Whose Righteousness? – YHWH’s or ‘Avram’s?
A Reexamination of Genesis 15:6 in Light of Hebrew Syntax and Narrative Flow
M. T Peterson, PhD
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.15428086
Abstract
Genesis 15:6 has long been interpreted—particularly within Christian theology—as when YHWH declares ‘Avram righteous based on his faith. This reading, heavily influenced by Paul’s appeal to the Septuagint (LXX), has served as a cornerstone for the doctrine of “justification by faith alone.” This study argues that verse 15:6, when translated in light of the Hebrew syntax and literary context, does not support such a reading. A syntactically correct and more contextually faithful rendering is therefore proposed:
“But ‘Avram trusted in YHWH, and reckoned His promises—sincere though unfulfilled—as righteous.”
Through a detailed analysis of Hebrew grammar, narrative sequencing, and scene structure—alongside a critical comparison with the LXX—this paper demonstrates that the traditional reading obscures the original Hebrew nuance. Moreover, it is not until the Aqedah (Genesis 22) that ‘Elohim finally and explicitly judges ‘Avraham’s righteousness, but doing so based on covenantal obedience (22:12). This reinterpretation returns us to the voice of the Hebrew narrator, whose theology of justification is expressed not as a forensic imputation, but as faithfulness tested and proven through obedience.