Romans 4:17

Romans 4:17

(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,

a. NLT: That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, “I have made you the father of many nations.” This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing.

b. NIV: As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.

c. Amplified Bible: As it is written, I have made you the father of many nations. [He was appointed our father] in the sight of God in Whom he believed, Who gives life to the dead and speaks of the nonexistent things that [He has foretold and promised] as if they [already] existed.

d. Worrell Translation: (as it has been written, “A father of many nations have I made you”), before God Whome he believed, Who maketh alive the dead, and calleth the things that are not, as though they were;

e. Summary: While Abram was living in Ur of the Chaldees, God appeared to him: Acts 7:2. He moved to Haraan with his family, his wife Sarai, his father, his brother and his wife and their son Lot. Abrams father Terah dies in Haraan and so Abram, his wife Sarai and his nephew Lot go into Canaan. At this time Abram was 75 years old, Genesis 12:4. In Genesis 13, Abram and Lot separate, with Lot choosing to dwell near Sodom. In Genesis 14, five kings from Mesopotamia come into Canaan and sack everything in their path, including the five cities of the plain, which is where Lot was living. Abram makes a covenant with the Amorite brothers before God to go rescue Lot. God blesses him and he is wonderfully successful. In Genesis 15 all the promises God has made to Abram about the land and his seed are solidified in the cutting of a Covenant. Genesis 14 and 15 are mountaintop experiences for Abram, it doesn’t get any better than this under the old Covenant. Then you have the debacle of Genesis 16 when Abram and Sarai try to fulfill the plan of God in their own flesh by letting Abram sleep with Hagar in order to try to get the promised seed. That brings us to Genesis 17. Romans 4:17-21 should not be studied unless the passage in Genesis 17:1-22 is looked at also. Romans 4:17-21 gives the facts of what happened in Abraham’s spiritual life after Genesis 17, the spiritual process of obedience to faith.

1. “(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations)…”

a. As [2531 * kathos] [Strong: from 2596 and 5613; just (or inasmuch) as, that:--according to, (according, even) as, how, when.]

b. it is written [1125 * grapho] [Strong: a primary verb; to "grave", especially to write; figuratively, to describe:--describe, write(-ing, -ten).]

c. This Greek word is not assigned an English word in the text [3754 * hoti] [Strong: neuter of 3748 as conjunction; demonstrative, that (sometimes redundant); causative, because:--as concerning that, as though, because (that), for (that), how (that), (in) that, though, why.] [Zodhiates: That (demonstrative), because (causal)…As a demonstrative it stands particularly for “this”, “that which”, “this which”, introducing the object, contents, or argument to which the preceding words refer. As a causal, it is particularly equivalent to for, for this reason, assigning the cause, motive, ground of something, “that, because”…]

d. I have made [5087 * tithemi] [Strong: a prolonged form of a primary theo theh'-o (which is used only as alternate in certain tenses) to place (in the widest application, literally and figuratively; properly, in a passive or horizontal posture, and thus different from 2476, which properly denotes an upright and active position, while 2749 is properly reflexive and utterly prostrate):--+ advise, appoint, bow, commit, conceive, give, X kneel down, lay (aside, down, up), make, ordain, purpose, put, set (forth), settle, sink down.]

e. thee [4571 * se] [Strong: accusative case singular of 4771; thee:--thee, thou, X thy house.]

f. father [3962 * pater] [Strong: apparently a primary word; a "father" (literally or figuratively, near or more remote):--father, parent.]

g. many [4183 * polys] [Strong: including the forms from the alternate pollos; (singular) much (in any respect) or (plural) many; neuter (singular) as adverbial, largely; neuter (plural) as adverb or noun often, mostly, largely:--abundant, + altogether, common, + far (passed, spent), (+ be of a) great (age, deal, -ly, while), long, many, much, oft(-en (-times)), plenteous, sore, straitly.]

h. nations [1484 * ethnos] [Strong: probably from 1486; a race (as of the same habit), i.e. a tribe; specially, a foreign (non-Jewish) one (usually, by implication, pagan):--Gentile, heathen, nation, people.]

1). This was spoken to Abram at the moment that Almighty God [El Shaddai] was changing his name to Abraham, which means Father of many nations.

a). Genesis 17:4, 5 As for me, behold my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.

17:5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

2). In Genesis 17:2 God said, “And I will make my covenant between me and thee…”

a). Bible History Old Testament History, Alfred Edersheim, Hendrickson Publishers, Third Printing, 1998; page 65; Note #1. “The Expression “I will make my covenant” (Genesis 17:2 is quite different from that rendered by the same words in Genesis 15:18. In the latter case it is “to make”, literally, to cut a covenant”; while the terms in Genesis 17:2 are, “I will give My Covenant,” i.e., establish, fulfill.

b). make [5414 * nathan] [Strongs: to give, bring forth, cause, commit to it, do, charge. Genesis 17:2.

c). made [3772 * karath] [Strongs: to cut, to Covenant, to make an alliance or bargin,

originally by cutting flesh and passing between the pieces.  

d). Even though in the English translation the words of Genesis 15:18 and Genesis 17:2 are very similar, in the Hebrew Genesis 15:18 refers to the initial cutting of the Covenant,

while Genesis 17:2 refers to the giving and causing it to come to pass.   

