Romans 4:19

Romans 4:19

And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about a hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb:

a. NLT: And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb.

b. NIV: Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead.

c. Amplified Bible:   He did not weaken in faith when he considered the [utter] impotence of his own body, which was as good as dead because he was about a hundred years old, or [when he considered] the barrenness of Sarah’s [deadened] womb.

d. Worrell Translation: And, being not weakened in faith, he attentively considered his own body already dead (he being about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb;

1. “And being not weak in faith…”

a. 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.]

b. 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.]

c. weak [770 * astheneo] [Strong: from 772; to be feeble (in any sense):--be diseased, impotent folk (man), (be) sick, (be, be made) weak.]

d. faith [4102 * pistis] [Strong: from 3982; persuasion, i.e. credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly, constancy in such profession; by extension, the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself:--assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity.]  [Vine: The main elements in faith in its relation to the invisible God…are especially brought out in the use of this noun and the corresponding verb, they are: 1. A firm conviction producing a full acknowledgement of God’s revelation or truth [His word]. 2. A personal surrender to Him. 3. A conduct inspired by such surrender.]

1). How was Abraham not weak in faith? The rest of the verse gives the definition.

2. “…he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about a hundred years old…”

a. considered [2657 * katanoeo] [Zodhiates: to  observe, notice, contemplate, consider.] [Strong: from 2596 and 3539; to observe fully:--behold, consider, discover, perceive.]

b. not [3756 * ou] [Strong: also (before a vowel) ouk ook, and (before an aspirate) ouch ookh a primary word; the absolute negative (compare 3361) adverb; no or not:--+ long, nay, neither, never, no (X man), none, (can-)not, + nothing, + special, un(-worthy), when, + without, + yet but.]

1). Looking closely at the various translations we will see that some translations say Abraham did not consider, or considered not, while others say he did consider his body. The reason for this is shown in the note in the Holman translation: “Other manuscripts read he did not consider.” The reason for the differences in translation is because of the differences in manuscripts. That being said, those who have delved into the study of textual criticism (which I have a little bit), or who have studied New Testament Greek (which I have not), are familiar with the arguments over the preferences of manuscripts. Personally, I generally prefer the King James Version and the text that backs it up, the Textus Receptus or the Received Text. There are exceptions, but this is not one of them. If you took the time (which I have in the past but will not now), to look at the Greek text from which all the translations that say “Abraham considered his body” such as the NIV, the ASV, the NASB and the other like translations, you would not find the Greek word “ou” Strong # 3756, in the  in the text. However, if you did take the time (which I have in the past, but will not now), of looking at the text behind the King James Version, you will find the Greek word  “ou” Strong # 3756, in the text, and translated “not”. This is why there are differences in the translations. In the first four examples below, the English Standard Version, Holman Christian Standard Bible, New American Standard Bible and the Revised Standard Version as the well as the four examples at the beginning of this verse study, the translations will say Abraham considered his body. The last two, Young’s Literal Translation and the Hebrew Names Version, both say he did not consider his body.

a). English Standard Version:  He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb.

b). Holman Christian Standard Bible: He considered his own body to be already dead (since he was about 100 years old) and also considered the deadness of Sarah’s womb, without weakening in the faith.

(1)   Note in Holman Translation: Other manuscripts read he did not consider.

c). New American Standard Bible: Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb;

d). Revised Standard Version: He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead because he was about a hundred years old, or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb.

e). Young’s Literal Translation: and not having been weak in the faith, he did not consider his own body, already become dead, (being about a hundred years old,) and the deadness of Sarah's womb,

f). Hebrew Names Version: Without being weakened in faith, he didn't consider his own body, already having been worn out, (he being about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb.

2). I prefer the King James, Young’s Literal Translation and the Hebrew Names Version on purely doctrinal grounds. Notice the following verses dealing with the characteristics of faith.  

a). 2 Corinthians 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

b). 2 Corinthians 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

c). Abraham, by faith, chose not to look at what he could see in his own body that was about one hundred years old. He chose to look at what was spoken to him by God. Hence, “he considered not his own body”.

c. dead [3499 * nekroo] [Zodhiates: deadened, means dead, powerless, impotent, referring to the body.] [Strong: from 3498; to deaden, i.e. (figuratively) to subdue:--be dead, mortify.]

1). Why would the Bible call Abraham’s body dead when it was obviously alive? I believe the Scripture is calling attention to the reproductive abilities of not only Sarah but also Abraham. I have 5 Greek Dictionaries, Zodhiates, Vines, Thayer’s, Bullinger, and Strongs; of those five only two Zodhiates and Thayer give the term “impotent” in their definition. Vine’s, Bullinger, and Strong’s do not. I personally believe that Abraham was impotent, the older word now described as ED, erectile dysfunction.

3. “…neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb.”

a. neither yet [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.]

b. deadness [3500 * nekrosis] [Strong: from 3499; decease; figuratively, impotency:--deadness, dying.]

1). Sarai according Genesis 11:30 was barren even in the years she was young enough to have children.

a). Genesis 11:30  But Sarai was barren; she had no child.

2). She also had gone through menopause.

a). Genesis 18:11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.

3). It was naturally and scientifically impossible for this couple to have children.