Romans 4:6

Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(6-8) A further instance of the nature of the justification which proceeds from faith is supplied by David. From his evidence it will appear that such justification implies, not the absence of sin, but its forgiveness; not its real obliteration, but the forbearance of God to impute it. It is an amnesty, not an acquittal.

(6) Even as.—In strict accordance with this description of the justified state we have another, that of David.

Describeth the blessedness.—Rather, speaks the felicitation, felicitates, or pronounces blessed.

Benson Commentary

Romans 4:6-8. Even as David also — David is fitly introduced after Abraham, because he also received and delivered down the promise; describeth the blessedness or happiness of the man — Or affirms that the man is blessed, or happy; unto whom God imputeth righteousness — Or whom he accounts righteous, accepts as such; without works — That is, without regard to any former good works supposed to have been done by him. Saying, Blessed — Greek, μακαριοι, happy are they whose iniquities are forgiven — Are no longer laid to their charge, and therefore whose obligation to punishment is cancelled. Whose sins are covered —

With the veil of divine mercy, being expiated by the atoning sacrifice of the Messiah. Blessed, or happy, is the man to whom — Though he hath sinned formerly, perhaps very often, and very heinously, yet the Lord will not impute sin — Here four expressions, the forgiveness of sin, the non- imputation of sin, the imputation of righteousness, and justification, are used as synonymous. Well might the psalmist say, that those who receive this inestimable blessing are happy; for surely, if there be such a thing as happiness on earth, it is the portion of that man whose iniquities are forgiven: and who enjoys the manifestation of that pardon, with all the blessed effects of it! Well may he endure all the afflictions of life with cheerfulness, and look upon death with comfort! O let us not contend against it, but earnestly pray that this happiness may be ours! We may observe further here, that these two examples of Abraham and David are selected and applied with the utmost judgment and propriety. Abraham was the most illustrious pattern of piety among the Jewish patriarchs, David was the most eminent of their kings. If then neither of these was justified by his own obedience, if they both obtained acceptance with God not as holy beings, who might claim it, but as sinful creatures who must implore it, the consequence is glaring. It is such as must strike every attentive understanding, and must affect every individual person.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

4:1-12 To meet the views of the Jews, the apostle first refers to the example 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 was expressly stated in Scripture that he believed God, and it was counted 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 case 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 or great, of their righteousness; but as the appointed means of uniting 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 justified several years before his circumcision. It is, therefore, plain that 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 was 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.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Even as David - The apostle having adduced the example of Abraham to show that the doctrine which he was defending was not new, and contrary to the Old Testament, proceeds to adduce the case of David also; and to show that he understood the same doctrine of justification without works.

Describeth - Speaks of.

The blessedness - The happiness; or the desirable state or condition.

Unto whom God imputeth righteousness - Whom God treats as righteous, or as entitled to his favor in a way different from his conformity to the Law. This is found in Psalm 32:1-11. And the whole scope and design of the psalm is to show the blessedness of the man who is forgiven, and whose sins are not charged on him, but who is freed from the punishment due to his sins. Being thus pardoned, he is treated as a righteous man. And it is evidently in this sense that the apostle uses the expression "imputeth righteousness," that is, he does not impute, or charge on the man his sins; he reckons and treats him as a pardoned and righteous man; Psalm 32:2. See the note at Romans 4:3. He regards him as one who is forgiven and admitted to his favor, and who is to be treated henceforward as though he had not sinned. That is, he partakes of the benefits of Christ's atonement, so as not henceforward to be treated as a sinner, but as a friend of God.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

6-8. David also describeth—"speaketh," "pronounceth."

the blessedness of the man unto whom the Lord imputeth righteousness without works—whom, though void of all good works, He, nevertheless, regards and treats as righteous.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

To the example of Abraham taken from Moses, he adjoins the testimony of David, that so he might more fully prove what he had asserted, Romans 3:21: both the one and the other were of great authority amongst the Jews. Here it may be objected, that David no where says, that he is blessed

unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works.

Answer. Though the words be no where extant in David, yet the sense is, as appears in what follows. {see Romans 4:7}

