Romans 4:17

Romans 4:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
• New International Version (NIV)As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.
• English Standard Version (ESV)as it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations"—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.
• New King James Version (NKJV)(as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;

Context of Romans 4:17

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. 16So 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. In 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.’ 19Abraham was about 100 years old. His body was already so old that it was nearly dead. His wife, Sarah, was unable to have children. Abraham understood all that, but he did not stop trusting God.

Romans 4:17 word by word

καθὼς γέγραπται ὅτι πατέρα πολλῶν ἐθνῶν τέθεικά σε, κατέναντι οὗ ἐπίστευσεν θεοῦ, τοῦ ζῳοποιοῦντος τοὺς νεκροὺς καὶ καλοῦντος τὰ μὴ ὄντα ὡς ὄντα·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• Asκαθώςkathōs · as/just asG2531
• it is writtenγράφωgraphō · to writeG1125
• I have madeτίθημιtithēmi · to placeG5087
• theeσύsu · youG4771
• a fatherπατήρpatēr · fatherG3962
• of manyπολύςpolus polos · muchG4183
• nationsἔθνοςethnos · GentilesG1484
• beforeκατέναντιkatenanti · beforeG2713
• him whomὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• he believedπιστεύωpisteuō · to trust (in)G4100
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• who quickenethὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• who quickenethζωοποιέωzōopoieō · to make aliveG2227
• the deadνεκρόςnekros · deadG3498
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• callethκαλέωkaleō · to call: callG2564
• those things which beεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• notμήmē · notG3361
• asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613

Cross-references for Romans 4:17

• Genesis 17:4‘As for me, this is my covenant that I have made with you. You will become the ancestor of many nations of people.
• Genesis 25:1Abraham then married another woman. Her name was Keturah.
• Genesis 28:3I pray that God Almighty will bless you. I pray that he will give you many children, so that your descendants become a large nation of people.
• Hebrews 11:12Abraham was so old that he was almost like a dead man. But from this one man there came very many grandchildren. His family became so large that nobody could count them. They were like the number of stars in the sky. They were as many as the bits of sand on the shore of the sea.
• Romans 3:29God is not God only for Jewish people. He is also God for the Gentiles. Yes! He is the God for all people.
• Romans 4:2God did not accept Abraham as right with him because Abraham had done good things. If God had done that, then Abraham would have been able to boast about himself. But he could not boast to God.
• Romans 8:11God raised Jesus, to make him alive again after his death. Now God's Spirit lives in you. So God, who raised Christ from death, will also cause your human bodies to live again. He will do that by his Spirit who lives in you.
• Matthew 3:9Do not say to yourselves, “We are in the family of Abraham. God will surely not punish us.” Listen! God can take these stones and make children for Abraham out of them!
• John 5:21The Father raises dead people to make them alive again. In the same way, the Son gives life to whoever he chooses.
• John 6:63It is the Spirit that gives you life. People cannot do that. The words that I have spoken to you come from the Spirit. They give you life.
• 1 Corinthians 15:45It says in the Bible, ‘The first man, Adam, became a person who received life.’ But Christ is like the last Adam. He is a spirit who gives life to people.
• Ephesians 2:1Remember how you lived before. You did wrong things and bad things. As a result, you were dead in your spirits.
• 1 Timothy 6:13Christ Jesus himself spoke God's true message clearly when he stood in front of Pontius Pilate. I now say this to you, in front of God who causes all things to be alive, and in front of Jesus.
• Romans 8:29God already had those people in his thoughts from the beginning. He decided that they should become like his Son. So then, his Son would have many younger brothers and sisters.
• Romans 9:26‘God had said to them, “You are not my people.” In the same place where he said that, people will now call them “Children of God, who lives for ever.” ’
• Isaiah 43:6I will say to people in the north, “Give them back!” And I will say to people in the south, “Do not stop them!” Bring my sons from places that are far away. Bring my daughters from the ends of the earth.

Commentaries on Romans 4:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17As it is written, I have made thee a father - That Abraham's being a father of many nations has relation to the covenant of God made with him, may be seen, Genesis 17:4, Genesis 17:5; : Behold my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations: neither shall thy name any more be called Abram; but thy name shall be Abraham, for a father of many nations have I made thee, i.e. he was constituted the head of many nations, the Gentile world…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17As it is written - Genesis 17:5. I have made thee - The word used here in the Hebrew Genesis 17:5 means literally, to give, to grant; and also, to set, or constitute. This is also the meaning of the Greek word used both by the Septuagint and the apostle. The quotation is taken literally from the Septuagint. The argument of the apostle is founded in part on the fact that the past tense is used - I have made thee - and that God spoke of a thing as already…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
• 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 4:17

• Abraham
• Catholicity
• Faith
• Justification
• Life
• Quickening
• Quotations and Allusions
• Resurrection
• Salvation
• Works

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• 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