Romans 4:9-16

4:9 Is this blessedness ¹  then for ²  the circumcision ³  or also for ⁴  the uncircumcision? For we say, “faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness.” ⁵  4:10 How then was it credited to him? Was he circumcised at the time, or not? No, he was not circumcised but uncircumcised! 4:11 And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised, ⁶  so that he would become ⁷  the father of all those who believe but have never been circumcised, ⁸  that they too could have righteousness credited to them. 4:12 And he is also the father of the circumcised, ⁹  who are not only circumcised, but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham possessed when he was still uncircumcised. ¹⁰ 

4:13 For the promise ¹¹  to Abraham or to his descendants that he would inherit the world was not fulfilled through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 4:14 For if they become heirs by the law, faith is empty and the promise is nullified. ¹²  4:15 For the law brings wrath, because where there is no law there is no transgression ¹³  either. 4:16 For this reason it is by faith so that it may be by grace, ¹⁴  with the result that the promise may be certain to all the descendants – not only to those who are under the law, but also to those who have the faith of Abraham, ¹⁵  who is the father of us all

[4:9]  ¹ tn Or “happiness.”

[4:9]  ² tn Grk “upon.”

[4:9]  ³ sn See the note on “circumcision” in 2:25.

[4:9]  ⁴ tn Grk “upon.”

[4:9]  ⁵ sn A quotation from Gen 15:6.

[4:11]  ⁶ tn Grk “of the faith, the one [existing] in uncircumcision.”

[4:11]  ⁷ tn Grk “that he might be,” giving the purpose of v. 11a.

[4:11]  ⁸ tn Grk “through uncircumcision.”

[4:12]  ¹¹ tn Grk “the father of circumcision.”

[4:12]  ¹² tn Grk “the ‘in-uncircumcision faith’ of our father Abraham.”

[4:13]  ¹⁶ sn Although a singular noun, the promise is collective and does not refer only to Gen 12:7, but as D. Moo (Romans 1-8 [WEC], 279) points out, refers to multiple aspects of the promise to Abraham: multiplied descendants (Gen 12:2), possession of the land (Gen 13:15-17), and his becoming the vehicle of blessing to all people (Gen 12:13).

[4:14]  ²¹ tn Grk “rendered inoperative.”

[4:15]  ²⁶ tn Or “violation.”

[4:16]  ³¹ tn Grk “that it might be according to grace.”

[4:16]  ³² tn Grk “those who are of the faith of Abraham.”