What’s the correct translation for Roman’s 4:3?

Question

I’ve heard some say that

"Logizomai" actually means to reason, not to credit. Also, the word "to" in the phrase, "to him as righteousness" is not in the Greek! It would be the Greek word "pros," a preposition meaning "to," "unto," or "toward." Granted, there are times when translators may have to insert this English word to have something make sense in English, and this is indeed necessary if Abraham's faith is causing God to credit the righteousness of Christ to, "pros," him. However, this verse can be translated as it is, as it does not need this additional word, and is actually more faithful to the text to leave it out.

”For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”“ ‭‭Romans‬ ‭4‬:‭3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

So are most english translators correct in translating it as “counted” or “credit”? Or does it mean to “reason”?

Answer 1

Below is the Received Text, The Textus Receptus (TR), rendering of Romans 4:3:

Episteusen de Abraam tw Thew ...kai elogisthe autw eis dikaiosunen which reads "And Abraham believed God ...and there was evaluated to him unto righteousness."

In the quote below, the author explains this, before going on to deal with the verb logizomai, of which elogisthe is an inflection.

"There was evaluated is my own translation of elogisthe. The Hebrew of the original from which Paul quotes, which is Genesis 15:6, is translated by the AV as '...and he counted it to him for righteousness'. Young's Literal gives '...and He reckoneth it to him - righteousness'. Green's Literal has '...and he it reckoned to him for righteousness'.

However, I am informed that Hebrew does not always require a subject to b e stated and that, in this place, the idiomatic Hebrew can be accepted as 'it was counted to him for righteousness'.

This idiomatic structure has been adopted by both the AV and Young's Literal Translation in Psalm 106:31 where the Psalmist writes: 'and that was counted unto him [Phinehas] for righteousness unto all generations for evermore' (AV). 'And it was reckoned to him to righteousness. To all generations - unto the age' (YLT)...

The evaluation of what is within the believing Abraham is expressed in Genesis in Hebrew and is then further expressed in Greek in the Septuagint (LXX). Paul quotes this place three times in Romans 4:3, Romans 4:22 and Galatians 3:6, then James quotes it in James 2:23...

The Septuagint rendering, Paul's quotations and James's quotation of the five words of the second half of the text appear, to me, to be more correctly rendering, in Greek, the original Hebrew of the passage, than the available English translations of the Hebrew which Moses wrote, as preserved in the Masoretic text. The Greek is offering a middle passive verb.

The verb elogisthe has no subject other than that implied by its inflection. Bagster's Analytical Lexicon says that his word is the third person singular, aorist 1, indicative passive. To say 'it' was accounted, or reckoned, is inappropriate as there is not 'it' in the passage. There is Abraham and there is God and there is Abraham's faith. To say 'it' was accounted, or reckoned, is stating that the faith, itself, was accounted or reckoned unto righteousness. This implies that faith is being viewed as if it were righteousness. Which it is not. It is a different thing. I do not believe that this is what the words mean. Something, yes, is being accounted or reckoned or evaluated. That something is within Abraham. But faith is not righteousness, as such. Nor is faith a substitute for righteousness, as such.

Further, the verb logizomai, of which elogisthe is an inflection, is one of a type of verbs classed as deponent verbs over which there is some controversy. My own understanding of the matter is that they exhibit passive inflections but are not entirely passive in their usage. They may be reflexive in nature, that is to say they may involve activity directed at the self, and this can be called a 'middle' voice. I can be active. I can be passive, or I can respond to the activity of another. The activity is not my own initiative, actively. I respond to the initiative of another. It is not active, but rather reactive.

Abraham believed God. And there was a response. The verb elogisthe does not say who responded. It just states the fact of a response. The response was to him (autw is the dative) and the response was unto (it is eis) righteousness. I prefer not to use 'it'. I prefer to leave 'it' unspoken and to say 'there was'.

One could leave the place blank and say: Abraham believed God ---and was evaluated to him unto righteousness.

The quotation by James further clarifies what is happening. James insists that faith without works is dead, James 2:17 and 26. And James takes Abraham as an example of a lively faith, a faith that produced works of faith. Which is why I say that faith, in and of itself, is not a substitute for righteousness. It is only faith - of the Abraham kind - that is unto righteousness!

Abraham believed God and in response to Abraham's lively faith an evaluation was made. It was made to Abraham, personally. And it was unto righteousness. For the righteousness had not - yet -been revealed. But so certain is that revelation, since it is God who has evaluated and since it is God who shall reveal it, that Abraham is - already - justified. There is absolutely no possibility that God will not do as he intends and purposes.

So believed Abraham. He believed God would do as he had spoken. There was not a shred of doubt in his mind. He considered not his body, now dead; nor yet the deadness of Sarah's womb. Nothing was relevant, once God had promised. Abraham believed God. And there was evaluated, to him - unto righteousness.

The reason I use 'evaluated' is in acknowledgement of the word logia, which is arguable the root of logizomai (reckon, count) or at least a related word, and which the AV translates as 'collection' and 'gathering' in II Corinthians 16:1-4, the only two appearances of the word in scripture. I think the AV has slightly missed the point in these four verses and left a puzzle as to why Paul desires money to be stored at home in order to avoid collecting it together when he comes. If he wants to avoid collecting it when he comes, then should it not be gathered together, beforehand?

