The Greek word used to introduce this section (Revised Standard Version “thus”) could be taken either (1) as introducing a subordinate clause which is dependent on the preceding section, (2) or as introducing a new topic. The latter interpretation seems to be preferred. In the previous verses (1-5), Paul has been appealing to the experience of the Galatians. Now he brings in the case of Abraham, and from this point until the end of chapter 4, Paul affirms his fundamental contention that Abraham was put right with God by faith, and that therefore those who are put right with God in the same manner are the true descendants of Abraham.

Some translations smooth out the rather abrupt introduction of a new topic in order to bring in the case of Abraham more naturally (Jerusalem Bible “Take Abraham for example”; New American Bible “Consider the case of Abraham”; New English Bible “Look at Abraham”). It is also possible to begin this paragraph by a phrase such as “Now think about Abraham,” “And now we should consider what happened to Abraham,” or “What happened to Abraham is here important.”

As the scripture says is not in the text; it is added in Good News Translation to signal to the reader that what follows is a quotation from the Old Testament. The quotation itself is from Genesis 15.6 and follows the Septuagint rather than the Hebrew version. In a number of languages one cannot speak of “the scripture saying” or “… speaking”; it is only people who say things. One can, however, use some such phrase as “as one may read in the Scriptures,” or “… in a passage of the Scriptures.”

Abraham is considered the father of the Jewish nation. An appeal to his experience would be an effective argument against the Judaizers, that is, those who insisted that conformance to the Law was necessary for salvation.

He believed God indicates more than mental assent. It describes Abraham’s willing and unreserved surrender to God, his humble and utter dependence on him, and his confident trust in his word. This meaning is frequently expressed in translations as “Abraham trusted God,” or “Abraham put his confidence in God.” In some languages trust is expressed idiomatically, for example, “Abraham leaned his weight upon God,” or “Abraham hung onto God with his heart.”

Because of his faith God accepted him as righteous is literally “It was reckoned to him as righteousness.” “It” is, of course, his faith, and the implicit agent of “was reckoned” is God. The phrase “reckoned to him as righteousness” can be interpreted either to mean that God recognized Abraham as having acted rightly, or that it was Abraham’s faith that was accounted as the ground of his being accepted by God. “Righteousness” in the latter case would have the primary element of being put right with God or being put into a right relationship with him.

The phrase because of his faith may be rendered as “because he trusted God.”

God accepted him as righteous may be rendered as “God received him as one who is righteous,” or “… who had done what was right.” However, if “righteousness” is to be understood in terms of being put right with God or being placed in a right relation to God, one may say in some languages “God joined him to himself in the right way.”

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Galatians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1976. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .