Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Romans 4:22
And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
22. And therefore, &c.] This quality of faith accounts for its imputation in justification.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And therefore – His faith was so implicit, and so unwavering, that it was a demonstration that he was the firm friend of God. He was tried, and he had such confidence in God that he showed that he was supremely attached to him, and would obey and serve him. This was reckoned as a full proof of friendship; and he was recognised and treated as righteous; that is, as the friend of God. (The true sense of faith being imputed for righteousness is given in a note at the beginning of the chapter.) See the note at Rom 4:3, 5.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 22. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness] The verse is thus paraphrased by Dr. Taylor: “For which reason God was graciously pleased to place his faith to his account; and to allow his fiducial reliance upon the Divine goodness, power, and faithfulness, for a title to the Divine blessing, which, otherwise, having been an idolater, he had no right to.”
Abraham’s strong faith in the promise of the coming Saviour, for this was essential to his faith, was reckoned to him for justification: for it is not said that any righteousness, either his own, or that of another, was imputed or reckoned to him for justification; but it, i.e. his faith in God. His faith was fully persuaded of the most merciful intentions of God’s goodness; and this, which, in effect, laid hold on Jesus Christ, the future Saviour, was the means of his justification; being reckoned unto him in the place of personal righteousness, because it laid hold on the merit of Him who died to make an atonement for our offences, and rose again for our justification.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
See Rom 2:3. By reason of his faith he was as sufficiently disposed and qualified for the obtaining of the promise, as if he had had all the righteousness required by the law.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
22. And therefore it was imputed,&c.”Let all then take notice that this was not because ofanything meritorious in Abraham, but merely because he so believed.“
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. Not because his faith was strong, and he had a full assurance of it, but because it was right, resting on the promise of God, and relying upon his power and faithfulness to perform it; for though the righteousness of faith is not imputed to any sort of believers, not to mere nominal ones, yet to all such as have true faith, though it may be but weak; for faith, as to nature, kind, and object, though not as to degree, is the same in all true believers, and the same righteousness is imputed to one as to another.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
1) “And therefore it was imputed,” (dio kai elogisthe) “Wherefore also it was reckoned, calculated, or put to his account,” to the account of Abraham who was saved, made righteous by faith in Salvation and lived in faith-works, demonstrating the righteousness that he obtained in Salvation, Gal 3:8; Rom 4:3-6; Rom 4:16; James emphasizes the latter, Jas 2:21-24.
2) “To him for righteousness,” (auto eis dikai osunen) “To him for righteousness,” for a right, state, condition, or attitude toward God, Gen 15:6; Gal 3:6-9; Act 15:37-39; 2Co 5:21.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
22. And it was therefore imputed, (149) etc. It becomes now more clear, how and in what manner faith brought righteousness to Abraham; and that was, because he, leaning on God’s word, rejected not the promised favor. And this connection of faith with the word ought to be well understood and carefully remembered; for faith can bring us nothing more than what it receives from the word. Hence he does not become immediately just, who is imbued only with a general and confused idea that God is true, except he reposes on the promise of his favor.
(149) As in a former instance in Rom 4:3, there is no nominative case to this verb: it is supplied by the sentence. This is the case not unfrequently in languages, such as Greek and Hebrew, in which the person is included in the verb itself. There is no nominative in the Welsh version, and there seems to be no need of it, (lang. we) Amhyny y cyvrivwyd iddo yn gyviawnder
“
It is most true, as Paul says to the Romans, that by faith Abraham was justified, and not by obedience: but it is just as true what he says to the Hebrews, that it was by faith that Abraham obeyed.” — [ Chalmers ].
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
22. And therefore It is clear that the apostle, even while maintaining that faith is not a merit-work, as earning and paying for and purchasing justification and heaven, does assert it to be a most glorious and meritorious act and quality, and so fitted to be the condition upon which God is rightly pleased to confer the free gift of justification and favour. (See note on Rom 3:24.)
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘Wherefore also it was reckoned to him for righteousness.’
