What Does Romans 4:5 Mean in the King James?

But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

Romans 4:5 · KJV

The analysis reads the King James wording.

King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.

THE KEY

Trust here does not buy alignment; it is what gets reckoned as alignment.

THE MEANING

You are addressed here as one who can trust God while still ungodly; the verse does not make moral achievement a prerequisite. Trust is reckoned as alignment, with God’s action at the center of the sentence.

WHAT THIS UNDOES

The lie this undoes is that you must first become worthy through work before God can set you right.

THE ROOT

πιστεύοντι

pisteuonti

GROWS FROM

πιστ-

pist-

Firmness or trustworthiness; to trust or rely on.

“believeth” in this verse is pisteuonti. The word points to trust placed in someone, not merely agreement with an idea. That makes the contrast sharp: the verse names trust where it says work is absent.

ALSO GROWS

pistis: Trust; faith

πίστις

This noun names the trust that Romans says is reckoned as alignment.

pistos: Firm, steady; trustworthy

πιστός

The shared root links trusting to the quality of being reliable or steady.

δικαιοῦντα

dikaiounta

GROWS FROM

δικαι-

dikai-

Rightness or alignment; to set right.

“justifieth” in this verse is dikaiounta. The same word family includes both the act of setting right and the state of alignment. The verse places that act toward the ungodly, so prior moral achievement is not presented as its condition.

ALSO GROWS

dikaiosyne: Alignment; righteousness

δικαιοσύνη

This is the word translated “righteousness” at the end of the verse, joining being set right with the state of alignment.

dikaios: Aligned; righteous

δίκαιος

This related word describes one who is in the state the verb dikaiō describes bringing about.

λογίζεται

logizetai

GROWS FROM

λογιζ-

logiz-

To reckon, calculate, or account.

“is counted” in this verse is logizetai. The verse uses the language of reckoning: trust is entered as alignment. That account image connects the final word “righteousness” to what is credited, not to a wage earned by work.

ALSO GROWS

logizomai: Reckon, consider, account

λογίζομαι

This is the verb’s dictionary form and carries the same act of reckoning used in the verse.

logismos: Calculation; reasoning or account

λογισμός

This related noun preserves the root’s sense of reckoning and calculation.

THE PATTERN

Alignment is reckoned through trust rather than earned through work.

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

Genesis 15:6 · KJVTrust is followed by the reckoning of righteousness, the same structure stated in Romans 4:5.

Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

Habakkuk 2:4 · KJVLife is tied to trust rather than to self-made uprightness.

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Titus 3:5 · KJVThe verse explicitly places the action outside the works a person has done.

THE THREAD

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Ephesians 2:8 · KJV

The Greek trust-word family behind “faith” here is the same one behind “believeth” in Romans 4:5. Both verses place trust at the center and describe what is received as God’s gift.

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