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man,.... the apostle having instanced in Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation, cites some passages from David, king of Israel, a person of great note and esteem among the Jews, in favour of the doctrine he is establishing; who in a very proper and lively manner describes the happiness of such persons:

unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works. This righteousness cannot be the righteousness of the law, or man's obedience to it; for that is a righteousness with works, is a man's own, and not imputed; and indeed is not a righteousness in the sight of God: nor does man's blessedness lie in, or come by it; no man is, or can be instilled by it, nor saved by it, or attain to heaven and eternal happiness by the means of it; but the righteousness here spoken of is the righteousness of Christ, called the righteousness of God; and is better than that of angels or men; is complete and perfect; by which the law is honoured, and justice is satisfied. This is freely bestowed, and graciously "imputed" by God. Just in the same way his righteousness becomes ours, as Adam's sin did, which is by imputation; or in the same way that our sins became Christ's, his righteousness becomes ours; and as we have no righteousness of our own when God justifies us, this must be done by the righteousness of another; and that can be done no other way by the righteousness of another, than by imputing it to us: and which is done "without works"; not without the works of Christ, of which this righteousness consists; but without the works of the creature, or any consideration of them, which are utterly excluded from justification; for if these came into account, it would not be of grace, and boasting would not be removed. Now such who have this righteousness thus imputed to them, are happy persons; they are justified from all sin, and freed from all condemnation; their persons and services are acceptable to God; it will be always well with them; they are heirs of glory, and shall enjoy it.

Geneva Study Bible

{5} Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,

(5) Another proof of the same confirmation: David puts blessedness as a part of the free pardon of sins, and therefore justification also.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

Romans 4:6-8. Accordance (καθάπερ) of Romans 4:5 with an assertion of David, that great and revered Messianic authority. That it is only what is said in Romans 4:5 that is to be vouched by David’s testimony, and consequently that the quotation forms only an accessory element in the argument, appears from its being annexed by καθάπερ, from the clear intended relation in which ᾧ ὁ Θεὸς λογ. δικ. appears to λογ. ἡ. πίστ. αὑτ. εἰς δικ. Romans 4:5, as well as χωρὶς ἔργων to τῷ μὴ ἐργαζ. in the same verse, and from the fact that Paul immediately, in Romans 4:9, returns to Abraham. Romans 4:6-8 cannot therefore be regarded as a second example of justification from the O. T. (Reiche and many others), or even as the starting-point of the reply to the question of Romans 4:1 (Hofmann). This is forbidden by the proper conception of νόμος in Romans 3:31, in accordance with which Paul could only employ an example from the law: and such an example was that of Abraham, Genesis 15, but not that of David.

λέγει τ. μακαρ.] asserts the congratulation; μακαρισμός does not mean blessedness, not even in Galatians 4:15, see in loc[986] Comp Plat. Rep. p. 591 D; Aristot. Rhet. i. 9, 4.

λογίζεται δικαιοσύνην] Here ΔΙΚΑΙΟΣΎΝΗ is conceived directly as that, which God reckons to man as his moral status. The expression ΛΟΓΊΖΕΣΘΑΙ ΤΙΝΊ ἉΜΑΡΤΊΑΝ is perfectly analogous. In the classics ΛΟΓΊΖΕΣΘΑΙ ΤΙΝΊ ΤΙ is also frequently met with.

ΧΩΡῚς ἜΡΓΩΝ] belongs to ΛΟΓΊΖΕΤΑΙ. For, as David represents the ΛΟΓΊΖΕΣΘΑΙ ΔΙΚΑΙΟΣΎΝΗΝ as the forgiveness of sins, it must be conceived by him as ensuing without any participation (Romans 3:21) of meritorious works.

μακάριοι Κ.Τ.Λ[988]] Psalm 32:1-2 exactly after the LXX.

ἐπεκαλύφθ.] The amnesty under the figure of the covering over of sin. Comp Augustine on Ps. l.c[990], “Si texit Deus peccata, noluit animadvertere; si noluit animadvertere, noluit punire.” Comp 1 Peter 4:8.

οὐ μὴ λογίσηται] will certainly not impute. It refers to the future generally, without more precise definition (Hermann, a[992] Soph. Oed. C. 853; Hartung, Partikel. II. p. 156 f.), not specially to the final judgment (de Wette).

[986] n loc. refers to the note of the commentator or editor named on the particular passage.

[988] .τ.λ. καὶ τὰ λοιπά.

[990] .c. loco citato or laudato.

[992] d refers to the note of the commentator or editor named on the particular passage.

Expositor's Greek Testament

Romans 4:6 ff. καθάπερ καὶ Δαβὶδ: David is not a new illustration of this doctrine, but a new witness to it. The argument just based on Genesis 15:6 is in agreement with what he says in the 32nd Psalm. The quotation exactly reproduces the LXX. λέγει τὸν μακαρισμὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου: “pronounceth blessing upon the man,” etc. (R.V.): or, speaks the felicitation of the man. He does so in the exclamation with which the Psalm opens. Obviously to impute righteousness without works, and freely to forgive sins, are to Paul one and the same thing. Yet the former is not a merely negative idea: there is in it an actual bestowment of grace, an actual acceptance with God, as unlike as possible to the establishment of an unprejudiced neutrality between God and man, to which the forgiveness of sins is sometimes reduced.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

