Psalm 106:29-31 → Genesis 15:6

Both passages use the distinctive phrase "credited to him as righteousness" (וַתֵּחָשֶׁב לוֹ לִצְדָקָה, vattechashev lo litsedaqah), applying it in strikingly different contexts. In Genesis 15:6, the verb חָשַׁב (chashav, "reckoned/credited") describes God's response to Abram's belief in the promise of offspring. In Psalm 106:31, the identical formula is applied to Phinehas's violent intervention against apostasy at Baal Peor, where he "stood and intervened" to stop a plague. The psalm's reuse of this Genesis formula creates an analogy between two very different acts: passive trust in a promise and active zeal for holiness. This verbal parallel invites reflection on what constitutes a righteous response to God, though the basis of each act differs dramatically. The formula is not a second road to righteousness: the psalm's reckoning is read by Genesis 15:6 and Romans 4, not set against them. What is credited to Phinehas is the obedience that springs from faith, never merit; the righteousness that justifies remains the righteousness credited to faith in God's promise (Romans 4:4-5).