We have to supply it For writer and for
reader, it ' goes without saying.' ' For our
believing ' is, of course, the answer ; as



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44 The meaning- of Gen. xv. 6

Abraham believed God and it was counted
to him for righteousness.
The quotation from Gen. xv. 6 (the
' LXX ' of that passage) is not developed
here, as it is in Romans iv. The student
cannot decide, how far the writer read
into the words of the ancient Greek the
technical sense he himself generally attri-
butes to the term for ' righteousness.' The
Hebrew (I should apprehend) means onlv'
" God accounted it as a thing well and
rightly done " ; ' righteousness ' being little
more than 'a righteous act.' Anyhow, in
Abraham's case, belief it was pleased God,
and won acceptance with Him. The par-
ticular 'belief in question was the belief
in the promised ' seed ' {tell the stars, if
thou shall be able to number them : and He
said unto him. So shall thy seed be).
