in our version, the meaning is, that the annunciation of the justification of Abraham before his circumcision, was with the design that he might be the father of uncircumcised believers. If the latter, the sense is, ' He was thus justified, hence he is,' &c. Either method suits the context; the latter seems, however, the more natural. The word father is often used to exprlil the general idea of dependence, as of a disciple on a mas- ter (hence it is applied to teachers in religion. Abbas, Papa, Pope, Pater, the Fathers, &c.) ; of a follower on a leader, &c. Hence, the inventor or author of any thing is called -a. father ; Gen. 4 : 20, "The father of all those who handle the organ." Abraham is called the " father of the faithful," as their leader, from being the first conspicuous example of faith recorded in the Scriptures, and from being the head of the family of God, i. e. of his peculiar people. As the church, under the Old Testa- ment, stood in this relation to Abraham, it was not disowned by those introduced into it, when the middle wall of partition between the Jews and Gentiles was broken down. To be a child of Abraham is to be like him, to have the same faith that he had. Gal. 3:7; and, of course, as their head, leader, and example, Abraham is the father of all those who believe.
Of all that believe, though they be not circumcised, literally, ' of all be- lieving with (or in) uncircumcision ;' see the previous clause, and ch. 3 : 27. That righteousness might be imputed unto them also. The connexion and design of these words are not very clear, and they are, therefore, variously explained. They may be considered as explanatory of the former clause, and, therefore, connected with the first part of the verse. The sense would then be, 'Abraham was justified, being yet uncircum- cised, that he might be the father of believers, although uncircumcised, that is, that righteousness might be imputed unto them also.' But the logical connexion is not thus very plain, as the justification of Abraham was not designed to secure the justification of others. This clause is most commonly regarded as a parenthesis, designed to indicate the point of resemblance between Abraham and those of whom he is called the father. ' He is the father of uncircumcised believers, since they also are justified by faith as he was.' Righteousness was imputed to thentii see above, vs. 3, 6.
(12) And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circurri' eision only, but who also walk, &c. " Father of circumcision'^ means 'the father of the circumcised.' As, in Hebrew, the expression occurs " father to," as well as " father of," Paul uses the former expression here, 'Father to them;' see 2 Sam. 7: 14. Heb. 1 : 5. The meaning of this verse is doubtful. Agreeably to our version, which adheres closely to the Greek, the meaning is, ' Abraham is not the father of the uncircum- cised believers only, as stated in v. 11, but he is the father of the circum- cised also, provided they follow the example of his faith.' According to this view, as the 11th verse declares him to be the father of believing Gentiles, this presents him as the father of believing Jews, i. e. of those