Genesis 15:6 kjv

And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

Genesis 15:6 nkjv

And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.

Genesis 15:6 niv

Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

Genesis 15:6 esv

And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

Genesis 15:6 nlt

And Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD counted him as righteous because of his faith.

Genesis 15 verses

Genesis 15 6 Meaning

Genesis 15:6 is a foundational statement about how humanity enters into a right relationship with God. It declares that Abram believed the promise of the LORD regarding his numerous descendants, and God, in response, credited or imputed righteousness to him. This act of "counting" signifies a divine declaration of Abram's just standing before God, not based on his performance or works, but solely on his trusting faith. It introduces the principle of justification by faith, a core doctrine repeated and expounded upon throughout the Bible.

Genesis 15 6 Context

Genesis chapter 15 records a critical phase in God's covenant relationship with Abram. The preceding chapters (Gen 12-14) detail God's call to Abram, initial promises of land and descendants, and Abram's early life in Canaan. Despite these promises, Abram remains childless as he ages. In Gen 15:1-3, Abram expresses his concern directly to God, pointing out that his servant, Eliezer of Damascus, might inherit his estate, indicating his distress over the unfulfilled promise of a biological heir. God immediately responds, reconfirming that Abram's own son will be his heir and promising an unimaginable number of descendants, likened to the stars (Gen 15:4-5). It is in this specific moment of personal doubt and renewed divine promise, when Abram is faced with the incredible scale of God's word against his own challenging reality, that he chooses to believe. This declaration of faith immediately precedes God's formal covenant ceremony with Abram (Gen 15:7-21), highlighting that a right standing with God through faith is established before any subsequent ritual or even full understanding of God's detailed plans. This divine response contrasts with common Ancient Near Eastern (ANE) beliefs where covenant obligations often preceded divine favor, showing that God's initiation of a gracious relationship is paramount.

Genesis 15 6 Word analysis

• And he believed: (וְהֶאֱמִן - wəhā’ămin). The Hebrew is the Hiphil form of the root אָמַן (aman).
  • Root meaning: To be firm, trustworthy, sure, reliable, stable.
  • Hiphil form: Indicates active reliance, affirmation, or placing one's trust in something/someone. Here, it means "to trust in," "to consider dependable," "to rely upon," "to have faith."
  • Significance: This is not mere intellectual assent to a fact but a deep, firm, and committing reliance upon God Himself and His word. It implies a willing abandonment to God's faithfulness despite logical or experiential impossibilities. This same root gives us the word "Amen," signifying a declaration of firm affirmation or "so be it."
• in the LORD: (בַּיהוָה - ba-Yahweh).
  • Yahweh (יְהֹוָה): The personal, covenantal name of God, revealed as the self-existent, eternal, and promise-keeping God.
  • Significance: Abram's faith was directed specifically to this particular, true God, Yahweh, distinguishing Him from other deities worshipped in the surrounding pagan cultures. It emphasizes the deeply personal and relational nature of Abram's faith and God's interaction with humanity.
• and he counted it: (וַיַּחֲשְׁבֶהָ - wayyaḥšəvehā). The Hebrew is the Qal form of the root חָשַׁב (chashav).
  • Meaning: To reckon, compute, think, plan, regard, impute, attribute.
  • Significance: This is a crucial theological term signifying a divine accounting or legal action. God "calculated" or "reckoned" righteousness to Abram's account. It represents a forensic (legal) declaration, where God officially declared Abram righteous in His sight. The "it" refers to Abram's act of believing, meaning his faith was the basis upon which this divine attribution was made. It underscores that righteousness was not inherent in Abram, nor was it earned, but divinely assigned.
• to him: (לוֹ - lo). This dative preposition refers directly to Abram.
• for righteousness: (לִצְדָקָה - liṣdəqâ). The Hebrew noun is צְדָקָה (tsedaqah) preceded by the preposition le (for).
  • Meaning: Righteousness, justice, ethical rectitude, a state of right relationship, conformity to a divine standard.
  • Significance: This "righteousness" is not an inherent moral quality that Abram achieved through his own actions, but a status that God imputed to him. It refers to a divinely granted right standing before God, a legal or forensic declaration that Abram was counted as just. This concept is fundamental to the biblical understanding of salvation by grace, contrasting sharply with any notion of earning divine favor or standing through works, rituals, or lineage.

Words-group by words-group analysis

• "And he believed in the LORD": This pivotal phrase highlights the foundational act on Abram's part – not a general intellectual assent to God's existence, but a specific, profound trust and firm reliance on the person of Yahweh and His impossible promise. It establishes faith as the necessary human response to God's self-revelation and promise, forming the basis of their relationship.
• "and he counted it to him for righteousness": This phrase reveals the divine consequence and response to Abram's faith. God actively attributes (imputes) righteousness to Abram, demonstrating His gracious initiative. The phrase signifies a forensic transaction where God judicially declared Abram righteous in His sight. The essence here is that Abram’s believing itself became the ground for his acceptance and right standing with God, showcasing that righteousness is a gift of divine grace received through trust, not achieved by human merit. The act of "counting" or "imputing" implies that righteousness was transferred or accounted to Abram, making him legally just before God, despite any personal failings.

Genesis 15 6 Bonus section

The concept of "imputed righteousness" derived from this verse is central to the Protestant Reformation's doctrine of sola fide (faith alone). The Reformers stressed that humans, being sinful, cannot earn righteousness through their own actions or law-keeping. Instead, Christ's perfect righteousness is supernaturally attributed to believers by God, purely through their faith. This makes Genesis 15:6 not just a historical event but a programmatic statement for understanding the core of salvation across all dispensations. The chashav (counted/imputed) also signifies a permanent and binding act, indicating that once God declares someone righteous by faith, that status is secure. Abraham is thus depicted as the prototypical believer, his experience forming the theological precedent for how anyone—before, during, or after the Law—can enter into a righteous relationship with God: by grace through faith.

Genesis 15 6 Commentary

Genesis 15:6 stands as a theological beacon, offering a succinct and profound revelation about humanity's relationship with God. It functions as the blueprint for the concept of justification by faith, revealing that a right standing before a holy God is a divinely initiated gift, graciously granted upon the exercise of faith. Abram, despite his doubts and the human impossibility of the promise, chooses to wholeheartedly trust God's word. God's immediate response is a declaration: He imputes or credits righteousness to Abram. This is not a description of Abram becoming inherently perfect at that moment, but rather a divine, forensic declaration, an accounting by God where Abram is legally recognized as righteous. This verse preempts any notion of earning salvation through ritual or adherence to a future law, establishing grace and faith as the bedrock of God's covenant dealings with humanity. It is for this reason that Paul, in the New Testament, so heavily leans on Abraham's example to demonstrate that both Jews and Gentiles are made righteous by the same faith in Jesus Christ, the ultimate fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham.