How was it then reckoned?
&c.] The Arabic version adds, "and when"; and the Ethiopic
version reads it, "when was Abraham justified?" expressing the
sense, not the words of the original text, with which agree the
following questions:
when he was in circumcision, or in
uncircumcision?
that is, was he justified, or his faith reckoned to him for
righteousness, when he was a circumcised, or an uncircumcised
person?
not in circumcision;
or when he was circumcised; for when it was said of him, that "he
believed in the Lord", and "he counted it to him for
righteousness", ( Genesis 15:6
) , he was then uncircumcised, and remained so many years after:
for this was before the birth of Ishmael, and Ishmael was
"thirteen" years of age when he and his father Abraham were
circumcised; so that it must be "fourteen" years, or thereabout,
before his circumcision, that this declaration of his being a
justified person was made; wherefore the apostle rightly adds,
but in uncircumcision;
or whilst an uncircumcised person: hence it clearly appears that
circumcision could not be the cause of his justification, since
it followed it; and if Abraham when uncircumcised was a justified
person, as it is certain he was, why may not uncircumcised
Gentiles be justified also? and especially when it is observed,
that the covenant made with Abraham when uncircumcised, included
the Gentiles; see ( Genesis 12:3
) ( 17:4-6
) .