And this faith was reckoned to him for righteousness. God saw him as right in His sight because he believed God (Gen 15:6). This is the theme of the whole chapter up to this point (see especially Rom 4:3; Rom 4:9 which both cite Gen 15:6).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Rom 4:22. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness To what has been said concerning the word rendered imputed in Rom 4:8 we add the following remarks: All manner of imputation seems to be a metaphor taken from books of account between creditor and debtor; and from mercantile affairs, it is sometimes applied to judicial; as crimes to be accounted for, are also sometimes called debts. When the matter, however, is well understood in one view, it is easy to apply it to the other: to impute any act of sin, or of obedience to a person, is therefore properly no other than to set it down to his account. The great God of heaven and earth is represented in Scripture,with humble condescension to our manner of acting and conceiving of things,as keeping a most exact book of records and accounts, in which those things are registered concerningevery one of us, which he will bring into that last review and survey, by which our characters and states shall finally be determined. And as the most exact and perfect obedience is a debt which we owe him as our great Creator, Benefactor, and Governor: so, on the breach of his law, we owe him some proper satisfaction for it. In this view we are all charged as debtors, poor miserable insolvent debtors, in the book of God. Innumerable sins are imputed, or set down to our account; and were things to go on in this course, we should ere long be arrested by the divine justice, and, being found incapable of payment, should be cast into the prison of hell, to come out no more. But God, in pity to this our calamitous state, hath found out a surety and a ransom for us; hath provided a satisfaction in the death and sacrifice of his only-begotten Son. It is with a gracious regard to this,to express his high complacency in it, and, if we may so speak, his pleasing remembrance of it, that all who are justified meet with divine acceptance and favour.But then, it is an invariable rule in the divine proceedings, that this atonement and satisfaction of Christ be a means of justifying those, and only those who believe. Pursuant therefore to the above metaphor, when any particular person believes, this is set down to his account, as a most important article, or as a memorandum, if we may so express it, in the book of God’s remembrance, that such a one is now actually become a believer, and therefore is now entitled to justification through Christ. In this sense his faith is imputed for righteousness. Yet it is not regarded by God as the grand consideration which balances the account, or indeed as paying any of the former debt,which it is impossible it should; but only as that which, according to the gracious constitution of the Gospel; gives a man a claim to what Christ has paid, and which God has graciously allowed, as a valuable consideration, in regard to which he may honourably pardon and accept of all who shall apply to him in his appointed way, or in the way of humble believing. Abraham the father of the faithful, had a clear view of this great Atonement in the visions of God. “He rejoiced to see the day of Christ: and he saw it, and was glad,” Joh 8:56. And he believed, not only in the temporal promises relating to his natural seed, but above all in the spiritual promises which regarded the Messiah, himself, and his spiritual seed: and his faith was counted to him for righteousness. See the Notes on Gen. chap. 22:
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Rom 4:22 . Result of the whole disquisition, emphatically pointing back to Rom 4:3 ( ).
] on which account also (Rom 1:24 ), namely because Abraham believed so strongly as is described in Rom 4:18-21 .
The subject of ( it was reckoned) is self-evident, viz. the believing . Comp Ngelsbach, zur Ilias , p. 60, Exo 3 .
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
Ver. 22. See Trapp on “ Rom 4:5 “ See Trapp on “ Rom 4:6 “ God, by reason of his faith, held him to be as sufficiently disposed to obtain the accomplishment of his promises, as if he had had all the righteousness required by the law to receive God’s benefits. (Diodat.)
