4:6a
And David speaks likewise: This clause, along with 4:6b, introduce the quote in 4:7–8. What David wrote in Psalm 32:1–2 supports what Paul wrote in 4:1–5. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:
David says the same thing (God’s Word)
-or-
David, too, says the same (New Jerusalem Bible)
In some languages Old Testament quotes are clearly introduced as from Scripture. For example:
just as ⌊King⌋ David also talked ⌊in the Scriptures⌋
4:6b
the blessedness of the man: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as blessedness describes a person who is in a good situation. In the Bible, the good situation results from God showing favor/kindness to the person. It includes the inner happiness a person feels when God forgives him and accepts him.
Some Here are other ways to translate this word:
joyful/good is the situation of the person
-or-
how good it is for the person
-or-
someone is blessed/favored
Do not use a word that only refers to material prosperity or physical health.
A similar Greek word occurs frequently in the Gospels in the form “Blessed is.” See, for example, Matthew 5:3–11 and Luke 6:20–22.
the man: The word man refers generally to a person here. For example:
someone (New Jerusalem Bible)
to whom God credits righteousness: This clause is similar in meaning to 4:3c and 4:5c. Here the clause is active not passive. For example:
whom God counts as righteous
-or-
whom God accepts as righteous (Good News Translation)
-or-
whom God declares righteous
credits righteousness: The words credits and righteousness have the same meaning as in 4:3c and 4:5c. See how you translated them there.
apart from works: The word works means “deeds” here. The phrase apart from works indicates here that God counts someone as righteous without thinking about that person’s deeds. Some Here are other ways to translate this phrase:
without working for it (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
apart from his achievements (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
even though they don’t do anything to deserve these blessings (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
the reason for it not being what he did
-or-
but not because of their behavior
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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
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