 

2. “…before him whom he believed…”

a. before [2713 * katenanti; kata-against; enanti-opposite, before.] [Zodhiates: Literally it means down over against, at the point over against, opposite…In the sense of “before” or “in the sight of”.] [Strong: from 2596 and 1725; directly opposite:--before, over against.]

1). In the margin of the KJV it reads, “before him: or, like unto him”. No other translation or Greek dictionary I have has that reference.

b. him whom [3739 * hos] [Strong:  including feminine he hay, and neuter ho, ho probably a primary word (or perhaps a form of the article 3588); the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what, that:--one, (an-, the) other, some, that, what, which, who(-m, -se), etc.]

c. believed [4100 * pisteuo] [Strong: from 4102; to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), i.e. credit; by implication, to entrust (especially one's spiritual well-being to Christ):--believe(-r), commit (to trust), put in trust with.]

3. “…even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were,”

a. God [2316 * theos] [Strong: of uncertain affinity; a deity, especially (with 3588) the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very:--X exceeding, God, god(-ly, -ward).]

b. quickeneth [2227 * zoopoieo; zoos-alive; poieo-to make] [Zodhiates: to make alive, used primarily in the NT of raising the dead to life (John 5:21; Romans 4:17; Romans 8:11; 1 Corinthians 15:22, 36, to germinate; 1 Peter 3:18 Generally used in refrence to salvation, answering to the Pauline connection between righteousness and life.] [Strong:  from the same as 2226 and 4160; to (re-)vitalize (literally or figuratively):--make alive, give life, quicken.]

c. dead [3498 * nekros] [Strong: from an apparently primary nekus (a corpse); dead (literally or figuratively; also as noun):--dead.]

d. and [2532 * kai] [Strong: apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:--and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

e. calleth [2564 * kaleo] [Strong: akin to the base of 2753; to "call" (properly, aloud, but used in a variety of applications, directly or otherwise):--bid, call (forth), (whose, whose sur-)name (was (called)).]

f. those things [5607 * on] [Strong: including the feminine ousa oo'-sah; and the neuter on on present participle of 1510; being:--be, come, have.]

g. not [3361 * me] [Strong: a primary particle of qualified negation (whereas 3756 expresses an absolute denial); (adverb) not, (conjunction) lest; also (as an interrogative implying a negative answer (whereas 3756 expects an affirmative one)) whether:--any but (that), X forbear, + God forbid, + lack, lest, neither, never, no (X wise in), none, nor, (can-)not, nothing, that not, un(-taken), without. Often used in compounds in substantially the same relations.]

h. as though [5613 * hos] [Strong: probably adverb of comparative from 3739; which how, i.e. in that manner (very variously used, as follows):--about, after (that), (according) as (it had been, it were), as soon (as), even as (like), for, how (greatly), like (as, unto), since, so (that), that, to wit, unto, when(-soever), while, X with all speed.]

i. they were [5607 * on] [Strong: including the feminine ousa oo'-sah; and the neuter on on present participle of 1510; being:--be, come, have.] [Zodhiates: b eing, it refers to existence.]

1). There is at least a 13 year gap in the Biblical record between the time when Ishmael was born and God appeared to Abram in Genesis 17:1. The last recorded incident before Genesis 17 is Genesis 15 and the cutting of the Covenant. Between Genesis 15 and Genesis 17 is the horrible decision in Genesis 16 of Abram and Sarai to use Hagar as a substitute to bring fulfillment to God’s promise of a Covenant seed.

a). Genesis 16:16-17:1 And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael unto Abram.

17:1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

2). In light of the events of Genesis 16 we have to add another approximate year to the gap of recorded appearing’s of God to Abram, bringing the total years of gap to at least 14. After the incident when the strife erupted between Sarai and Hagar resulting in Hagar running away, the angel of the LORD appeared to Hagar rescued her and told her to return to her mistress. In all of this strife filled time period, it is not recorded that God appeared to Abram. In light of that it doesn’t surprise me that Abram fell on his face as Almighty God began to talk with him.

a). Genesis 17:1-3 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

17:2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.

17:3 And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,

3). As God was changing Abram’s name to Abraham, he was quickening what was dead in Abraham by calling those things which were not into being. The first thing quickened was Abraham’s faith.

a). Romans 10:17 Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

b). As El Shaddai spoke the rhema word to Abraham, his faith came alive. He was calling Abram who was not a father of many nations, Abraham, who was a father of many nations.