Romans 4:10 asks a simple question about Abraham: was he counted as righteous before he was circumcised, or after? Paul’s answer is that God credited Abraham with righteousness while he was still uncircumcised, which means faith came first and the sign of circumcision came later. The verse is written by the apostle Paul to the church in Rome, a mixed congregation of Jewish and Gentile believers.
How then was it counted? When he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
Romans 4:10 (WEB)
What Romans 4:10 Means
The question “How then was it counted?” asks how God’s declaring Abraham righteous fits with the timeline of his life. Paul’s Jewish readers knew Abraham as the father of circumcision, so they would naturally assume that his acceptance with God came with that rite. Paul points out that the Genesis account says Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness, and that this happened before he was circumcised, as the story of Genesis 15 and 17 shows.
The phrase “not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision” makes the order plain. Abraham’s standing with God was not earned by a ritual, and it did not depend on being a member of the covenant community marked by the sign. The verse does not promise that circumcision was worthless or that God’s people may ignore the practices He gave. It simply shows that righteousness came through trust in God first, and the outward sign was a seal of something already true.
The Context of Romans 4:10
Paul wrote this letter to the believers in Rome around the middle of the first century, and he wrote it to people who had to live together despite different backgrounds. Some believers were Jews who took the law and circumcision seriously, and others were Gentiles who had never been circumcised. Paul argues that Abraham is the father of all who believe, both those who are circumcised and those who are not, so that neither group can claim a higher standing before God.
The verses just before and after make the point clearer. Verses 7 and 8 quote David’s words about forgiven sin, and Paul asks in verse 9 whether this blessing belongs only to the circumcised or to the uncircumcised as well. Verse 11 then explains that circumcision was a seal of righteousness Abraham already had, and verse 13 says the promise came through the righteousness of faith rather than through the law. Read in this setting, verse 10 is the hinge of Paul’s argument: the timing shows that faith, not circumcision, is the basis of God’s approval.
Key Phrases in Romans 4:10
Genesis 15:6
He believed in the LORD, who credited it to him for righteousness.
(WEB)
This verse is the original account of Abraham believing God and having it credited to him as righteousness, and it comes long before circumcision was instituted in Genesis 17. Reading it alongside Romans 4:10 shows that Paul is building his argument directly on the Genesis text.
Romans 4:11
He received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while he was in uncircumcision, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they might be in uncircumcision, that righteousness might also be accounted to them.
(WEB)
The verse that follows explains that circumcision was a seal of the righteousness Abraham already had through faith. It fills in the reasoning behind the timing Paul highlights in verse 10 and shows why the sign came after the faith.
A Short Prayer From Romans 4:10
Lord, thank You that You credit righteousness to those who trust You, just as You did for Abraham long before any outward sign. Help me rest in that truth rather than trying to earn Your approval through my own effort or performance. Show me where I have been measuring my standing by the wrong things, and draw me back to simple faith in Your promise. Let my life reflect the openness of Your grace to everyone who believes. Amen.
