EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Romans 4:2
2God did not accept Abraham as right with him because Abraham had done good things. If God had done that, then Abraham would have been able to boast about himself. But he could not boast to God.
Romans 4:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
- New International Version (NIV)If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God.
- English Standard Version (ESV)For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.
- New King James Version (NKJV)For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.
Context of Romans 4:2
1Abraham was the ancestor of all of us who are Jews. Think about what he discovered. God did not accept Abraham as right with him because Abraham had done good things. If God had done that, then Abraham would have been able to boast about himself. But he could not boast to God. 3Remember what the Bible tells us. It says: ‘Abraham believed God. As a result, God accepted Abraham as right with him.’ 4When a person works to get money, it is right for him to receive his money. That money is not a gift. It is what that person ought to receive as a result of his work.
Read all of Romans 4Romans 4:2 word by word
εἰ γὰρ Ἀβραὰμ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη, ἔχει καύχημα ἀλλ᾽ οὐ πρὸς θεόν.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Forγάρgar · forG1063
- ifεἰei · ifG1487
- AbrahamἈβραάμAbraam · AbrahamG11
- were justifiedδικαιόωdikaioō · to justifyG1344
- byἐκek ex · out fromG1537
- worksἔργονergon · workG2041
- he hathἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- to gloryκαύχημαkauchēma · prideG2745
- butἀλλάalla · butG235
- notοὐou · noG3756
- beforeπρόςpros · to/withG4314
- Godὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
Cross-references for Romans 4:2
- Romans 3:20God's Law shows people clearly that they have done wrong things. Nobody can become right with God because they obey that Law.
- Philippians 3:9I want to be united with him. Because I believe in Christ, God accepts me as right with him. I know that I cannot become right in any other way, even if I obey all of God's Law. When I trust in Christ, God accepts me as right because of my faith.
- Romans 3:27So then, nobody should be proud that they are good enough. Nobody becomes right with God because they have done good things. No! God accepts a person only if that person believes in Jesus Christ.
- Romans 15:17So I can be proud about my work. I can serve God well because I belong to Christ Jesus.
- Ezekiel 8:9He said to me, ‘Go in there. Look at the wicked things that they are doing in this place.’
- Jeremiah 9:23The Lord says, ‘Wise people should not be proud of their wisdom. Powerful people should not be proud of their power. And rich people should not be proud that they are rich.
- 1 Corinthians 9:16I tell God's good news to people. But I have no reason to be proud because of that. It is something that I have to do. If I did not tell the good news, it would bring me great trouble.
- 2 Corinthians 5:12We are not trying again to make you think that our work is good. But we do want to give you the chance to be proud of us. Then you will be able to show the false teachers that they are wrong. They are proud about what they look like on the outside. They do not think about what they are really like inside themselves.
- 2 Corinthians 11:12Yes, I will continue to work among you in the way that I am already doing. I will not take any pay from you. Then there will be no chance for those other teachers to be proud about themselves. They will not be able to say that they work in the same way that we do.
- 2 Corinthians 12:1I must continue to praise myself. It will not really help you, but I will tell you anyway. The Lord has shown me special things, like in a dream.
- Galatians 6:13Even those men that someone has circumcised do not obey all the Jewish rules. They want to circumcise you only to make themselves seem important. They want to show that they have authority over your bodies.
- Ephesians 2:9He has not saved you as a result of any good things that you have done. So nobody has any reason to be proud about it.
- Genesis 12:12When the Egyptians see you they will say, “This is Abram's wife.” Then they will kill me, but they will let you live.
- Genesis 20:9Abimelech called Abraham to come to him. He said to Abraham, ‘Why have you done this bad thing against us? I have not done anything wrong against you. Now you have made me and the people in my kingdom guilty of a very bad thing. Nobody should ever do the things that you have done to me.’
- Joshua 24:2Joshua said to the people, ‘This is what the Lord, Israel's God, says: “A long time ago, your ancestors lived on the other side of the Euphrates river. They included Terah who was the father of Abraham and Nahor. They worshipped other gods.
- 1 Corinthians 1:29Because of all this, nobody can be proud of themselves in front of God.
Commentaries on Romans 4:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2For if Abraham were justified by works - The Jew proceeds: - I conclude, therefore, that Abraham was justified by works, or by his obedience to this law of circumcision; and, consequently, he has cause for glorying, , to exult in something which he has done to entitle him to these blessings. Now, it is evident that he has this glorying, and consequently that he was justified by works. Apostle. But not before God - These seem to be the apostle's words, and…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2For if Abraham - This is the answer of the apostle. If Abraham was justified on the ground of his own merits, he would have reason to boast, or to claim praise. He might regard himself as the author of it, and take the praise to himself; see Romans 4:4. The inquiry, therefore, was, whether in the account of the justification of Abraham, there was to be found any such statement of a reason for self-confidence and boasting. But not before God - In the…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-25First: Abraham was justified by faith. 1-3. What shall we say then that Abraham, our father as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?--that is, (as the order in the original shows), "hath found, as pertaining to ('according to,' or 'through') the flesh"; meaning, "by all his natural efforts or legal obedience."Read the comment
Topics related to Romans 4:2
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Romans 4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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