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11 And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised,[a] so that he would become[b] the father of all those who believe but have never been circumcised,[c] that they too could have righteousness credited to them. 12 And he is also the father of the circumcised,[d] who are not only circumcised, but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham possessed when he was still uncircumcised.[e]

13 For the promise[f] to Abraham or to his descendants that he would inherit the world was not fulfilled through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 4:11 tn Grk “of the faith, the one [existing] in uncircumcision.”
  2. Romans 4:11 tn Grk “that he might be,” giving the purpose of v. 11a.
  3. Romans 4:11 tn Grk “through uncircumcision.”
  4. Romans 4:12 tn Grk “the father of circumcision.”
  5. Romans 4:12 tn Grk “the ‘in-uncircumcision faith’ of our father Abraham.”
  6. Romans 4:13 sn Although a singular noun, the promise is collective and does not refer only to Gen 12:7, but as D. Moo (Romans 1-8 [WEC], 279) points out, refers to multiple aspects of the promise to Abraham: multiplied descendants (Gen 12:2), possession of the land (Gen 13:15-17), and his becoming the vehicle of blessing to all people (Gen 12:3).