Romans 4:13

Romans 4:13 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
• New International Version (NIV)It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

Context of Romans 4:13

11And he received [the] sign of circumcision [as] seal of the righteousness of faith which [he had] being in uncircumcision, that he might be [the] father of all them that believe being in uncircumcision, that righteousness might be reckoned to them also; 12and father of circumcision, not only to those who are of [the] circumcision, but to those also who walk in the steps of the faith, during uncircumcision, of our father Abraham. For [it was] not by law that the promise was to Abraham, or to his seed, that he should be heir of [the] world, but by righteousness of faith. 14For if they which [are] of law be heirs, faith is made vain, and the promise made of no effect. 15For law works wrath; but where no law is neither [is there] transgression.

Romans 4:13 word by word

οὐ γὰρ διὰ νόμου ἡ ἐπαγγελία τῷ Ἀβραὰμ ἢ τῷ σπέρματι αὐτοῦ τὸ κληρονόμον αὐτὸν εἶναι κόσμου ἀλλὰ διὰ δικαιοσύνης πίστεως.Read the interlinear

• wasεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
• promiseἐπαγγελίαepaggelia · promiseG1860
• AbrahamἈβραάμAbraam · AbrahamG11
• seedσπέρμαsperma · seed: offspringG4690
• heirκληρονόμοςklēronomos · heirG2818
• worldκόσμοςkosmos · worldG2889
• righteousnessδικαιοσύνηdikaiosunē · righteousnessG1343
• faithπίστιςpistis · faithG4102

Cross-references for Romans 4:13

• Genesis 12:3And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee; and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
• Genesis 17:4It is I: behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of a multitude of nations.
• Genesis 22:17I will richly bless thee, and greatly multiply thy seed, as the stars of heaven, and as the sand that is on the sea-shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
• Genesis 28:14And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south; and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
• Genesis 49:10The sceptre will not depart from Judah, Nor the lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh come, And to him will be the obedience of peoples.
• Psalms 2:8Ask of me, and I will give thee nations for an inheritance, and for thy possession the ends of the earth:
• Psalms 72:11Yea, all kings shall bow down before him; all nations shall serve him.
• Galatians 3:16But to Abraham were the promises addressed, and to his seed: he does not say, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed; which is Christ.
• Romans 4:11And he received [the] sign of circumcision [as] seal of the righteousness of faith which [he had] being in uncircumcision, that he might be [the] father of all them that believe being in uncircumcision, that righteousness might be reckoned to them also;

Commentaries on Romans 4:13

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world - This promise intimated that he should be the medium through whom the mercy of God should be communicated to the world, to both Jews and Gentiles; and the manner in which he was justified, be the rule and manner according to which all men should expect this blessing. Abraham is here represented as having all the world given to him as his inheritance; because in him all nations of the earth are…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 13For the promise … - To show that the faith of Abraham, on which his justification depended, was not by the Law, the apostle proceeds to show that the promise concerning which his faith was so remarkably evinced was before the Law was given. If this was so, then it was an additional important consideration in opposition to the Jew, showing that acceptance with God depended on faith, and not on works. That he should be heir of the world - An heir is one who…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-22Verses 13-22 The promise was made to Abraham long before the law. It points at Christ, and it refers to the promise, Ge 12:3. In Thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. The law worketh wrath, by showing that every transgressor is exposed to the Divine displeasure. As God intended to give men a title to the promised blessings, so he appointed it to be by faith, that it might be wholly of grace, to make it sure to all who were of the like precious…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13of the world: God told Abraham that he would be the father of many nations (4:17; Genesis 12:2; 13:16; 15:5; 17:4–6, 16–20; 22:17). God also said Abraham would bring blessings to all people (Genesis 12:3; 18:18; 22:18; compare Isaiah 55:3–5).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 13-1513-15. For the promise, &c.--This is merely an enlargement of the foregoing reasoning, applying to the law what had just been said of circumcision. that he should be the heir of the world--or, that "all the families of the earth should be blessed in him." was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law--in virtue of obedience to the law. but through the righteousness of faith--in virtue of his simple faith in the divine promises.Read the comment

Topics related to Romans 4:13

• Abraham
• Bigotry
• Catholicity
• Faith
• Justification
• Righteousness
• Salvation
• Works

In the dictionaries

• Abraham
• Abraham, Abram
• Flesh
• Heir
• Impute
• Quicken
• Raise
• Reckon
• Stagger
• Unbelief

Commentaries on Romans 4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings