New King James Version
Romans 4:3
3For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
Romans 4:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
- New International Version (NIV)What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness."
- New Living Translation (NLT)For the Scriptures tell us, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”
Context of Romans 4:3
1What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? 2For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 4Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. 5But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,
Read all of Romans 4Romans 4:3 word by word
τί γὰρ ἡ γραφὴ λέγει; ἐπίστευσεν δὲ Ἀβραὰμ τῷ θεῷ, καὶ ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Forγάρgar · forG1063
- whatτίςtis · which?G5101
- saithλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- the scriptureὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the scriptureγραφήgraphē · a writingG1124
- ·δέde · thenG1161
- AbrahamἈβραάμAbraam · AbrahamG11
- believedπιστεύωpisteuō · to trust (in)G4100
- Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- it was countedλογίζομαιlogizomai · to countG3049
- unto himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- forεἰςeis · towardG1519
- righteousnessδικαιοσύνηdikaiosunē · righteousnessG1343
Cross-references for Romans 4:3
- Romans 9:17For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.”
- Romans 10:11For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”
- Romans 11:2God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying,
- Isaiah 8:20To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
- Mark 12:10Have you not even read this Scripture: ‘The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone.
- James 4:5Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”?
- 2 Peter 1:20knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation,
- Genesis 15:6And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.
- Galatians 3:6just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
- James 2:23And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God.
- Romans 4:5But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,
- Psalms 106:31And that was accounted to him for righteousness To all generations forevermore.
Commentaries on Romans 4:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3For, what saith the Scripture? - The Scriptural account of this transaction, Genesis 15:6, is decisive; for there it is said, Abraham believed God, and it was counted, , it was reckoned to him for righteousness, , for justification.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3For what saith the Scripture? - The inspired account of Abraham‘s justification. This account was final, and was to settle the question. This account is found in Genesis 15:6. Abraham believed God - In the Hebrew, “Abraham believed Yahweh.” The sense is substantially the same, as the argument turns on the act of believing. The faith which Abraham exercised was, that his posterity should be like the stars of heaven in number. This promise was made to him…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3Paul quotes Genesis 15:6. In response to God’s promise that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky, Abraham trusted God. It was faith that established Abraham’s relationship with God. This relationship did not come from works, circumcision, the law, or the number of his descendants (Romans 4:3–21).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 4:3
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries