Romans 4:7

“Happy are those whose iniquities were forgiven and whose sins were covered;”
Romans 4:7 · direct translation from the Greek

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With the Greek beneath

Happy are thoseΜακάριοιwhoseὧνiniquitiesαἱ ἀνομίαιwere forgivenἀφέθησανandκαὶwhoseὧνsinsαἱ ἁμαρτίαιwere covered;ἐπεκαλύφθησαν

Quotation · Psalms 32:1-2

Go to Psalms 32:1-2

Paul quotes the beginning of Psalm 32, attributed to David in its title.

Formula: καθάπερ καὶ Δαυὶδ λέγει “just as David also speaks” (Romans 4:6)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: Μακάριοι ὧν ἀφέθησαν αἱ ἀνομίαι καὶ ὧν ἐπεκαλύφθησαν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι μακάριος ἀνὴρ οὗ οὐ μὴ λογίσηται κύριος ἁμαρτίαν

Hebrew (Masoretic text): לְדָוִד מַשְׂכִּיל אַשְׁרֵי נְשׂוּי פֶּשַׁע כְּסוּי חֲטָאָה אַשְׁרֵי אָדָם לֹא יַחְשֹׁב יְהוָה לוֹ עָוֺן וְאֵין בְּרוּחוֹ רְמִיָּה

Septuagint (Psalms 31:1-2 in the Septuagint numbering): Μακάριοι ὧν ἀφέθησαν αἱ ἀνομίαι, καὶ ὧν ἐπεκαλύφθησαν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι. μακάριος ἀνὴρ οὗ οὐ μὴ λογίσηται Κύριος ἁμαρτίαν, οὐδέ ἐστιν ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτοῦ δόλος.

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 18 consecutive words: “Μακάριοι ὧν ἀφέθησαν αἱ ἀνομίαι καὶ ὧν ἐπεκαλύφθησαν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι μακάριος ἀνὴρ οὗ οὐ μὴ λογίσηται κύριος ἁμαρτίαν.”

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Romans 4:7, word by word

Happy are thoseΜακάριοιMakarioi

blessed, happy

Blessed: truly happy, in the condition God blesses. It is the "happy" or "blessed" of the Psalms.

Where else “Makarioi” appears

iniquitiesἀνομίαιanomiai

lawlessness

Lawlessness: living without law, disregarding what God commands.

Where else “anomiai” appears

were forgivenἀφέθησανaphethēsan

forgive

To wipe away sins or debts, not exact them.

Where else “aphethēsan” appears

sinsἁμαρτίαιhamartiai

sin

Doing what God does not want, and the guilt it leaves.

Where else “hamartiai” appears

were coveredἐπεκαλύφθησανepekalyphthēsan

cover

Cover over, cover completely.

Where else “epekalyphthēsan” appears

Translation note

Psalm 32:1-2.

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Quotation · Psalms 32:1-2

Paul quotes the beginning of Psalm 32, attributed to David in its title.

See them side by side

Romans 4:7

⁷Happy are those whose iniquities were forgiven and whose sins were covered;

Psalms 32:1-2

¹Of David. A maskil. Happy is he whose transgression is taken away, whose sin is covered.

The context

6just as David also speaks of the happiness of the man to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:

7 · This verse (above)

8happy is the man to whom the Lord will never count sin.

Read all of Romans 4

To study Romans 4 in a group

1. What it says
What does Paul say happened to Abraham when he believed God? (vv. 3, 20-22)
2. What it means
Why does Paul use the example of Abraham to speak of faith? What does he want to show? (vv. 1-3, 9-12)
3. How I live it
Abraham kept trusting although it seemed impossible (vv. 18-21). In what situation is trust hard for you, and what would help you keep hoping?

How to use it