Romans 4:10

How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
How	πῶς pōs	G4459	an interrogative particle of manner · particle — interrogative
it	ἐλογίσθη; elogisthē	G3049	to take an inventory · verb — aorist passive indicative, 3rd person singular
then	οὖν oun	G3767	(adverbially) certainly · conjunction
reckoned	λογίζομαι logízomai	G3049	to take an inventory
was	ὤν ṓn	G5607	being
in	ἐν en	G1722	"in · preposition
circumcision	περιτομῇ peritomēa	G4061	circumcision (the rite · noun — dative singular feminine
or	ἢ ē	G2228	disjunctive · conjunction
in	ἐν en	G1722	"in · preposition
uncircumcision	ἀκροβυστίᾳ; akrobustia	G203	the prepuce · noun — dative singular feminine
Not	οὐκ ouk	G3756	the absolute negative (compare G3361 (μή)) adverb · particle — negative
in	ἐν en	G1722	"in · preposition
circumcision	περιτομῇ peritomēa	G4061	circumcision (the rite · noun — dative singular feminine
but	ἀλλ᾽ all᾽	G235	properly · conjunction
in	ἐν en	G1722	"in · preposition
uncircumcision	ἀκροβυστίᾳ· akrobustia	G203	the prepuce · noun — dative singular feminine

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Galatians 6:15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.
Galatians 5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.
Genesis 15:5-6 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him,…
Genesis 15:16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.
Genesis 16:1-3 Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.
Genesis 17:1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be t…
Genesis 17:10 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.
Genesis 17:23-27 And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of…

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Romans 4:9-16

St. Paul observes in this paragraph when and why Abraham was thus justified; for he has several things to remark upon that. It was before he was circumcised, and before the giving of the law; and there was a reason for both. I. It was before he was circumcised, Rom 4:10. His faith was counted to him for righteousness while he was in uncircumcision. It was imputed, Gen 15:6, and he was not circumcised till ch. 17. Abraham is expressly said to be justified by faith fourteen years, some say twenty-five years, before he was circumcised. Now this the apostle takes notice of in answer to the question (Rom 4:9), Cometh this blessedness then on the circumcision only, or on the uncircumcision also? A…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Romans 4:9

Cometh this blessedness then, &c.--that is, "Say not, All this is spoken of the circumcised, and is therefore no evidence of God's general way of justifying men; for Abraham's justification took place long before he was circumcised, and so could have no dependence upon that rite: nay, 'the sign of circumcision' was given to Abraham as 'a seal' (or token) of the (justifying) righteousness which he had before he was circumcised; in order that he might stand forth to every age as the parent believer--the model man of justification by faith--after whose type, as the first public example of it, all were to be moulded, whether Jew or Gentile, who should thereafter believe to life everlasting."

Adam Clarke on Romans 4:10

How was it then reckoned? - In what circumstances was Abraham when this blessing was bestowed upon him? When he was circumcised, or before? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision - Faith was reckoned to Abraham for justification, as we read Gen 15:6, (see the note on Gen 15:6); but circumcision was not instituted till about fourteen or fifteen years after, Gen 17:1, etc.; for faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness or justification at least one year before Ishmael was born; compare Genesis 15, and 16. At Ishmael's birth he was eighty-six years of age, Gen 16:16; and, at the institution of circumcision, Ishmael was thirteen, and Abraham ninety-nine years old. See Gen 17:24, Gen 17…

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The Church Fathers

Paul demonstrates that faith was not only older than the law, it was older than circumcision as well.
— Theodoret of Cyrus, INTERPRETATION OF THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS

Now we must see whether circumcision is born of righteousness or righteousness of circumcision. It must be the former, because Abraham was righteous before he was circumcised.
— Pelagius, PELAGIUS'S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS

What did Abraham believe? He believed that he would have a descendant, a son, in whom all the nations would be justified by faith while they were still uncircumcised, as Abraham then was.
— Ambrosiaster, COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Bigotry · PAUL’S ARGUMENT AGAINST — PAUL’S ARGUMENT AGAINST
Catholicity · INCUL — INCUL
Circumcision · Abrogated — Abrogated
Faith · 10:20;14:32;26:3;30:15;57:13; — 10:20;14:32;26:3;30:15;57:13;
Justification · 23:6; — 23:6;

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Romans 4:10

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Romans 4:9-16

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Romans 4:9

Adam Clarke on Romans 4:10

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Romans 4:10

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Romans 4:9-16

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Romans 4:9

Adam Clarke on Romans 4:10

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Gill on Romans 4:10

John Calvin on Romans 4:9-10

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Romans 4:10