Romans 4:18
in Romans 4Against 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.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Who in hope believed against hope, to the end that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, So shall thy seed be.
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.
⋯
This verse in Romans 4
Commentary
16 notes on this verseTherefore Abraham "against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations," which were to be as the stars of heaven, not only in multitude but also in brightness; and he, faithfully believing him who promised, "was not," he says, "weakened in faith." What he says, "he was not weakened in faith," seems to me to show that there is a certain weakness in faith. But if there is weakness, there is without doubt also health, as he shows in other places when he says: "Rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith."
This site's exposition
Against all hope
on Romans 4:18-19
Abraham held the promise with nothing in sight to support it. Verse 19 gives the facts he faced without flinching, a body near a hundred years old and Sarah's womb long dead. Faith looked straight at the evidence against the promise.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
It is clear that since Abraham had no hope of having a son, he believed God and had faith against hope that he would have a son, knowing that with God all things are possible.The quotation is from Genesis [15:5], where God shows Abraham the …
A commentator
Origen of AlexandriaCOMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS · Written before 253.
proposed
"Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was said to him: So shall your seed be, as the stars of heaven and the sand of the sea. And he was not weakened in faith, nor did he consider his own body now dead, since he was almost a hundred years old, and the dead womb of Sarah. In the promise also of God he did not hesitate through distrust: but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and knowing most fully that whatever he promised, he is able also to do. Therefore it was also reputed to him unto justice." It seems to me that when the Apostle said "against hope," he had in view that which is related in Genesis, that Abraham said to the Lord: "Sovereign Lord, what will you give me? I am dismissed without children: but this son of Masech my homeborn maidservant is Damascus Eliezer. And Abraham said: Since you have given me no seed, this homeborn servant of mine shall be my heir." From which words Abraham is certainly understood to have despaired of receiving children. But as for what he said, "he believed in hope," I think he gathers the hope given to him again from that place where it is written: "And the voice of the Lord came to him saying: This man shall not be your heir; but he who shall come forth from you, he himself shall be your heir. And he led him outside, and said to him: Look up to heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to count them. And he said to him: So shall your seed be. And he believed God, and it was reputed to him unto justice." From these words, therefore, both his earlier despair and the hope afterwards given to him by God's promises are declared. […]
A commentator
Theodoret of CyrusINTERPRETATION OF THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS · Written before 458.
proposed
Abraham believed against the hope of nature but in the hope of the promise of God.
How was it that he "believed in hope against hope?" It was against man's hope, in hope which is of God. (For he is showing the loftiness of the action, and leaving no room for disbelieving what is said.) Things which are contrary to one another, yet faith blends them together. But if he were speaking about such as were from Ishmael, this language would be superfluous: for it was not by faith but by nature that they were begotten. But he bringeth Isaac also before us. For it was not concerning those nations that he believed, but concerning him who was to be from his barren wife. If then it be a reward to be father of many nations, it would be so of those nations clearly of whom he so believed. For that you may know that he is speaking of them, listen to what follows.
The Medieval Church1 voice
Then when he says who against hope, he commends Abraham's faith. First, he shows the greatness of his faith; second, its efficacy or fruit, at and therefore it was reputed. In regard to the first he does two things: first, he shows the greatness of …
9 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
Do not think, he says, that Abraham was honored without merit. For how could this be, when beyond human hope he believed with divine hope that he would become the father of many nations — not those who descended from Ishmael (for they descended from …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Who against hope believed in hope,.... Abraham believed the promise of God, that he might become the father of many nations, being assisted by a supernatural aid: "in hope"; of the fulfilment of it by the grace and power of God: "against hope": against all visible, rational grounds of hope; Sarah's womb and his own body being dead, but inasmuch as God had said it, he believed: according to that which is spoken, so shall thy seed be; his faith rested upon the word of God, which showed the nature of it, and that it was of the right kind.
It was fit that he who was to be the father of the faithful should have something more than ordinary in his faith--that in him faith should be set in its highest elevation, and so the endeavours of all succeeding believers be directed, raised, and quickened. Or this is mentioned as the matter of the promise that he believed; and he refers to Gen. xv.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Who against hope--when no ground for hope appeared. believed in hope--that is, cherished the believing expectation. that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be--that is, Such "as the stars of heaven," Ge 15:5.
