# Romans 4.1-12 **Book:** [Romans](/codex/romans/) · NASB95 ## Immediate context (±2 verses) **ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/)) > **1. What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, hath found according to the flesh? 2. For if Abraham was justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not toward God. 3. For what saith the scripture? And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness. 4. Now to him that worketh, the reward is not reckoned as of grace, but as of debt. 5. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is reckoned for righteousness. 6. Even as David also pronounceth blessing upon the man, unto whom God reckoneth righteousness apart from works, 7. saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, And whose sins are covered. 8. Blessed is the man to whom, the Lord will not reckon sin. 9. Is this blessing then pronounced upon the circumcision, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say, To Abraham his faith was reckoned for righteousness. 10. How then was it reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision: 11. and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while he was in uncircumcision; that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be in uncircumcision, that righteousness might be reckoned unto them; 12. and the father of circumcision to them who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham which he had in uncircumcision.** > > 13. For not through the law was the promise to Abraham or to his seed that he should be heir of the world, but through the righteousness of faith. 14. For if they that are of the law are heirs, faith is made void, and the promise is made of none effect: (Romans 4:1-14, ASV) **WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/)) > **1. What then will we say that Abraham, our forefather, has found according to the flesh? 2. For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not toward God. 3. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 4. Now to him who works, the reward is not counted as grace, but as something owed. 5. But to him who doesn’t work, but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness. 6. Even as David also pronounces blessing on the man to whom God counts righteousness apart from works, 7. “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 8. Blessed is the man whom the Lord will by no means charge with sin.” 9. Is this blessing then pronounced on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. 10. How then was it counted? When he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. 11. He received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while he was in uncircumcision, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they might be in uncircumcision, that righteousness might also be accounted to them. 12. He is the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had in uncircumcision.** > > 13. For the promise to Abraham and to his offspring that he should be heir of the world wasn’t through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14. For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void, and the promise is made of no effect. (Romans 4:1-14, WEB) **KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/)) > **1. What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? 2. For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. 3. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. 4. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. 5. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. 6. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, 7. Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. 8. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. 9. Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. 10. How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. 11. And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: 12. And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.** > > 13. For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14. For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: (Romans 4:1-14, KJV) **YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/)) > **1. What, then, shall we say Abraham our father, to have found, according to flesh? 2. for if Abraham by works was declared righteous, he hath to boast, but not before God; 3. for what doth the writing say? 'And Abraham did believe God, and it was reckoned to him, to righteousness;' 4. and to him who is working, the reward is not reckoned of grace, but of debt; 5. and to him who is not working, and is believing upon Him who is declaring righteous the impious, his faith is reckoned, to righteousness: 6. even as David also doth speak of the happiness of the man to whom God doth reckon righteousness apart from works: 7. 