6. Even as David also] In Psalms 32. This quotation is specially to the point, being not only an inspired statement of truth, but made by one who had been guilty of deep “ungodliness,” and had himself experienced justification under that condition.—“Also:”—i.e. as well as Moses in Genesis.—Romans 4:6-8 are quite subordinate to the main argument, which is throughout based on Abraham’s justification.

describeth the blessedness] More lit. expresses the congratulation. The word rendered “blessedness” here and in Romans 4:9 is properly “the pronouncing happy.” It is just this which is done in Psalm 32:1-2.

imputeth righteousness] As it is implied that He does when we read that He “will not impute sin” to him (Romans 4:8). Not that the two phrases are exactly coincident: to “impute righteousness” implies a largeness of acceptance not necessary in the other phrase. But, taken with the word “blessed,” the non-imputation of sin is practically equivalent to the imputation of righteousness; for such “blessedness” imports a full and solemn acceptance.—The latter phrase well illustrates the former: in the latter, man has sin, but is treated as having it not; in the former he has not righteousness, but is treated as having it:—“righteousness is reckoned to him without works.”

Bengel's Gnomen

Romans 4:6. Καὶ, even) after the law was given by Moses.—Δανὶδ, David) David is very appositely introduced after Abraham, because both, being among the progenitors of the Messiah, received and propagated the promise. No direct promise regarding the Messiah was given to Moses, because the latter (Christ) is placed in opposition to the former, and was not descended from the stem of Moses.—λέγει τὸν μακαρισμὸν) he [describes] declares the blessedness of the man, μακαρίζω, I pronounce him blessed. The words are to be thus construed: λέγει, declares without any reference to works; that is, David, in recounting the ground of bestowing salvation on man, makes no mention at all of works. The argument derived from the silence of Scripture is often quite conclusive. But David, it may be said, immediately adds, and in his spirit there is no guile, which is all the same as an allegation of works. Ans. It is not all the same. This addition has no part in the definition of the subject, but forms a part of the predicate, although not even then would the merit of works be established; for the thief who confesses his crime, and does not guilefully deny it, does not merit pardon for his offence by that confession of his. But this is the meaning: blessed is the man to whom the Lord hath not imputed sin: blessed is he, and in his spirit there is no guile; that is, he is sure of his condition, of the forgiveness of his sins; he may have good confidence; his spirit, his heart does not deceive him, so as to become, as it were, a רמיה קשת, a deceitful bow, Psalm 78:57. The act of Phinehas was also imputed to him for righteousness, Psalm 106:31; not, indeed, in viewing it as a work: but it was, as it were, unmixed [mera] faith. He seemed neither to see nor hear anything else, by reason of his unmixed zeal, that he might maintain the honour of his God.

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 6-8. - Even as David also describeth the blessedness (λέγει τὸν μακαρισμὸν. The noun means properly a declaring blessed - beatitatis praedicatio - "Eloquitur illud beati praeconiam" (Bengel). We might render, "David tells of the blessing on the man," etc.) of the man unto whom God reckoneth (λογίζεται, as before. Imputeth in the Authorized Version suggests the idea of a different word being used) righteousness apart from works, saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not reckon (λογίσηται, as before, and so throughout the whole passage) sin (Psalm 32:1, 2). The introduction of this testimony of David to the same principle of justification serves not only to explain it further, but also to show that under the Law too it continued to be recognized; and by David himself, the typical king and psalmist under the legal dispensation. But the argument from Abraham is not discontinued, being resumed in the next verse, and continued to the end of the chapter. If it be said that these verses from Psalm 32. do not in themselves declare a general principle applicable to all, but only the blessedness to sinners of having their sins forgiven, it may be replied, firstly, that the way in which the verses are introduced does not require more to be implied. All that need be meant is that the ground of justification exemplified in Abraham's case is the same as is spoken of by David as still available for man, and crowned with blessing. But, secondly, it is to be observed that these verses represent and suggest the general tenor of the Book of Psalms, in which human righteousness is never asserted as constituting a claim to reward. "My trust is in thy mercy," is, on the contrary, the ever-recurring theme. St. Paul's quotations from the Old Testament are frequently given as suggestive of the general scriptural teaching on the subject in hand, rather than as exhaustive proofs in themselves. Romans 4:6

Vincent's Word Studies

Describeth the blessedness (λέγει τὸν μακαρισμὸν)

Μακαρισμός does not mean blessedness, but the declaration of blessedness, the congratulation. So Plato: "The man of understanding will not suffer himself to be dazzled by the congratulation (μακαρισμοῦ) of the multitude ("Republic," ix., 591). Compare Galatians 4:15 (Rev.), and see note there. Rev., correctly, pronounceth blessing.