Genesis 15:1-6

Context

In Genesis 14, Abram rescues Lot and receives a blessing from Melchizedek. He then refuses the spoils offered by the king of Sodom. Chapter 15 records what God said to Abram in a vision "after these things." When God says, "Fear not," Abram replies that because he has no child, Eliezer of Damascus, a servant born in his house, will be his heir. God declares that "he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels" will be his heir, shows him the stars of the night sky, and promises that his descendants will be just as numerous. Verse 6 is the narrator's comment that Abram believed this promise and that God counted it to him for righteousness. In the following verses (7-21), God makes a covenant with Abram through a ceremony involving animals cut in two.

Interpretation

• The Protestant reading in terms of justification: In Romans 4 and Galatians 3, Paul cites verse 6 to argue that a person is justified not by the works of the law but by faith. Following Paul, the Lutheran and Reformed traditions read verse 6 as the classic text on justification. They take "counted" to mean that God reckons righteousness and acknowledges it as belonging to the believer, and they connect the verse with the doctrine of imputed righteousness (righteousness credited to another).
• Reading alongside James: James 2 says that this verse was "fulfilled" when Abraham offered up Isaac (Genesis 22). The Catholic Church appeals to this passage to emphasize the role of love and works, together with faith, in justification. Protestants generally read it to mean that genuine faith is made evident in works.
• One strand of Jewish interpretation: In the Hebrew text, the subject of "counted" and the referent of "him" are grammatically ambiguous. Accordingly, some interpreters, such as the medieval Jewish commentator Nachmanides, are reported to have read the verse as saying that Abram regarded God's promise as an expression of God's righteousness (faithfulness).

Debates and Issues

• The meaning of "righteousness": Traditional Reformed theology understands "righteousness" in a forensic sense, as being declared not guilty before God. By contrast, scholars associated with the so-called New Perspective on Paul emphasize the aspect of being recognized as a member of God's covenant people, and discussion over the interpretation of Romans 4 continues.
• Abram's first act of faith?: Hebrews 11 states that Abraham had already obeyed by faith when he left his homeland (Genesis 12). For this reason, many interpreters regard verse 6 not as the moment of his conversion but as a declaration confirming his faith.
• Translation: The phrase "thy exceeding great reward" in verse 1 may be understood to mean that God himself is the reward, or it may alternatively be rendered "your reward shall be very great." Opinions also differ over whether the form of the Hebrew verb translated "believed" in verse 6 refers to a single event or to an ongoing disposition.

In the Korean Church

In Protestant preaching, the passage is frequently cited together with Romans 4 to explain justification by faith. Verse 1 is also used as a text of comfort for church members facing fear and anxiety.

Related Passages

• Romans 4:1-5: Paul cites verse 6 to argue that justification comes by faith, not by works.
• Galatians 3:6-9: Paul states that those who believe are the children of Abraham.
• James 2:21-24: James says that this scripture was fulfilled in the act of offering up Isaac.
• Hebrews 11:8-12: The faith of Abraham and Sarah is commended.
• Psalm 106:30-31: A similar expression appears, stating that Phinehas's action "was counted unto him for righteousness."