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"That righteousness might be imputed unto them" (11).
"It was imputed unto him for righteousness" (22).
"It was imputed to him" (23).
"To whom it shall be imputed, if we believe" (24).
"Counted", "reckoned" and "imputed" are all translations of the one word
logizomai, and between them give a fair and full rendering of its meaning. This is not all,
however, for these references divide themselves into two sets, viz., those which speak of
imputing something, and those which speak of imputing for, imputing one thing for
another. The two expressions are logizomai and logizomai . . . eis. We must loot at
this list again, therefore, to learn the difference intended.
Imputation in its prime meaning is found in Rom. 4: 6, 8, 10, 11, 23 and 24. In these
passages one thing is not imputed for another: wages, righteousness and sin are
actualities.
Imputed for is found in 4: 3, 5 & 22, and in these passages "faith" is imputed for
righteousness. Rom. 2: 26 supplies us with a use of the expression that must be
included: "Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not
his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision." While we must give full value to faith,
we must not go to the extreme of making it, in effect, another work--if we do, we make
void the gospel. We are justified gratuitously, "not of works". Faith is not a work. True,
it leads to works, but that is another matter.
Before we give a modern illustration of the meaning of "reckon for', it will help us to
review the usage of the Hebrew equivalents for both expressions:--
Logizomai is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew chasab.
Logizomai eis is the equivalent of Chasab V.
Now chasab means to reckon or to impute to one an actual possession. This can be
tested in such passages as II Sam. 19: 19, 20: "Let not my Lord impute iniquity unto
me, neither do thou remember that which thy servant did perversely . . . . . I have sinned."
Further references are Psa. 32: 2, Lev. 7: 18, and Lev. 17: 4. Logizomai is used
in this same way in the N.T.:--
"Let it not be imputed to them" (II Tim. 4: 16).
"Not imputing their trespasses unto them" (II Cor. 5: 19).
When the Hebrew uses the equivalent for logizomai eis ("to reckon for"), the thing
reckoned is put in the accusative case, and the thing for which it is reckoned is put in the
dative with the l' before it: "Thou dost count me for an enemy" (Job 13: 24).
Sometimes the thing for which the subject is counted is preceded by the particle ki ("as"):
"He counts me as His enemy" (Job 19: 11). The apostle, therefore, in Rom. 4:, is using
an expression in common use, and the identical phrase is found in Gen. 20: 6: "And He
(God) counted it to him as righteousness."