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
22. ] , on account of the nature of this faith, which the Apostle has now since Rom 4:18 been setting forth; because it was a simple unconditional credence of God and His promise. If we read , it imports besides being thus great and admirable, it was reckoned to him for righteousness: , viz. .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Rom 4:22 . : because of this signal faith, evinced so triumphantly in spite of all there was to quell it. : i.e. , his faith was reckoned to him as righteousness. That which needs to be reckoned as righteousness is not in itself righteousness on this the Apostle’s argument rests in Rom 4:1-8 ; yet it is not arbitrarily that faith is so reckoned. The spiritual attitude of a man, who is conscious that in himself he has no strength, and no hope of a future, and who nevertheless casts himself, upon, and lives by, the word of God which assures him of a future, is the necessarily and eternally right attitude of all souls to God. He whose attitude it is, is at bottom right with God. Now this was the attitude of Abraham to God, and it is the attitude of all sinners who believe in God through Christ; and to him and them alike it is reckoned by God for righteousness. The Gospel does not subvert the religious order under which Abraham lived; it illustrates, extends, and confirms it.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
And therefore = Wherefore also.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
22.] , on account of the nature of this faith, which the Apostle has now since Rom 4:18 been setting forth;-because it was a simple unconditional credence of God and His promise. If we read , it imports besides being thus great and admirable, it was reckoned to him for righteousness:-, viz. .
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Rom 4:22. , therefore) namely, because he gave glory to GOD.-V. g.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Rom 4:22
Rom 4:22
Wherefore also it was reckoned unto him for righteousness.-Because Abraham thus believed God despite the difficulties of fleshly nature that seemed to forbid it, God reckoned this faith to him for righteousness. But this faith and trust in God had been cultivated and perfected through thirty years by acts of obedience, and was not a mere sentiment of faith apart from obedience. [Faith, to be reckoned, must, as in the case of Abraham, have proper internal effects and lead to proper outward results. In itself it must amount to a full conviction that all God says is true and that all he promises will be done. It must then strengthen the inner man of him who has it and induce him to do whatever God commands. Faith is perfected by its accompaniments; and when this is done, it is reckoned, and not before.]
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
imputed
Or, reckoned, i.e. put to the account of. See Phm 1:18, same word:
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
it was imputed: Rom 4:3, Rom 4:6
Reciprocal: Gen 15:6 – he counted Rom 3:22 – unto all Rom 9:30 – even the righteousness Gal 3:6 – as Jam 2:23 – Abraham
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
:22
Rom 4:22. Imputed to him denotes that he was considered as a righteous man.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Rom 4:22. Wherefore also, etc. The whole discussion is here summed up, the last clause of Rom 4:3 being repeated. The immediate connection is with Rom 4:18-21; because Abraham had believed God in the way there described.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Our apostle having, in the former part of this chapter, declared the manner of our justification, from an instance of Abraham, which having at large pursued, lest we should think that was Abraham’s personal privilege, and did not concern us, he applies in the verses before us Abraham’s example unto us, assuming us, that as Abraham’s faith was imputed to him for righteousness, because he depended upon the almighty power of God in the promise, and also looked by faith to the Messias promised, who was to come of his seed; so, says the apostle, was this written for our sakes as well as Abraham’s for our comfort and encouragement, to assure us that faith shall be imputed to us also for righteousness, if we firmly trust in God, through the merits and mediation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Where observe, The apostle’s argument fully overthrows the Socinian doctrine, which teaches that the godly, under the Old Testament, were not justified in the same way with us under the New; whereas the apostle fully proves, that Abraham, and all the children of Abraham, who walk in the steps of him their father, are justified alike: And accordingly it was not thus written of him for his sake alone, that his faith was imputed to him for righteousness, but for the benefit of us also; to whom the like faith shall be imputed for justification, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus from the dead.
Learn hence, That the doctrine of justification by faith, through the imputed righteousness of the Mediator, is no new doctrine, but as old as Abraham. Some are much offended at this word imputed; but as the pious bishops, Downham and Davenant, on justification well observe, it is no less than ten times mentioned, either in the term or the signification of it, in this chapter: Their arguments for, and answers to, Bellarmin’s objections against the imputed righteousness of the Mediator, runs thus: “If Christ’s righteousness be not imputed, it is not accepted; if it be not accepted, it is not performed, and so there will be no redemption by Jesus Christ; without this, we would make Christ little, very little, in the justifying of sinners; And why is Christ called the Lord our righteousness, and how are we said to be made the righteousness of God in him? And why is faith so infinitely pleasing ot God, but because faith brings to God a righteousness which is highly pleasing to him, even that of the Mediator? for there is no standing before God for any creature in a creature-righteousness.” –
The popish objections run thus: Objection, 1. If Christ’s righteousness be imputed to us, then may we be reputed redeemers of the world, as well as he was.