The key to the puzzle is the word thesaurizo which is not quite 'lay in store' but more 'treasure' as the word is translated in Romans 2:5, and elsewhere, 'treasure up wrath'. Treasuring up is not a matter of heaping up piles of low denomination coins under the bed. 'Treasuring up' involves consolidating the treasure into higher denomination coinage as the pile increases and gets out of hand.

I understand that Paul is encouraging the generous to lay aside money on a weekly basis and, over time, to 'treasure it up' - using moneychangers if need be - to higher denomination coinage. Rather than wait till he comes and then a number of people produce bags and bags of pennies which - then - need to be changed up so that a small number of high denomination coins can be transported by the chosen person who shall accompany Paul. Else, they will need several donkeys to carry all the small denomination coinage.

...So, 'treasure it up' before he comes. Which I understand to be the idea of logia - not 'collecting or gathering' but 'consolidation'. Consolidation into high value. It is a matter of value.

Thus for logizomai. One sees something and one evaluates it. 'Count' yes, if it is a countable noun like coins or chickens or flagons of wine. But 'evaluate' if it a mass noun like milk or butter or olive oil. And 'evaluate' even more so, if it be a tiny, little, single diamond. Or... the faith of such as Abraham.

Having done my own research on the word logizomai, I have recently discovered that 'evaluate' is given by BDAG (Fifth edition 1958) as one of the secondary meanings. Primarily they give 'reckon, calculate, count, take into account' in the context of credit. But secondarily they list 'evaluate, estimate, look upon as, consider' referencing Acts 2:26 in particular: Therefore if the un-circumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his un-circumcision be counted (evaluated) for circumcision?

Abraham believed God - and there was value in such faith as Abraham possessed. And there was a response to the value that was in such a faith. There was evaluated, to Abraham, unto righteousness.

Once God was manifested in flesh - once the righteousness of God was revealed at Golgotha, within the crucified Saviour - then all would be resolved. But in the meantime, since God Almighty has done the evaluation and since God Almighty is he who will - without possibility of a shadow of turning ever appearing - who will do as he promised, then so certain is the case, that Abraham is justified: there and then. Amen." Jehovah Tsidkenu, Nigel Johnstone, pages 86 - 90, http://www.belmontpublications.co.uk

Answer 2

Yes. Translating "logizomai" as counted or credit is just as correct as "reckon." The definition of "reckon" in English is a verb when used with an object that means to count, compute, or calculate as in number; to esteem, consider or regard as (e.g., to be reckoned an authority in his field); when used without an object it means to count, make a calculation or computation; or to settle accounts as with a person. (here)

The YLT uses "reckon" in this verse, and it means counted for, or credited for.

for what doth the writing say? `And Abraham did believe God, and it was reckoned to him -- to righteousness;'

Some translations such as the EXB and ICB have it as "made him right with God."

The word "reckon" can be used to mean "think," or "reason" such as "I reckon it's going to rain," or "She reckons he will be late." But, the usage in the context of Rom. 4:3 is "counted for."

Answer 3

It can mean both. In this case, I think it was wise to use and should be "counted" or "credited" as opposed to "reason." Let's look at all the words with "reason" in them:

Now let's take a closer look at the word in question:

Strong's Concordance

• logizomai: to reckon, to consider
• Original Word: λογίζομαι
• Part of Speech: Verb
• Transliteration: logizomai
• Phonetic Spelling: (log-id'-zom-ahee)
• Definition: to reckon, to consider
• Usage: I reckon, count, charge with; reason, decide, conclude; think, suppose.

This is a closer look at it's usage:

1. to reckon, count, compute, calculate, count over 1a) to take into account, to make an account of 1a1) metaph. to pass to one's account, to impute 1a2) a thing is reckoned as or to be something, i.e. as availing for or equivalent to something, as having the like force and weight 1b) to number among, reckon with 1c) to reckon or account
2. to reckon inward, count up or weigh the reasons, to deliberate
3. by reckoning up all the reasons, to gather or infer 3a) to consider, take into account, weigh, meditate on 3b) to suppose, deem, judge 3c) to determine, purpose, decide ++++ This word deals with reality. If I "logizomai" or reckon that my bank book has $25 in it, it has $25 in it. Otherwise I am deceiving myself. This word refers to facts not suppositions.

Let's notice how the word is typically used:

KJV Translation Count — Total: 41x

The KJV translates Strong's G3049 in the following manner: think (9x), impute (8x), reckon (6x), count (5x), account (4x), suppose (2x), reason (1x), number (1x), miscellaneous (5x).

NASB Translation - consider (6), considered (2), counted (1), counting (1), credit (1), credited (9), credits (1), dwell (1), maintain (1), numbered (2), propose (1), reason (1), reckoned (2), regard (4), regarded (3), suppose (1), take into account (3), thinks (1).

To conclude. Notice that there are other words for saying "reason" that could have been used. The primary usage of this word contains the idea that some calculations have taken place. Even when it's used for "reason," notice that it's used in a way that means: count up or weigh the reasons.