Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Romans: Chapter 4].
be in uncircumcision} (\di' akrobustias\). Simply, "of those who
believe while in the condition of uncircumcision."
4:12 {The father of circumcision} (\patera peritom•s\). The
accusative with \eis to einai\ to be repeated from verse 11.
Lightfoot takes it to mean, not "a father of a circumcised
progeny," but "a father belonging to circumcision," a less
natural interpretation. {But who also walk} (\alla kai tois
stoichousin\). The use of \tois\ here is hard to explain, for \ou
monon\ and \alla kai\ both come after the preceding \tois\. All
the MSS. have it thus. A primitive error in a copyist is
suggested by Hort who would omit the second \tois\. Lightfoot
regards it less seriously and would repeat the second \tois\ in
the English: "To those who are, I do not say of circumcision
only, but also to those who walk." {In the steps} (\tois
ichnesin\). Locative case. See on ¯2Co 12:18. \Stoiche•\ is
military term, to walk in file as in Ga 5:25; Php 3:16.
4:13 {That he should be the heir of the world} (\to kl•ronomon
auton einai kosmou\). The articular infinitive (\to einai\) with
the accusative of general reference in loose apposition with \h•
epaggelia\ (the promise). But where is that promise? Not just Ge
12:7, but the whole chain of promises about his son, his
descendants like the stars in heaven, the Messiah and the
blessing to the world through him. In these verses (13-17) Paul
employs (Sanday and Headlam) the keywords of his gospel (faith,
promise, grace) and arrays them against the current Jewish
theology (law, works, merit).
4:14 {Be heirs} (\kl•ronomoi\). No predicate in the Greek
(\eisin\). See on ¯Ga 4:1. If legalists are heirs of the
Messianic promise to Abraham (condition of first class, assumed
as true for argument's sake), the faith is emptied of all meaning
(\keken•tai\, perfect passive indicative of \keno•\) and the
promise to Abraham is made permanently idle (\kat•rg•tai\).
4:15 {Worketh wrath} (\org•n katergazetai\). Because of
disobedience to it. {Neither is there transgression} (\oude
parabasis\). There is no responsibility for the violation of a
non-existent law.
4:16 {Of faith} (\ek piste•s\). As the source. {According to
grace} (\kata charin\). As the pattern. {To the end that} (\eis
to einai\). Purpose again as in 11. {Sure} (\bebaian\). Stable,
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