Tree of Life Version
Romans 4:17
17(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 trusted, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence that which does not exist.
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 Torah brings about wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there a violation. 16For this reason it depends on trust, so that the promise according to grace might be guaranteed to all the offspring—not only to those of the Torah but also to those of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all (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 trusted, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence that which does not exist. 18In hope beyond hope, he trusted that he would become the father of many nations according to what was spoken—“So shall your descendants be.” 19And without becoming weak in faith, he considered his own body—as good as dead, since he was already a hundred years old—and 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
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“For My part, because My covenant is with you, you will be the father of a multitude of nations.
- Genesis 25:1Now Abraham took another wife—her name was Keturah.
- Genesis 28:3Now may El Shaddai bless you, and make you fruitful and multiply you so that you will become an assembly of peoples.
- Hebrews 11:12So from one—and him as good as dead—were fathered offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven, and as uncountable as the sand on the seashore.
- Romans 3:29Is God the God of the Jewish people only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also.
- Romans 4:2For if Abraham was set right by works, he has something to boast about—but not before God.
- Romans 8:11And if the Ruach of the One who raised Yeshua from the dead dwells in you, the One who raised Messiah Yeshua from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Ruach who dwells in you.
- Matthew 3:9and do not think that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’! For I tell you that from these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
- John 5:21For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whomever He wants.
- John 6:63It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is of no benefit. The words 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 soul.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
- Ephesians 2:1You were dead in your trespasses and sins.
- 1 Timothy 6:13I charge you before God who gives life to all things and Messiah Yeshua who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate,
- Romans 8:29For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
- Romans 9:26And 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 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
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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