'Happy they whose lawless acts were forgiven, and whose sins were covered; 8. happy the man to whom the Lord may not reckon sin.' 9. [Is] this happiness, then, upon the circumcision, or also upon the uncircumcision, for we say that the faith was reckoned to Abraham, to righteousness? 10. how then was it reckoned? he being in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision; 11. and a sign he did receive of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith in the uncircumcision, for his being father of all those believing through uncircumcision, for the righteousness also being reckoned to them, 12. and father of circumcision to those not of circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of the faith, that [is] in the uncircumcision of our father Abraham.** > > 13. For not through law [is] the promise to Abraham, or to his seed, of his being heir of the world, but through the righteousness of faith; 14. for if they who are of law [are] heirs, the faith hath been made void, and the promise hath been made useless; (Romans 4:1-14, YLT) ## Setting - **Speaker:** _TBD_ - **Audience:** _TBD_ - **Location:** _TBD_ - **Time period:** _TBD_ ## Theological reading _Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added._ ## Key words _Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word._ - [G1344 - dikaioo](/codex/g1344-dikaioo/), *dikaioo*, Strong's G1344 - [G3049 - logizomai](/codex/g3049-logizomai/), *logizomai*, Strong's G3049 - [G1343 - dikaiosyne](/codex/g1343-dikaiosyne/), *dikaiosyne*, Strong's G1343 - [G4561 - sarx](/codex/g4561-sarx/), *sarx*, Strong's G4561 - [G0863 - aphiemi](/codex/g0863-aphiemi/), *aphiemi*, Strong's G0863 - [G5485 - charis](/codex/g5485-charis/), *charis*, Strong's G5485 ## Quoted in **Arguments and defeaters:** - [Necessity of the Incarnation](/codex/necessity-of-the-incarnation/), via [Romans 4.4](/codex/romans-4-4/) **Concepts:** - [100 Common Questions](/codex/100-common-questions/), via [Romans 4.1-5](/codex/romans-4-1-5/) - [Faith](/codex/faith/), via [Romans 4.1-25](/codex/romans-4-1-25/), [Romans 4.3](/codex/romans-4-3/) - [Imputation Doctrine](/codex/imputation-doctrine/), via [Romans 4.3](/codex/romans-4-3/), [Romans 4.5](/codex/romans-4-5/) - [Justification by Faith](/codex/justification-by-faith/), via [Romans 4.1-5](/codex/romans-4-1-5/), [Romans 4.1-8](/codex/romans-4-1-8/), [Romans 4.3-8](/codex/romans-4-3-8/), [Romans 4.5](/codex/romans-4-5/) - [Lordship Salvation](/codex/lordship-salvation/), via [Romans 4.5](/codex/romans-4-5/) - [Repentance](/codex/repentance/), via [Romans 4.5](/codex/romans-4-5/) - [Salvation of the Unevangelized](/codex/salvation-of-the-unevangelized/), via [Romans 4.11](/codex/romans-4-11/) - [Sola Fide](/codex/sola-fide/), via [Romans 4.5](/codex/romans-4-5/) **Lexicon:** - [G1342 - dikaios](/codex/g1342-dikaios/), via [Romans 4.3](/codex/romans-4-3/) - [G1343 - dikaiosyne](/codex/g1343-dikaiosyne/), via [Romans 4.3](/codex/romans-4-3/), [Romans 4.5](/codex/romans-4-5/) - [G1344 - dikaioo](/codex/g1344-dikaioo/), via [Romans 4.2-5](/codex/romans-4-2-5/), [Romans 4.5](/codex/romans-4-5/) - [G3049 - logizomai](/codex/g3049-logizomai/), via [Romans 4.10](/codex/romans-4-10/), [Romans 4.11](/codex/romans-4-11/), [Romans 4.3](/codex/romans-4-3/), [Romans 4.5](/codex/romans-4-5/), [Romans 4.6](/codex/romans-4-6/), [Romans 4.8](/codex/romans-4-8/), [Romans 4.9](/codex/romans-4-9/) - [G3860 - paradidomi](/codex/g3860-paradidomi/), via [Romans 4.8](/codex/romans-4-8/) - [G3962 - pater](/codex/g3962-pater/), via [Romans 4.1](/codex/romans-4-1/), [Romans 4.11-12](/codex/romans-4-11-12/) - [G4102 - pistis](/codex/g4102-pistis/), via [Romans 4.1-25](/codex/romans-4-1-25/) - [G5485 - charis](/codex/g5485-charis/), via [Romans 4.4](/codex/romans-4-4/) - [H0539 - aman](/codex/h0539-aman/), via [Romans 4.3](/codex/romans-4-3/), [Romans 4.9](/codex/romans-4-9/) - [H6588 - pesha](/codex/h6588-pesha/), via [Romans 4.7](/codex/romans-4-7/), [Romans 4.7-8](/codex/romans-4-7-8/) - [H6666 - tzedakah](/codex/h6666-tzedakah/), via [Romans 4.11-16](/codex/romans-4-11-16/), [Romans 4.3](/codex/romans-4-3/) ## Notes _Your annotations._ ## Why these four translations ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance. The four: - **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition. - **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English. - **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base. - **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff. See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.