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

15for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation. 16For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, 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, (as it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed, that is, God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that do not exist. 18In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” 19Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb;

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

• as it is writtenγράφωgraphō · to writeG1125
• I have madeτίθημιtithēmi · to placeG5087
• a fatherπατήρpatēr · fatherG3962
• of manyπολύςpolus polos · muchG4183
• nationsἔθνοςethnos · GentilesG1484
• inκατέναντιkatenanti · beforeG2713
• of Him whomὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• he believedπιστεύωpisteuō · to trust (in)G4100
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• who givesζωοποιέωzōopoieō · to make aliveG2227
• the deadνεκρόςnekros · deadG3498
• callsκαλέωkaleō · to call: callG2564
• into beingεἰμίeimi · to beG1510

Cross-references for Romans 4:17

• Genesis 17:4“As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, And you will be the father of a multitude of nations.
• Genesis 25:1Now Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah.
• Genesis 28:3May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, so that you may become a multitude of peoples.
• Hebrews 11:12Therefore even from one man, and one who was as good as dead at that, there were born descendants who were just as the stars of heaven in number, and as the innumerable grains of sand along the seashore.
• Romans 3:29Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also,
• Romans 4:2For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about; but not before God.
• Romans 8:11But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
• Matthew 3:9and do not assume that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’; for I tell you that God is able, from these stones, to raise up children for Abraham.
• John 5:21For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes.
• John 6:63It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh provides no benefit; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit, and are life.
• 1 Corinthians 15:45So also it is written: “The first man, Adam, became a living person.” The last Adam was a life-giving spirit.
• Ephesians 2:1And you were dead in your offenses and sins,
• 1 Timothy 6:13I direct you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate,
• Romans 8:29For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters;
• Romans 9:26“And it shall be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘you are not My people,’ There they shall be called sons of the living God.”
• Isaiah 43:6I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ And to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring My sons from afar 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