Ans. It may as well be said, the debt may be accounted the surety, because the surety’s payment is accepted for the debtor.
Objection, 2. If Christ’s righteousness be imputed to us as ours, then we ought to be accounted as righteous as himself.
Ans. It may be as well argued and concluded, that the debtor is as rich a man as the surety, because the surety pays the debtor’s debts.
Objection, 3. If Christ’s righteousness be properly imputed to us, then our unrighteousness was properly imputed to him, and he may be strictly and truly called a sinner.
Ans. Just as if we should say! “If the acceptance of the surety’s payment acquits the debtor, then the surety is as bad an husband, and as much a bankrupt as the debtor himself.”
Objection, 4. But if Christ’s righteousness be ours, no need of any righteousness of our own.
Ans. We plead for the meritorious righteousness of Christ to answer the demands of the law, and for a personal righteousness of our own, to answer the commands of the gospel: Let us render to all their due; let us render unto Christ the things that are Christ’s, to faith the things which are theirs. Let us awfully adore the wisdom of God, who has made Christ unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.
To relieve our ignorance and folly, he is our wisdom; to discharge us from guilt, and free us from condemnation, he is our righteousness; to relieve us against the filth and pollution, the power and dominion of sin, he is our sanctification; and to rescue us from our miserable captivity of Satan, he is our redemption.
Blessed be God for the benefit of imputed righteousness to such as live in the practice and power of inherent holiness. True, our sanctification and holiness, when most perfect, cannot justify us before God; but it will evidence our justification before men, and be a witness to our own consciences, that we are accepted in the Beloved.
Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament
Vv. 22 sums up the whole development relating to Abraham’s faith, Rom 4:1-21, to clear the way for the final application which Paul had in view. , wherefore, refers to what has just been said of the confidence with which Abraham laid hold of God’s promise, Rom 4:21. God ascribed to that confidence which glorified Him the worth of perfect righteousness. The , also (wherefore also), found in the Alex. and Byz. Mjj., points to the moral relation which exists between faith and the imputation made of that faith. The subject of , was counted, might be the , believing, understood; but it is simpler to regard the verb as impersonal: there was in relation to him an imputation of righteousness. This saying is more expressly connected with the first of the three subjects treated in this chapter, Abraham’s justification, Rom 4:1-12; but it sums up at the same time the two others, the inheritance of the world and the birth of Isaac, which are, so to speak, its complements. Thus is introduced the fourth part, which contains the application to existing believers, Rom 4:23-25.
Fuente: Godet Commentary (Luke, John, Romans and 1 Corinthians)
Wherefore also it was reckoned unto him for righteousness. [Abraham, like all others, could not honor God by rendering perfect obedience to his will, but he could honor him by being fully persuaded that he would keep his word, though to do so might seemingly involve an impossibility. It was this act of honoring God by belief which was reckoned unto Abraham for righteousness. Faith still thus honors God when it trusts that God can love a sinner and save him notwithstanding his lost condition. “The sinner,” says Hodge, “honors God, in trusting his grace, as much as Abraham did in trusting his power.”]
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
This verse brings Paul’s argument concerning Abraham’s justification to a climax. The apostle had proved the point he set out to demonstrate, and he restated Gen 15:6 as a conclusion (cf. Rom 4:4).
"The spiritual attitude of a man, who is conscious that in himself he has no strength, and no hope of a future, and who nevertheless casts himself upon, and lives by, the word of God which assures him of a future, is the necessarily and eternally right attitude of all souls to God. He whose attitude it is, is at bottom right with God." [Note: James Denney, "St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans," in The Expositor’s Greek Testament, 2:621.]