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 laws in Moses’ Teachings bring about anger. But where those laws don’t exist, they can’t be broken. 16Therefore, the promise is based on faith so that it can be a gift. Consequently, the promise is guaranteed for every descendant, not only for those who are descendants by obeying Moses’ Teachings but also for those who are descendants by believing as Abraham did. He is the father of all of us, as Scripture says: “I have made you a father of many nations.” Abraham believed when he stood in the presence of the God who gives life to dead people and calls into existence things that don’t even exist. 18When there was nothing left to hope for, Abraham still hoped and believed. As a result, he became a father of many nations, as he had been told: “That is how many descendants you will have.” 19Abraham didn’t weaken. Through faith he regarded the facts: His body was already as good as dead now that he was about a hundred years old, and Sarah was unable to have children.

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“My promise is still with you. You will become the father of many nations.
• Genesis 25:1Abraham married again, and his wife’s name was Keturah.
• Genesis 28:3May God Almighty bless you, make you fertile, and increase the number of your descendants so that you will become a community of people.
• Hebrews 11:12Abraham was as good as dead. Yet, from this man came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the grains of sand on the seashore.
• Romans 3:29Is God only the God of the Jews? Isn’t he also the God of people who are not Jewish? Certainly, he is,
• Romans 4:2If Abraham had God’s approval because of something he did, he would have had a reason to brag. But he could not brag to God about it.
• Romans 8:11Does the Spirit of the one who brought Jesus back to life live in you? Then the one who brought Christ back to life will also make your mortal bodies alive by his Spirit who lives in you.
• Matthew 3:9Don’t think you can say, ‘Abraham is our ancestor.’ I can guarantee that God can raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones.
• John 5:21In the same way that the Father brings back the dead and gives them life, the Son gives life to anyone he chooses.
• John 6:63Life is spiritual. Your physical existence doesn’t contribute to that life. The words that I have spoken to you are spiritual. They are life.
• 1 Corinthians 15:45This is what Scripture says: “The first man, Adam, became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
• Ephesians 2:1You were once dead because of your failures and sins.
• 1 Timothy 6:13In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and in the sight of Christ Jesus, who gave a good testimony in front of Pontius Pilate,
• Romans 8:29This is true because he already knew his people and had already appointed them to have the same form as the image of his Son. Therefore, his Son is the firstborn among many children.
• Romans 9:26Wherever they were told, ‘You are not my people,’ they will be called children of the living God.”
• Isaiah 43:6I will say to the north, “Give them up,” and to the south, “Do not keep them.” Bring my sons from far away and 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