ROM 4:13-25

Abraham Receives the Promise

13For the promise to Abraham and his descendants that he would be heir of the world came not through the law but through the righteousness of faith. [4:14] For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith has been emptied and the promise has been nullified. [4:15] For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, there is no transgression either. [4:16] Therefore it is by faith, so that it may be by grace — so that the promise may be secure to all the descendants, not only to those of the law but also to those of Abraham's faith, who is the father of us all. [4:17] As it is written: 'I have made you the father of many nations' — before him whom he believed, the God who gives life to the dead and calls into existence things that do not exist. [4:18] Against hope, in hope Abraham believed — so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken: 'So shall your descendants be.' [4:19] Without weakening in faith, he considered his own body — already as good as dead, being about a hundred years old — and the deadness of Sarah's womb. [4:20] Yet he did not waver in unbelief toward the promise of God but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, [4:21] being fully convinced that what God had promised he was also able to perform. [4:22] Therefore it was also reckoned to him as righteousness. [4:23] Now the words 'it was reckoned to him' were not written for his sake alone, [4:24] but also for ours — for those to whom it will be reckoned, who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, [4:25] who was delivered up because of our transgressions and was raised for our justification.

In the world it was spoken into

In the Roman world, inheritance laws were strict and tied to legal lineage, often excluding those outside formal family structures. Paul’s audience, familiar with Roman legal codes and Jewish Torah observance, would have understood the tension between inheritance through law and inheritance through promise. The Torah was central to Jewish identity, but Paul reframes it as insufficient for securing God’s promise to Abraham. The term (seed) evokes Abraham’s singular, collective offspring, which Paul extends beyond ethnic Israel to include all who share Abraham’s faith. In Roman society, faith often referred to loyalty or trust within patron-client relationships, and Paul uses this concept to describe Abraham’s unwavering trust in God’s promise, even when it seemed impossible. The idea of (making alive) would resonate with those familiar with Greco-Roman myths of resurrection or Jewish hopes of restoration. Paul’s argument challenges both Jewish reliance on Torah and Roman legalistic notions of inheritance, emphasizing faith as the basis for inclusion in God’s promise.

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How other translations render this

ROM 4:13

KJV: For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
BSB: For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world was not given through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.
Koinōnos: For the promise to Abraham and his descendants that he would be heir of the world came not through the law but through the righteousness of faith.

ROM 4:14

KJV: For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:
BSB: For if those who live by the law are heirs, faith is useless and the promise is worthless,
Koinōnos: For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith has been emptied and the promise has been nullified.

ROM 4:15

KJV: Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.
BSB: because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law, there is no transgression.
Koinōnos: For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, there is no transgression either.

ROM 4:16

KJV: Therefore 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,
BSB: Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may rest on grace and may be guaranteed to all Abrahamʼs offspring—not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.
Koinōnos: Therefore it is by faith, so that it may be by grace — so that the promise may be secure to all the descendants, not only to those of the law but also to those of Abraham's faith, who is the father of us all.

ROM 4:17

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.
BSB: As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the presence of God, in whom he believed, the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being what does not yet exist.
Koinōnos: As it is written: 'I have made you the father of many nations' — before him whom he believed, the God who gives life to the dead and calls into existence things that do not exist.

ROM 4:18

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.
BSB: Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.”
Koinōnos: Against hope, in hope Abraham believed — so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken: 'So shall your descendants be.

ROM 4:19

KJV: And 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:
BSB: Without weakening in his faith, he acknowledged the decrepitness of his body (since he was about a hundred years old) and the lifelessness of Sarahʼs womb.
Koinōnos: Without weakening in faith, he considered his own body — already as good as dead, being about a hundred years old — and the deadness of Sarah's womb.

ROM 4:20

KJV: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
BSB: Yet he did not waver through disbelief in the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,
Koinōnos: Yet he did not waver in unbelief toward the promise of God but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God,

ROM 4:21

KJV: And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
BSB: being fully persuaded that God was able to do what He had promised.
Koinōnos: being fully convinced that what God had promised he was also able to perform.

ROM 4:22

KJV: And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
BSB: This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.”
Koinōnos: Therefore it was also reckoned to him as righteousness.

ROM 4:23

KJV: Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
BSB: Now the words “it was credited to him” were written not only for Abraham,
Koinōnos: Now the words 'it was reckoned to him' were not written for his sake alone,

ROM 4:24

KJV: But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
BSB: but also for us, to whom righteousness will be credited—for us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.
Koinōnos: but also for ours — for those to whom it will be reckoned, who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,

ROM 4:25

KJV: Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
BSB: He was delivered over to death for our trespasses and was raised to life for our justification.
Koinōnos: who was delivered up because of our transgressions and was raised for our justification.

Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.

Translator's notes

ROM 4:13

[the] Law:The word translated 'Law' here refers to the Mosaic Law, the comprehensive system of rules and regulations given to Israel, which encompassed religious, moral, and civil aspects of life.
descendants:The term translated 'descendants' literally means 'seed' and can refer to a single offspring or a collective posterity, emphasizing the biological continuity and lineage.

ROM 4:17

is giving life:The word translated 'is giving life' implies not just sustaining life, but actively bringing something to life that was previously dead or non-existent, or endowing it with vitality.

ROM 4:20

he did waver:The phrase 'he did waver' comes from a word that means to be divided in judgment or to hesitate due to internal conflict, suggesting a struggle with doubt or indecision.