New English Translation
Romans 4:12
12And he is also the father of the circumcised, who are not only circumcised, but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham possessed when he was still uncircumcised.
Romans 4:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.
- New International Version (NIV)And he is then also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
- English Standard Version (ESV)and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
- New King James Version (NKJV)and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised.
Context of Romans 4:12
10How then was it credited to him? Was he circumcised at the time, or not? No, he was not circumcised but uncircumcised! 11And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised, so that he would become the father of all those who believe but have never been circumcised, that they too could have righteousness credited to them. And he is also the father of the circumcised, who are not only circumcised, but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham possessed when he was still uncircumcised. 13For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would inherit the world was not fulfilled through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14For if they become heirs by the law, faith is empty and the promise is nullified.
Read all of Romans 4Romans 4:12 word by word
καὶ πατέρα περιτομῆς, τοῖς οὐκ ἐκ περιτομῆς μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς στοιχοῦσιν τοῖς ἴχνεσιν τῆς ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ πίστεως τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν Ἀβραάμ.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- the fatherπατήρpatēr · fatherG3962
- of circumcisionπεριτομήperitomē · circumcisionG4061
- notοὐou · noG3756
- ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
- onlyμόνονmonon · onlyG3440
- butἀλλάalla · butG235
- whoστοιχέωstoicheō · to followG4748
- in the stepsἴχνοςichnos · trackG2487
- of that faithπίστιςpistis · faithG4102
- ourἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- AbrahamἈβραάμAbraam · AbrahamG11
- whichἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- uncircumcisedἀκροβυστίαakrobustia · uncircumcisionG203
Cross-references for Romans 4:12
- Romans 9:6It is not as though the word of God had failed. For not all those who are descended from Israel are truly Israel,
- Matthew 3:9and don’t think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones!
- Luke 16:23And in hell, as he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far off with Lazarus at his side.
- John 8:39They answered him, “Abraham is our father!” Jesus replied, “If you are Abraham’s children, you would be doing the deeds of Abraham.
- Galatians 4:22For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman.
- Job 33:11He puts my feet in shackles; he watches closely all my paths.’
- Proverbs 2:20So you will walk in the way of good people, and will keep on the paths of the righteous.
- 2 Corinthians 12:18I urged Titus to visit you and I sent our brother along with him. Titus did not take advantage of you, did he? Did we not conduct ourselves in the same spirit? Did we not behave in the same way?
- 1 Peter 2:21For to this you were called, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving an example for you to follow in his steps.
Commentaries on Romans 4:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12And the father of circumcision - He is also the head and representative of all the circumcision of all the Jews who walk in the steps of that faith; who seek for justification by faith only, and not by the works of the law; for this was the faith that Abraham had before he received circumcision. For, the covenant being made with Abraham while he was a Gentile, he became the representative of the Gentiles, and they primarily were included in that covenant…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12And the father of circumcision - The father, that is, the ancestor, exemplar, or model of those who are circumcised, and who possess the same faith that he did. Not only the father of all believers Romans 4:11, but in a special sense the father of the Jewish people. In this, the apostle intimates that though all who believed would be saved as he was, yet the Jews had a special proprietorship in Abraham; they had special favors and privileges from the fact…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 11-12When God introduced circumcision, he called it “a sign of the covenant” between himself and Abraham (Genesis 17:11). The covenant existed before Abraham became circumcised (Genesis 12:1–3; 15:1–21; 17:1–8). This shows that it was on the basis of faith, not circumcision. Therefore, Abraham is the spiritual father of all people, whether circumcised (Jews) or uncircumcised (Gentiles), "who are of the faith of Abraham" (Romans 4:13–25).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 9-129-12. Cometh this blessedness then, &c.--that is, "Say not, All this is spoken of the circumcised, and is therefore no evidence of God's general way of justifying men; for Abraham's justification took place long before he was circumcised, and so could have no dependence upon that rite: nay, 'the sign of circumcision' was given to Abraham as 'a seal' (or token) of the (justifying) righteousness which he had before he was circumcised; in order that he might…Read the comment
Topics related to Romans 4:12
In the dictionaries
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
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