Bible Strands

Romans 4:11

And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but are not circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.

Berean Standard Bible

Follow its threads on the canvas →

Study note

Setting — Paul writes to the Roman church to clarify Abraham’s justification sequence during his broader argument in Romans 3–4 about faith apart from law-works. He addresses this to establish that covenant status precedes ritual observance.

The words — The text uses σφραγῖδα (sphragida), literally “seal,” and σημεῖον (sēmeion), literally “sign,” to describe circumcision’s function for Abraham. These terms indicate that the physical rite served only to mark and confirm the righteousness he already possessed by faith.

The thread — The faith-before-circumcision sequence runs directly through Romans 4:10 and extends to Romans 4:12, where Abraham becomes the father of both uncircumcised believers and circumcised ones who follow his pre-rite faith. The same principle of faith-credited righteousness without ethnic barriers appears in Romans 3:22 and Luke 19:9.

Why it lands — The verse requires readers to separate external ritual from the basis of right standing before God. It demands that believers rely on faith alone for credited righteousness, regardless of physical or cultural markers.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Greek words

καὶkaiAndσημεῖονsēmeion[the] signἔλαβενelabenhe receivedπεριτομῆς,peritomēsof circumcision,σφραγῖδαsphragidaa sealτῆςtēsof theδικαιοσύνηςdikaiosunēsrighteousnessτῆςtēsof theπίστεωςpisteōsfaithτῆςtēsthat [he had]ἐνen[while] inτῇtēatheἀκροβυστίᾳ·akrobustiauncircumcision;εἰςeisforτὸtotheεἶναιeinaito beαὐτὸνautonhimπατέραpaterafatherπάντωνpantōnof allτῶνtōnthoseπιστευόντωνpisteuontōnbelievingδι᾽di᾽inἀκροβυστίας,akrobustiasuncircumcision,εἰςeisforτὸto<the>λογισθῆναιlogisthēnaito be creditedκαὶkaialsoαὐτοῖςautoisto themτὴνtēntheδικαιοσύνην,dikaiosunēnrighteousness,

King James Version

And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:

Cross-references