Romans 4:13
in Romans 4For 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For not through the law was the promise to Abraham or to his seed that he should be heir of the world, but through the righteousness of faith.
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.
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This verse in Romans 4
Commentary
12 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
For the promise ... - To show that the faith of Abraham, on which his justification depended, was not by the Law, the apostle proceeds to show that the promise concerning which his faith was so remarkably evinced was before the Law was given. If this was so, then it was an additional important consideration in opposition to the Jew, showing that acceptance with God depended on faith, and not on works. That he should be heir of the world - An heir is one who succeeds, or is to succeed to an estate.
This site's exposition
heir of the world
on Romans 4:13-15
The promise that Abraham would inherit the world came through the righteousness that comes by faith. If the law made the heirs, faith is useless and the promise worthless, since law brings wrath. Without law there is no transgression to count.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
A commentator
Severian of GabalaPAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH · Written before 425.
proposed
Paul says that the righteous will inherit the world because the ungodly will be thrown out and handed over to punishment on the day of judgment, but the righteous will possess the universe which remains, and will have been renewed, and the good things of …
It is clear that the law had not yet been given, neither was there as yet circumcision, when the promise was made to Abraham the believer and to his seed, which is Christ, who would cleanse the sins of all. Therefore Abraham was made heir …
A commentator
Origen of AlexandriaCOMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS · Written before 253.
proposed
"For the promise to Abraham, or to his seed, that he should be heir of the world, was not through the law, but through the righteousness of faith." In this place it seems to me that the Apostle is arguing about the law of Moses, and asserting that the promise which was made to Abraham, that he himself or his seed should receive the inheritance of the world — that is, of the whole earth — did not rest upon the law of Moses.
"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." He had shown that faith is necessary, that it is older than circumcision, that it is more mighty than the Law, that it establisheth the Law. For if all sinned, it was necessary: if one being uncircumcised was justified, it is older: if the knowledge of sin is by the Law and yet it was without the Law made evident, it is more mighty: if it has testimony borne to it by the Law, and establisheth the Law, it is not opposed to it, but friendly and allied to it.
The Medieval Church1 voice
The Apostle has already proven that justification comes not by the law, but by faith. Now he proves that Abraham also received the promise not by the law, but by righteous faith. What then is the "promise"? "To be heir of the world," that is, …
5 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
Then when he says, for not through the law, he explains his statement that circumcision or any work of the law did not justify in virtue of a divine promise. In regard to this he does two things: first, he states his proposition; second, he …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
The promise, that he should be the heir of the world - Is the same as that he should be "the father of all nations," namely, of those in all nations who receive the blessing. The whole world was promised to him and them conjointly. Christ is the heir of the world, and of all things; and so are all Abraham's seed, all that believe in him with the faith of Abraham
Or, rather, it points at Christ, the seed here mentioned; compare Gal. iii. 16 , To thy seed, which is Christ. Now Christ is the heir of the world, the ends of the earth are his possession, and it is in him that Abraham was so.
For the promise that he should be heir of the world,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world - This promise intimated that he should be the medium through whom the mercy of God should be communicated to the world, to both Jews and Gentiles; and the manner in which he was justified, be the rule and manner according to which all men should expect this blessing. Abraham is here represented as having all the world given to him as his inheritance; because in him all nations of the earth are blessed: this must therefore relate to their being all interested in the Abrahamic covenant; and every person, now that the covenant is fully explained, has the privilege of claiming justification through faith, by the blood of the Lamb, in virtue of this original grant.
The words behind it
21 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| οὐ | ou | Not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| γὰρ | gar | for | G1063 → | 1039 times |
| διὰ | dia | through | G1223 → | 664 times |
| νόμου | nomou | [the] Law | G3551 → | 192 times |
| ἡ | he | [was] the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐπαγγελία | epangelia | promise | G1860 → | 52 times |
| τῷ | to | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Ἀβραὰμ | abraam | to Abraham | G11 → | 73 times |
| ἢ | e | or | G2228 → | 342 times |
| τῷ | to | to the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| σπέρματι | spermati | descendants | G4690 → | 43 times |
| αὐτοῦ | autou | of him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| τὸ | to | that | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| κληρονόμον | kleronomon | heir | G2818 → | 15 times |
| αὐτὸν | auton | he | G846 → | 5565 times |
| εἶναι | einai | being | G1511 → | 123 times |
| κόσμου | kosmou | world | G2889 → | 185 times |
| ἀλλὰ | alla | but | G235 → | 635 times |
| διὰ | dia | through | G1223 → | 664 times |
| δικαιοσύνης | dikaiosunes | [the] righteousness | G1343 → | 92 times |
| πίστεως. | pisteos | of faith. | G4102 → | 242 times |
οὐNot
ouG3756 →1664 times
γὰρfor
garG1063 →1039 times
διὰthrough
diaG1223 →664 times
νόμου[the] Law
nomouG3551 →192 times
ἡ[was] the
heG3588 →19766 times
ἐπαγγελίαpromise
epangeliaG1860 →52 times
τῷ<the>
toG3588 →19766 times
Ἀβραὰμto Abraham
abraamG11 →73 times
ἢor
eG2228 →342 times
τῷto the
toG3588 →19766 times
σπέρματιdescendants
spermatiG4690 →43 times
αὐτοῦof him
autouG846 →5565 times
τὸthat
toG3588 →19766 times
κληρονόμονheir
kleronomonG2818 →15 times
αὐτὸνhe
autonG846 →5565 times
εἶναιbeing
einaiG1511 →123 times
κόσμουworld
kosmouG2889 →185 times
ἀλλὰbut
allaG235 →635 times
διὰthrough
diaG1223 →664 times
δικαιοσύνης[the] righteousness
dikaiosunesG1343 →92 times
πίστεως.of faith.
pisteosG4102 →242 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Galatians 3:29And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.
it leads to
- Ephesians 3:6
This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are fellow heirs, fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus.
- Romans 9:7–8
Nor because they are Abraham’s descendants are they all his children. On the contrary, “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.”
- Galatians 4:22–31
For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Galatians 3:7
Understand, then, that those who have faith are sons of Abraham.
- Romans 8:17
And if we are children, then we are heirs: heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with Him, so that we may also be glorified with Him.
- Ephesians 3:6
Through
Psalms 2:8Ask Me, and I will make the nations Your inheritance, the ends of the earth Your possession.
it leads to
- Psalms 22:27
All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD. All the families of the nations will bow down before Him.
- Psalms 89:27
I will indeed appoint him as My firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.
- Psalms 22:27
Through
Genesis 28:14Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and east and north and south. All the families of the earth will be blessed through…
it leads to
- Genesis 12:3
I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you.”
- Genesis 12:3
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies10
On this verse
About Romans
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 13 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrosiaster, COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES; John Chrysostom, Homily on Romans 8; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS; Robert Haldane, Exposition of the Epistle to the Romans; Severian of Gabala, PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Romans and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Romans.