Revised Webster's Bible
Romans 4:17
17As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who giveth life to the dead, and calleth those things which are not as though they were.1
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
15Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. 16Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who giveth life to the dead, and calleth those things which are not as though they were. 18Who against hope believed with hope, that he should become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. 19And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb:
Read all of Romans 4Romans 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
- Asκαθώςkathōs · as/just asG2531
- writtenγράφωgraphō · to writeG1125
- ·ὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
- madeτίθημιtithēmi · to placeG5087
- theeσέse · youG4571
- fatherπατήρpatēr · fatherG3962
- manyπολύςpolus polos · muchG4183
- nationsἔθνοςethnos · GentilesG1484
- beforeκατέναντιkatenanti · beforeG2713
- whomὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- believedπιστεύωpisteuō · to trust (in)G4100
- Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- toζωοποιέωzōopoieō · to make aliveG2227
- deadνεκρόςnekros · deadG3498
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- callethκαλέωkaleō · to call: callG2564
- areὤνōn ousa on · beingG5607
- notμήmē · notG3361
- thoughὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
Cross-references for Romans 4:17
- Genesis 17:4As for me, behold, my covenantis with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.
- Genesis 25:1Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah.
- Genesis 28:3And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people;
- Hebrews 11:12Therefore there sprang even from one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.
- Romans 3:29Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:
- Romans 4:2For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath something to glory about ; but not before God.
- Romans 8:11But if the Spirit of him that raised Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you, he that raised Christ from the dead shall also give life to your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
- Matthew 3:9And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham for our father: for I say to you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham.
- John 5:21For as the Father raiseth the dead, and giveth life to them ; even so the Son giveth life to whom he will.
- John 6:63It is the spirit that giveth life; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak to you, they are spirit, and they are life.
- 1 Corinthians 15:45And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a living spirit.
- Ephesians 2:1And youhath he made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
- 1 Timothy 6:13I command thee in the sight of God, who maketh alive all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession;
- Romans 8:29For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
- Romans 9:26And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said to them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.
- Isaiah 43:6I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, 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
In the dictionaries
Notes
- 1. Romans 4:17 before him: or, like unto him ↩
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
Revised Webster's Bible — 1833 — Public Domain
Commentaries