Romans 4:14
in Romans 4For if those who live by the law are heirs, faith is useless and the promise is worthless,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For if they that are of the law are heirs, faith is made void, and the promise is made of none effect:
KJV
For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:
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This verse in Romans 4
Commentary
13 notes on this verse"For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith has been made void, and the promise has been annulled. For the law works wrath. But where there is no law, neither is there transgression." If, he says, the promise was given to Abraham that he should be heir of the world not from the law, but through the faith which was reckoned to him unto righteousness, it will follow without doubt that all who hope that righteousness will be reckoned to them by God should hope for it not through the law, but through faith.
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.
This site's exposition
faith is useless and the promise is worthless
Theophylact follows the logic through. If the law handed out the inheritance, no one would trouble with faith. A promise tied to a condition no one keeps could never be paid.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
The apostle shows that there is something wicked in hoping for an inheritance by the law.
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. Again, be shows upon other grounds too that it was not even possible by the Law to attain to the inheritance, and after having matched it with the circumcision, and gained it the victory, he brings it besides into contrast with the Law in these words, "For if they which are of the Law be heirs, faith is made void." To prevent them anyone from saying that one may have faith and also keep up the Law, he shows this to be impracticable. For he that clings to the Law, as if of saving force, does disparagement to faith's power; and so he says, "faith is made void," that is, there is no need of salvation by grace. For then it cannot show forth its own proper power; "and the promise is made of none effect." This is because the Jew might say, What need have I of faith? If then this held, the things that were promised, would be taken away along with faith. See how in all points he combats with them from the early times and from the Patriarch. For having shown from thence that righteousness and faith went together in the inheritance, he now shows that the promise did likewise. For to prevent the Jew from saying, What matters it to me if Abraham was justified by faith? Paul says, neither can what you are interested with, the promise of the inheritance, come into effect apart from it: which was what scared them most. But what promise is he speaking of? […]
The Medieval Church2 voices
Then when he says, for if they, he proves his statement: first, in regard to the denial that the promise is to be fulfilled through the law; second, in regard to the assertion that it is to be fulfilled through the justice of faith, at …
If the inheritance, he says, is given by the law, then "faith is made void," that is, it turns out to be vain and useless. For who would concern himself with faith if the promise of the inheritance were given by the law? But the …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
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.
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
If they only who are of the law - Who have kept the whole law. Are heirs, faith is made void - No blessing being to be obtained by it; and so the promise is of no effect.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:86%@v12-17
For if they which are of the law be heirs,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
For if they which are of the law be heirs--If the blessing is to be earned by obedience to the law. faith is made void--the whole divine method is subverted.
For, if they which are of the law be heirs - If the Jews only be heirs of the promise made to Abraham, and that on the ground of prior obedience to the law, then faith is made void - is entirely useless; and the promise, which was made to faith, is made of none effect.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
For if they which are of the law - Who seek for justification and acceptance by the Law. Faith is made void - Faith would have no place in the scheme; and consequently the strong commendations bestowed on the faith of Abraham, would be bestowed without any just cause. If people are justified by the Law, they cannot be by faith, and faith would be useless in this work. And the promise ... - A promise looks to the future. Its design and tendency is to excite trust and confidence in him who makes it. All the promises of God have this design and tendency; and consequently, as God has given many promises, the object is to call forth the lively and constant faith of people, all going to show that in the divine estimation, faith is of inestimable value. But if people are justified by the Law; if they are rendered “acceptable” by conformity to the institutions of Moses; then they cannot depend for acceptance on any promise made to Abraham, or his seed. They cut themselves off from that promise, and stand independent of it. That promise, like all other promises, was made to excite faith. If, therefore, the Jews depended on the Law for justification, they were cut off from all the promises made to Abraham; and if they could be justified by the Law, the promise was useless. This is as true now as it was then. If people seek to be justified by their morality or their forms of religion, they cannot depend on any promise of God; for he has made no promise to any such attempt. They stand independently of any promise, covenant, or compact, and are depending on a scheme of their own; a scheme which would render his plan vain and useless; which would render his promises, and the atonement of Christ, and the work of the Spirit of no value. It is clear, therefore, that such an attempt at salvation cannot be successful.
The words behind it
13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| εἰ | ei | If | G1487 → | 508 times |
| γὰρ | gar | for | G1063 → | 1039 times |
| οἱ | hoi | those | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐκ | ek | of | G1537 → | 911 times |
| νόμου | nomou | [the] Law [are] | G3551 → | 192 times |
| κληρονόμοι, | kleronomoi | heirs, | G2818 → | 15 times |
| κεκένωται | kekenotai | has been made void | G2758 → | |
| ἡ | he | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πίστις | pistis | faith | G4102 → | 242 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| κατήργηται | katergetai | has been nullified | G2673 → | 27 times |
| ἡ | he | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐπαγγελία· | epangelia | promise; | G1860 → | 52 times |
εἰIf
eiG1487 →508 times
γὰρfor
garG1063 →1039 times
οἱthose
hoiG3588 →19766 times
ἐκof
ekG1537 →911 times
νόμου[the] Law [are]
nomouG3551 →192 times
κληρονόμοι,heirs,
kleronomoiG2818 →15 times
κεκένωταιhas been made void
kekenotaiG2758 →
ἡ<the>
heG3588 →19766 times
πίστιςfaith
pistisG4102 →242 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
κατήργηταιhas been nullified
katergetaiG2673 →27 times
ἡthe
heG3588 →19766 times
ἐπαγγελία·promise;
epangeliaG1860 →52 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
Philippians 3:9and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God on the basis of faith.
it leads to
- Galatians 2:16
know that a man is not justified by works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Corinthians 5:21
God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
- 1 Corinthians 1:30
It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God: our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.
- Romans 4:13–15
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.
- Romans 4:5–6
However, to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.
- Galatians 2:16
Through
Galatians 2:21I do not set aside the grace of God. For if righteousness comes through the law, Christ died for nothing.
it leads to
- Romans 11:6
And if it is by grace, then it is no longer by works. Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace.
- Galatians 3:21
Is the law, then, opposed to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come from the law.
- Hebrews 7:11
Now if perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for on this basis the people received the law), why was there still need for another priest to appear—one in the order of…
- Romans 11:6
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies10
About Romans
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; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Romans VIII; 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; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Romans and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Romans.