Romans 4:3-6

4:3 For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited ¹  to him as righteousness.” ²  4:4 Now to the one who works, his pay is not credited due to grace but due to obligation. ³  4:5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in the one who declares the ungodly righteous, ⁴  his faith is credited as righteousness.

4:6 So even David himself speaks regarding the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

Romans 4:9-10

4:9 Is this blessedness ⁵  then for ⁶  the circumcision ⁷  or also for ⁸  the uncircumcision? For we say, “faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness.” ⁹  4:10 How then was it credited to him? Was he circumcised at the time, or not? No, he was not circumcised but uncircumcised!

Romans 4:21-22

4:21 He was ¹⁰  fully convinced that what God ¹¹  promised he was also able to do. 4:22 So indeed it was credited to Abraham ¹²  as righteousness.

¹ tn The term λογίζομαι (logizomai) occurs 11 times in this chapter (vv. 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 22, 23, 24). In secular usage it could (a) refer to deliberations of some sort, or (b) in commercial dealings (as virtually a technical term) to “reckoning” or “charging up a debt.” See H. W. Heidland, TDNT 4:284, 290-92.

² sn A quotation from Gen 15:6.

³ tn Grk “not according to grace but according to obligation.”

⁴ tn Or “who justifies the ungodly.”

⁵ tn Or “happiness.”

⁶ tn Grk “upon.”

⁷ sn See the note on “circumcision” in 2:25.

⁸ tn Grk “upon.”

⁹ sn A quotation from Gen 15:6.

¹⁰ tn Grk “and being.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

¹¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹² tn Grk “him”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.