates as “for.” It introduces an explanation of why Paul asked about Abraham in 4:1. In some languages it is more natural to omit this conjunction and allow the context to imply that connection, as the BSB does. For example:

If Abraham… (NJB)

Abraham was indeed justified by works: This clause is passive. God justified Abraham. Some languages must use an active clause here. For example:

his good deeds had made him acceptable to God (NLT)

God declared Abraham righteous by his/Abraham’s deeds

God considered Abraham to be just/innocent because of what he/Abraham did

justified: Here the Greek word that the BSB translates as justified means “called and treated as righteous.” God regarded Abraham as righteous. See the above examples. See how you translated this word in 2:13 (where the BSB translates it as “declared righteous”) or 3:30.

by works: Here the word works refers to a person’s own effort, or the deeds one does. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

by the things he did (GNT)

because of what he had done (NJB)

4:2b

he had something to boast about,

that would have been a good reason for Abraham to boast to others about himself,
he could have praised himself for doing those good things.

he had something to boast about: This is still part of the statement which is not true (see note at 4:2a–c). If it was possible that his good deeds caused God to call him righteous, Abraham could boast about that.

boast: The word boast means “to talk about one’s own accomplishments or abilities with too much pride.”All Nations English Dictionary on TW. Here are other ways to translate boast:

brag (GW)

tell others how good he is

4:2c

but not before God.

but he could not boast to God about what he had done.
But he could not praise himself before God about those deeds.

but not before God: The words “he had something to boast about” are implied from 4:2b. Some languages must repeat some or all of those words. For example:

but he could not boast before God

but he could not boast about it before God

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / quotemarks

εἰ γὰρ Ἀβραὰμ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη, ἔχει καύχημα

if (Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἰ Γάρ Ἀβραάμ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη ἔχει καύχημα ἀλλʼ οὒ πρός Θεόν)

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

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἰ Γάρ Ἀβραάμ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη ἔχει καύχημα ἀλλʼ οὒ πρός Θεόν)

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 & (Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἰ Γάρ Ἀβραάμ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη ἔχει καύχημα ἀλλʼ οὒ πρός Θεόν)

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

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἰ Γάρ Ἀβραάμ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη ἔχει καύχημα ἀλλʼ οὒ πρός Θεόν)

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 works means “works of the law” as in [3:28](../03/28.md). 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 (Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἰ Γάρ Ἀβραάμ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη ἔχει καύχημα ἀλλʼ οὒ πρός Θεόν)

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 (Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἰ Γάρ Ἀβραάμ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη ἔχει καύχημα ἀλλʼ οὒ πρός Θεόν)

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

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἰ Γάρ Ἀβραάμ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη ἔχει καύχημα ἀλλʼ οὒ πρός Θεόν)

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. Alternate translation: [from God’s perspective]

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

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.

OET interlinear ROM 4:2

SR Greek word order (including unused variant words in grey)

Section 4:1–12: God considers/calls people righteous like he did with Abraham

4:2a–c

4:2a

4:2b

4:2c

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)