Romans 4:18

Romans 4:18 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
• New International Version (NIV)Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, "So shall your offspring be."
• New King James Version (NKJV)who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.”

Context of Romans 4:18

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, 17(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. In 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; 20yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God,

Romans 4:18 word by word

ὃς παρ᾽ ἐλπίδα ἐπ᾽ ἐλπίδι ἐπίστευσεν εἰς τὸ γενέσθαι αὐτὸν πατέρα πολλῶν ἐθνῶν κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον· οὕτως ἔσται τὸ σπέρμα σου·Read the interlinear

• In hopeἐλπίςelpis · hopeG1680
• againstἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
• he believedπιστεύωpisteuō · to trust (in)G4100
• soεἰςeis · towardG1519
• he might becomeγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
• a fatherπατήρpatēr · fatherG3962
• of manyπολύςpolus polos · muchG4183
• nationsἔθνοςethnos · GentilesG1484
• accordingκατάkata · according toG2596
• to that which had been spokenλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• Soοὕτωςhoutō · thus(-ly)G3779
• descendantsσπέρμαsperma · seed: offspringG4690

Cross-references for Romans 4:18

• Romans 4:19Without 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 5:5and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
• Romans 8:24For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees?
• Ruth 1:11But Naomi said, “Return, my daughters. Why should you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?
• Proverbs 13:12Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But desire fulfilled is a tree of life.
• Ezekiel 37:11Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the entire house of Israel; behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope has perished. We are completely cut off.’
• Mark 5:35While He was still speaking, people came from the house of the synagogue official, saying, “Your daughter has died; why bother the Teacher further?”
• Luke 1:18Zechariah said to the angel, “How will I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in her years.”
• Acts 27:25Therefore, keep up your courage, men, for I believe God that it will turn out exactly as I have been told.
• Genesis 15:5And He took him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”

Commentaries on Romans 4:18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18Who against hope believed in hope - The faith of Abraham bore an exact correspondence to the power and never-failing faithfulness of God; for though, in the ordinary course of things, he had not the best foundation of hope, yet he believed that he should be the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken; namely, that his posterity should be like the stars of heaven for multitude, and like the dust of the earth.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18Who against hope - Who against all apparent or usual ground of hope. He refers here to the prospect of a posterity; see Romans 4:19-21. Believed in hope - Believed in what was promised to excite his hope. Hope here is put for the object of his hope - what was promised. According to what was spoken - Genesis 15:5. So shall thy seed be - That is, as the stars in heaven for multitude. Thy posterity shall be very numerous.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. 18-2218-22. Who against hope--when no ground for hope appeared. believed in hope--that is, cherished the believing expectation. that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be--that is, Such "as the stars of heaven," Ge 15:5.Read the comment

Topics related to Romans 4:18

• Abraham
• Catholicity
• Faith
• Hope
• Justification
• Quotations and Allusions
• Resurrection
• Salvation
• Works

In the dictionaries

• Flesh
• Impute
• Quicken
• Raise
• Reckon
• Stagger
• Unbelief
• Void
• Bible, the
• Galatians, Epistle to the

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