Who against hope believed in hope - The faith of Abraham bore an exact correspondence to the power and never-failing faithfulness of God; for though, in the ordinary course of things, he had not the best foundation of hope, yet he believed that he should be the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken; namely, that his posterity should be like the stars of heaven for multitude, and like the dust of the earth.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Who against hope - Who against all apparent or usual ground of hope. He refers here to the prospect of a posterity; see Rom 4:19-21. Believed in hope - Believed in what was promised to excite his hope. Hope here is put for the object of his hope - what was promised. According to what was spoken - Gen 15:5. So shall thy seed be - That is, as the stars in heaven for multitude. Thy posterity shall be very numerous.
Modern Voices3 voices
As long as matters are really hopeful, hope is a mere flattery or platitude; it is only when everything is hopeless that hope begins to be a strength at all. Like all the Christian virtues, it is as unreasonable as it is indispensable.
The truth is that the tradition of Christianity (which is still the only coherent ethic of Europe) rests on two or three paradoxes or mysteries which can easily be impugned in argument and as easily justified in life. One of them, for instance, is the …
Hope is the power of being cheerful in circumstances which we know to be desperate. It is true that there is a state of hope which belongs to bright prospects and the morning; but that is not the virtue of hope. The virtue of hope …
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ὃς | hos | who | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| παρ᾽ | par᾽ | against | G3844 → | 192 times |
| ἐλπίδα | elpida | hope | G1680 → | 52 times |
| ἐπ᾽ | ep᾽ | in | G1909 → | 883 times |
| ἐλπίδι | elpidi | hope | G1680 → | 52 times |
| ἐπίστευσεν | episteusen | believed | G4100 → | 237 times |
| εἰς | eis | for | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| τὸ | to | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γενέσθαι | genesthai | to become | G1096 → | 667 times |
| αὐτὸν | auton | him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| πατέρα | patera | [the] father | G3962 → | 410 times |
| πολλῶν | pollon | of many | G4183 → | 367 times |
| ἐθνῶν | ethnon | nations | G1484 → | 161 times |
| κατὰ | kata | according to | G2596 → | 468 times |
| τὸ | to | that | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| εἰρημένον· | eiremenon | spoken; | G2046 → | 47 times |
| οὕτως | houtos | So | G3779 → | 208 times |
| ἔσται | estai | will be | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| τὸ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| σπέρμα | sperma | offspring | G4690 → | 43 times |
| σου· | sou | of you; | G4771 → | 2973 times |
ὃςwho
hosG3739 →1405 times
παρ᾽against
par᾽G3844 →192 times
ἐλπίδαhope
elpidaG1680 →52 times
ἐπ᾽in
ep᾽G1909 →883 times
ἐλπίδιhope
elpidiG1680 →52 times
ἐπίστευσενbelieved
episteusenG4100 →237 times
εἰςfor
eisG1519 →1755 times
τὸ<the>
toG3588 →19766 times
γενέσθαιto become
genesthaiG1096 →667 times
αὐτὸνhim
autonG846 →5565 times
πατέρα[the] father
pateraG3962 →410 times
πολλῶνof many
pollonG4183 →367 times
ἐθνῶνnations
ethnonG1484 →161 times
κατὰaccording to
kataG2596 →468 times
τὸthat
toG3588 →19766 times
εἰρημένον·spoken;
eiremenonG2046 →47 times
οὕτωςSo
houtosG3779 →208 times
ἔσταιwill be
estaiG1510 →2333 times
τὸthe
toG3588 →19766 times
σπέρμαoffspring
spermaG4690 →43 times
σου·of you;
souG4771 →2973 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
Romans 5:5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.
it leads to
- 2 Timothy 1:12
For this reason, even though I suffer as I do, I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Galatians 4:6
And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”
- Ephesians 3:16–19
I ask that out of the riches of His glory He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being,
- Philippians 1:20
I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have complete boldness so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or…
- 2 Corinthians 1:22
placed His seal on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a pledge of what is to come.
- 2 Timothy 1:12
Through
Proverbs 13:12Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life.
it leads to
- John 16:22
So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.
- Proverbs 13:19
Desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but turning from evil is detestable to fools.
- John 16:22
Through
Romans 8:24For in this hope we were saved; but hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he can already see?
it leads to
- Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see.
- Hebrews 11:1
Where this verse is studied
By subject
Hope34 verses
On this page
Studies10
About Romans
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 15 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; GK Chesterton, Heretics, The Mildness of the Yellow Press (1905); GK Chesterton, Heretics, Ch. 9: The Moods of Mr. George Moore (1905); GK Chesterton, Heretics, Ch. 12: Paganism and Mr. Lowes Dickinson (1905); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Romans VIII; 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; Theodoret of Cyrus, INTERPRETATION OF THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Romans and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Romans.