SEV Biblia, Chapter 4:3
Porque ¿qu dice la Escritura?: Y crey Abraham a Dios, y le fue atribuido a justicia.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Romans 4:3
Verse 3. For, what saith the Scripture?] The Scriptural account of this transaction, Gen. xv. 6, is decisive; for there it is said, Abraham believed God, and it was counted, elogisqh, it was reckoned to him for righteousness, eiv dikaiosunhn, for justification.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 3. For what saith the Scripture ? etc..] This answers to bytkd yam , what is that which is written f50 ? or what does the Scripture say? which is a way of speaking used by the Jews, when anything is proposed, which seems contrary to Scripture, as here justification by works does. A testimony from Scripture is here produced, proving that Abraham was justified by faith, and not by works: the place referred to is ( Genesis 15:6); Abraham believed God ; the object of his faith and trust were not his riches, nor his righteousness, but Jehovah, the Son of God, the second person in the Trinity, styled in ( Genesis 15:1), the Word of the Lord, the essential Word of God, and called his shield, and exceeding great reward; characters which are very applicable to Christ: and this faith of his in the Lord was not a mere assent to the promise of God, but a fiducial act of faith in him; and was not merely concerned with temporal, but with spiritual things, and particularly about Christ the promised seed: and it was counted to him for righteousness , the meaning of which is not, that Abraham imputed righteousness to God, or celebrated his righteousness and faithfulness, as some; or that the world reckoned Abraham a righteous person, as others; but that God reckoned him righteous, or imputed it to him for righteousness: and the question is, what the it is which was counted to him for righteousness? and that this is to be understood, hnmah l[ , concerning faith, as R. Solomon Jarchi says, is out of question; for this is expressly said by the apostle, ( Romans 4:9). The only one is, whether it means the grace of faith by which he believed; or the object of faith on which he believed, and with which his faith was conversant: not the former, for that is not righteousness, nor accounted so; but is distinguished from it, and is that by which a person receives and lays hold on righteousness; besides, whatever may be alleged in favour of the imputation of Abraham's faith to himself for righteousness, it can never be thought to be imputed to others on that account; whereas the very selfsame it is imputed to others also; (see Romans 4:24); it remains then that it was the promised seed, the Messiah, and his righteousness, which Abraham, by faith, looked unto, and believed in, that was made unto him righteousness by imputation. Now since so great and good a man as Abraham was not justified by works, but by faith in the righteousness of the Messiah, it follows, that none of his sons, nor any other person whatever, ought to seek for, or expect to be justified in any other way.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-12 - To meet the views of the Jews, the apostle first refers to the exampl of Abraham, in whom the Jews gloried as their most renowned forefather However exalted in various respects, he had nothing to boast in the presence of God, being saved by grace, through faith, even as others Without noticing the years which passed before his call, and the failures at times in his obedience, and even in his faith, it wa expressly stated in Scripture that "he believed God, and it was counte to him for righteousness," Ge 15:6. From this example it is observed that if any man could work the full measure required by the law, the reward must be reckoned as a debt, which evidently was not the cas even of Abraham, seeing faith was reckoned to him for righteousness When believers are justified by faith, "their faith being counted for righteousness," their faith does not justify them as a part, small of great, of their righteousness; but as the appointed means of unitin them to Him who has chosen as the name whereby he shall be called, "the Lord our Righteousness." Pardoned people are the only blessed people It clearly appears from the Scripture, that Abraham was justifie several years before his circumcision. It is, therefore, plain tha this rite was not necessary in order to justification. It was a sign of the original corruption of human nature. And it was such a sign as wa also an outward seal, appointed not only to confirm God's promises to him and to his seed, and their obligation to be the Lord's, but likewise to assure him of his being already a real partaker of the righteousness of faith. Thus Abraham was the spiritual forefather of all believers, who walked after the example of his obedient faith. The seal of the Holy Spirit in our sanctification, making us new creatures is the inward evidence of the righteousness of faith.
Greek Textus Receptus
τι 5101 I-ASN γαρ 1063 CONJ η 3588 T-NSF γραφη 1124 N-NSF λεγει 3004 5719 V-PAI-3S επιστευσεν 4100 5656 V-AAI-3S δε 1161 CONJ αβρααμ 11 N-PRI τω 3588 T-DSM θεω 2316 N-DSM και 2532 CONJ ελογισθη 3049 5681 V-API-3S αυτω 846 P-DSM εις 1519 PREP δικαιοσυνην 1343 N-ASF
Vincent's NT Word Studies
3. The Scripture (h grafh). The scripture passage. See on John ii. 22; and foot-note on John v. 47.It was counted for righteousness (elogisqh eiv dikaiosunhn). For the phrase logizesqai eijv to reckon unto, compare ch. ii. 26; ix. 8, where eijv is rendered for. The verb is also used with wJv as. So ch. viii. 36; 1 Corinthians iv. 1. So in Sept., eijv, Psalm lvi. 31; Isa. xxix. 17; xxxii. 15; xl. 17; wJv. Gen. xxxi. 15; Job xli. 20; Psalm xliii. 22; Isa. v. 28; xxix. 16. The phrases ejlogisqh eijv and ejl. wJv are thus shown to be substantially equivalent. See further on ver. 5.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
4:3 {It was reckoned unto him for righteousness} (elogisqe eis dikaiosunen). First aorist passive indicative of logizomai, old and common verb to set down accounts (literally or metaphorically). It was set down on the credit side of the ledger "for" (eis as often) righteousness. What was set down? His believing God (episteusen twi qewi).
