Romans 4:16

Romans 4:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,
• New International Version (NIV)Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.
• English Standard Version (ESV)That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,
• New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all

Context of Romans 4:16

14People cannot get what God promised because they obey rules. If they could get it like that, then faith in God would be worth nothing. And what God promised would be worth nothing. 15The rules in Moses' Law say that God will punish people who do not obey those rules. But without any rules, there is nothing for people to obey. So God gives us his promise as a gift, because he is very kind. We receive it when we trust him. If we believe in God like Abraham did, then God accepts us. That is God's promise to all of Abraham's family. If we believe in God, we can call Abraham our ancestor. We can all receive what God has promised. It is not only for those who have Moses' Law to obey. 17In the Bible, God said to Abraham, ‘I have chosen you to become the ancestor of many different people.’ That is what God himself promises, because Abraham believed in him. God is the one who causes dead people to become alive again. He speaks about things that are not yet there as if they were already there. 18Abraham continued to trust God. He hoped to receive what God had promised. He continued to hope even when he had no good reason to hope. That is why he became the ancestor of many different people. It happened just like God had said: ‘You will have very many descendants.’

Romans 4:16 word by word

διὰ τοῦτο ἐκ πίστεως, ἵνα κατὰ χάριν, εἰς τὸ εἶναι βεβαίαν τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν παντὶ τῷ σπέρματι, οὐ τῷ ἐκ τοῦ νόμου μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ ἐκ πίστεως Ἀβραάμ, ὅς ἐστιν πατὴρ πάντων ἡμῶνRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Thereforeδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
• ·οὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• faithπίστιςpistis · faithG4102
• thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• byκατάkata · according toG2596
• graceχάριςcharis · graceG5485
• to the endεἰςeis · towardG1519
• the promiseἐπαγγελίαepaggelia · promiseG1860
• might beεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• sureβέβαιοςbebaios · firmG949
• to allπᾶςpas · allG3956
• the seedσπέρμαsperma · seed: offspringG4690
• notοὐou · noG3756
• onlyμόνονmonon · onlyG3440
• the lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
• butἀλλάalla · butG235
• alsoκαίkai · andG2532
• of AbrahamἈβραάμAbraam · AbrahamG11
• whoὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• the fatherπατήρpatēr · fatherG3962
• of usἐγώegō · I/weG1473

Cross-references for Romans 4:16

• Romans 3:24But because God is very kind, he accepts us as right with himself. That is God's gift to us. Jesus Christ has paid for our sins so that we have become free.
• Romans 5:1So we see that God has accepted us as right because we believe in him. As a result, we are friends with God, because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done for us.
• Galatians 3:7So you should understand who Abraham's children really are. It is those people who trust God.
• Ephesians 2:5Because of our sins, we were dead in our spirits. But God gave us a new life, because we are united with Christ. Yes, God has saved you because he is so kind.
• Hebrews 6:13God made a promise to Abraham many years ago. God used the authority of his own name to show that his promise was true. He did that because there was nobody greater than God himself. His name showed that the promise was very serious.
• 2 Peter 1:10So, my friends, try very much to live in a way that pleases God. God has chosen you to be his own people. Show that you really do belong to him! If you do these things, you will never turn away from God.
• Romans 4:11Some time after that, God told Abraham that someone should circumcise him. That would be a mark on his body to show that God had accepted him. God had already accepted Abraham because Abraham believed in him. God did not accept Abraham because they had circumcised him as a Jewish man. This shows that Abraham is like a father to everyone that God has accepted. Like Abraham, God has accepted them because they have believed in him. It is not important that nobody has circumcised them.
• Romans 9:8This means that not all of Abraham's children are really God's children. It is only those children who were born as a result of God's promise. Only they are the people that God calls true descendants.
• Isaiah 51:2You all started from your ancestor Abraham, and his wife Sarah. When I first spoke to Abraham, he had no children. But I blessed him, so that he had many descendants.’

Commentaries on Romans 4:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace - On this account the promise is mercifully grounded, not on obedience to a law, but on the infinite goodness of God: and thus the promise is sure to all the seed - to all, both Jews and Gentiles, who, believing in Christ Jesus, have a right to all the blessings contained in the Abrahamic covenant. All the seed necessarily comprehends all mankind. Of the Gentiles there can be no doubt, for the promise…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16Therefore - In view of the course of reasoning which has been pursued. We have come to this conclusion. It is of faith - Justification is by faith; or the plan which God has devised of saving people is by faith, Romans 3:26. That it might be by grace - As a matter of mere undeserved mercy. If people were justified by law, it would be by their own merits; now it is of mere unmerited favor. To the end - For the purpose, or design. The promise … - Romans…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. 16not only to those who are of the law: The Jews were of the law in that their covenant with God included the law of Moses and they were to live according to it.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 16-1716-17. Therefore, &c.--A general summary: "Thus justification is by faith, in order that its purely gracious character may be seen, and that all who follow in the steps of Abraham's faith--whether of his natural seed or no--may be assured of the like justification with the parent believer."Read the comment

Topics related to Romans 4:16

• Abraham
• Bigotry
• Catholicity
• Faith
• Grace of God
• Justification
• Resurrection
• Salvation
• Works

In the dictionaries

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

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