OrthJBC - Romans - 4

4:1  What then shall we say about Avraham Avinu (Abraham our forefather) according to the basar (the flesh)? What did he find to be the case?

4:2  For if Avraham Avinu was accounted to be YITZDAK IM HASHEM and acquitted before Hashem on the basis of ma'a'sei HaTorah (works of the Law), he has something to boast about--but not before Hashem!

4:3  For what does the Torah say? Avraham Avinu had emunah (faith) in Hashem V'YACHSHEVEH-HA LO TZEDAKAH ("and it was accounted/credited/reckoned to him for righteousness"--Bereshis 15:6.) HASHEM CREDITS US WITH THE STATUS OF BEING YITZDAK IM HASHEM AS AN UNEARNED AND UNMERITED MATNAT HAELOHIM (GIFT OF G-D); HASHEM DOES NOT CREDIT US WITH THE STATUS OF BEING YITZDAK IM HASHEM ON THE BASIS OF A DEBT OWED BY G-D TO THE ZCHUS HAMA'ASEI HATORAH (MERIT OF THE WORKS OF THE TORAH)

4:4  Now to him who works, the sachar (reward/payment/wage) is not credited to one's account as a favor or gift of chesed but as a choiv (debt).

4:5  But to the man who does not work but has emunah (faith) and bittachon (trust) in the One who takes the impious man lacking chassidus and accounts him to be YITZDAK IM HASHEM, such a man who does not work but has emunah (faith), such emunah is credited to him for TZEDAKAH "righteousness"--Bereshis 15:6).

4:6  As also Dovid speaks of the ma'ashair (happiness/ blessedness) of the person to whom Hashem reckons to be YITZDAK IM HASHEM without dependence on [zchus-earning] ma'asim (4:4):

4:7  "Blessed/happy are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, and whose sins have been covered over;

4:8  ASHREY ADAM LO YAKHSHOV HASHEM LO AVON. Blessed/happy is the one whose sin the L-rd will by no means count." (TEHILLIM 32:1-2).

4:9  This ma'ashair (blessedness/happiness) then, does it come on those of the bris milah (the circumcised) or also on those without the bris milah (the uncircumcised)? For we say, emunah "was counted/reckoned/credited" to Avraham Avinu for TZEDAKAH ("righteousness"--BERESHIS 15:6).

4:10  When then was it "reckoned"? When Avraham Avinu had the bris milah and was in the state of circumcision or when Avraham Avinu did not have the bris milah and was in the state of uncircumcision?

4:11  Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision! And he received the sign (or distinguishing mark) of the bris milah, a seal of the tzidkat haemunah (the righteousness of faith) which he had in his uncircumcision, in order that he might be father of all who believe through uncircumcision, that to be YITZDAK IM HASHEM might be reckoned/counted to them as well,

4:12  and in order that he might be the father of the circumcision to those who are not only anashim of circumcision but also who follow in the footsteps of the emunah (faith) of Avraham Avinu, which he had in [his] uncircumcision. THE DERECH TZADDIKIM TO THE HAVTACHAH IS THE DERECH EMUNAH

4:13  For the havtachah (the promise) to Avraham Avinu and his zera (seed), that he should be Yoresh HaOlam (heir of the world), did not come through the Torah but through the tzidkat haemunah (the righteousness of faith).

4:14  For if the people of Torah are yoreshim (heirs), emunah (faith) is rendered invalid and the havtachah (the promise) is annulled,

4:15  for the Torah brings about the Charon Af Hashem (Rom.1:18; 3:20), and where there is no Torah there is no pesha (transgression/rebellion/violation of the Law).

4:16  For this reason the havtachah (the promise) is of emunah (faith), in order that it might be in accordance with unmerited Chen v'Chesed Hashem (favor, grace), that the havtachah might be certain to all the zera (seed), not to him who is of the Torah only, but also to bnei emunat Avraham (the sons of the faith of Avraham Avinu, to him who is of the faith of Abraham). Avraham Avinu is the father of us all,

4:17  as it is written, AV HAMON GOYIM N'TATICHA ("I have made you father of many nations"-- BERESHIS 17:5). This was in the sight of Hashem in whom "he believed," Elohim who gives life to the dead and calls things which have no existence into existence.

4:18  Against tikvah (hope), in hope "he beieved," in order that he might become AV HAMON GOYIM ("father of many nations"--BERESHIS 17:5) in accordance with what had been said, "So shall your ZERA ("seed') be"--BERESHIS 15:5.

4:19  Without weakening in emunah (personal faith, trust) he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead vi-bahlt (since) he was about one hundred years old, and also the deadness of Sarah's womb.

4:20  He did not doubt the havtachah Hashem (the promise of G-d) in disbelief, but was strengthened in emunah (faith), giving kavod (glory) to Elohim,

4:21  being fully convinced that what Elohim had promised He was able also to do.

4:22  Therefore, VAYACHSHEVEHA LO TZEDAKAH ("it [his faith in G-d] was accounted/credited to him for righteousness"--BERESHIS 15:6).

4:23  Nor was it written down for his sake alone that "it was reckoned to him,"

4:24  but also for us, to whom it is to be reckoned, who believe in Him who raised Yehoshua Adoneinu from the mesim (dead ones),

4:25  who was handed over for peshaeinu (our transgressions) and raised for tsadkeinu (our being made righteous/our acquittal/vindication--see Rom.5:18).