translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: ROM

label: NET translator note

text: Or “according to natural descent” (BDAG 916 s.v. σάρξ 4).


text: Grk “has found?”


text: Or “was justified.”


text: 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.


text: Grk “not according to grace but according to obligation.”


text: Or “who justifies the ungodly.”


text: Or “Happy.”


text: The word for “man” or “individual” here is ἀνήρ ( anhr ), which often means “male” or “man (as opposed to woman).” However, as BDAG 79 s.v. 2 says, here it is “equivalent to τὶς someone, a person .”


text: The verb translated “count” here is λογίζομαι ( logizomai ). It occurs eight times in Rom 4:1-12 , including here, each time with the sense of “place on someone’s account.” By itself the word is neutral, but in particular contexts it can take on a positive or negative connotation. The other occurrences of the verb have been translated using a form of the English verb “credit” because they refer to a positive event: the application of righteousness to the individual believer. The use here in v. 8 is negative: the application of sin. A form of the verb “credit” was not used here because of the positive connotations associated with that English word, but it is important to recognize that the same concept is used here as in the other occurrences.


text: Or “happiness.”


text: Grk “upon.”


text: Grk “of the faith, the one [existing] in uncircumcision.”


text: Grk “that he might be,” giving the purpose of v. 11 a.


text: Grk “through uncircumcision.”


text: Grk “the father of circumcision.”


text: Grk “the ‘in-uncircumcision faith’ of our father Abraham.”


text: Grk “rendered inoperative.”


text: Or “violation.”


text: Grk “that it might be according to grace.”


text: Grk “those who are of the faith of Abraham.”


text: Verses 16-17 comprise one sentence in Greek, but this has been divided into two sentences due to English requirements. sn A quotation from Gen 17:5 . The quotation forms a parenthesis in Paul’s argument.


text: The words “He is our father” are not in the Greek text but are supplied to show that they resume Paul’s argument from 16b. (It is also possible to supply “Abraham had faith” here [so REB], taking the relative clause [“who is the father of us all”] as part of the parenthesis, and making the connection back to “the faith of Abraham,” but such an option is not as likely [C. E. B. Cranfield, Romans [ICC], 1:243].)


text: “The God” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity.


text: Or “calls into existence the things that do not exist.” The translation of ὡς ὄντα ( Jw" onta ) allows for two different interpretations. If it has the force of result, then creatio ex nihilo is in view and the variant rendering is to be accepted (so C. E. B. Cranfield, Romans [ICC], 1:244). A problem with this view is the scarcity of ὡς plus participle to indicate result (though for the telic idea with ὡς plus participle, cf. Rom 15:15 ; 1 Thess 2:4 ). If it has a comparative force, then the translation given in the text is to be accepted: “this interpretation fits the immediate context better than a reference to God’s creative power, for it explains the assurance with which God can speak of the ‘many nations’ that will be descended from Abraham” (D. Moo, Romans [NICNT], 282; so also W. Sanday and A. C. Headlam, Romans [ICC], 113). Further, this view is in line with a Pauline idiom, viz., verb followed by ὡς plus participle (of the same verb or, in certain contexts, its antonym) to compare present reality with what is not a present reality (cf. 1 Cor 4:7; 5:3; 7:29, 30 (three times), 31; Col 2:20 [similarly, 2 Cor 6:9, 10 ]).


text: Grk “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


text: Grk “who against hope believed,” referring to Abraham. The relative pronoun was converted to a personal pronoun and, because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.


text: Grk “according to that which had been spoken.”


label: NET textual note

text: Most mss (D F G Ψ 33 1881 Ï it) read “he did not consider” by including the negative particle ( οὐ , ou ), but others ( א A B C 6 81 365 1506 1739 pc co) lack οὐ . The reading which includes the negative particle probably represents a scribal attempt to exalt the faith of Abraham by making it appear that his faith was so strong that he did not even consider the physical facts. But “here Paul does not wish to imply that faith means closing one’s eyes to reality, but that Abraham was so strong in faith as to be undaunted by every consideration” ( TCGNT 451). Both on external and internal grounds, the reading without the negative particle is preferred.


text: includes the word in brackets, indicating doubt as to its authenticity.


text: Grk “And he.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, δέ ( de ) has not been translated here.


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


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


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


text: A quotation from Gen 15:6 .


text: Grk “his”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


text: Grk “who,” referring to Jesus. The relative pronoun was converted to a personal pronoun and, because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.


text: Or “handed over.” sn The verb translated given over ( παραδίδωμι , paradidwmi ) is also used in Rom 1:24, 26, 28 to describe God giving people over to sin. But it is also used frequently in the gospels to describe Jesus being handed over (or delivered up, betrayed) by sinful men for crucifixion (cf., e.g., Matt 26:21; 27:4 ; Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:33; 15:15 ; Luke 20:20; 22:24; 24:7 ). It is probable that Paul has both ideas in mind: Jesus was handed over by sinners, but even this betrayal was directed by the Father for our sake ( because of our transgressions ).


text: Grk “because of.” However, in light of the unsatisfactory sense that a causal nuance would here suggest, it has been argued that the second διά ( dia ) is prospective rather than retrospective (D. Moo, Romans [NICNT], 288-89). The difficulty of this interpretation is the structural balance that both διά phrases provide (“given over because of our transgressions…raised because of our justification”). However the poetic structure of this verse strengthens the likelihood that the clauses each have a different force.