Romans 4:18

"As it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations.” This is in the presence of him whom he believed: God, who gives life to the dead, and calls the things that are not, as though they were."

Key Reflection

In Romans 4:18, Paul cites Genesis 15:5 where Abraham is told by God that he will become a father of many nations. This passage emphasizes the faith and belief of Abraham, who was tested through his willingness to listen to God even in the face of seemingly impossible circumstances. For Abraham's original audience, this statement would have resonated with their understanding of covenantal relationships in ancient Near Eastern culture, where divine promises were often understood as conditional on human faithfulness and obedience. The verse highlights how Abraham trusted God despite the apparent impossibility of his wife Sarah bearing a child in old age, thereby exemplifying the power of faith to bring about what seems impossible to human eyes.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

Verse 18. Who against hope. Who against all apparent or usual ground of hope. He refers here to the prospect of a posterity. See Ro 4:19-21. Believed in hope. Believed in that which was promised to excite his hope. Hope here is put for the object of his hope--that which was promised. According to that which was spoken. Ge 15:5. So shall they seed be.. That is, as the stars in heaven for multitude. Thy posterity shall be very numerous. {w} "So shall thy seed be" Ge 15:5 __________________________________________________________________

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