Romans 4:17 · Bible study
Romans 4:17 Commentary: Faith in the God Who Gives Life to the Dead
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
How God's past-tense promise to Abraham reveals faith in a God who creates from nothing and raises the dead. Commentary, context, and discussion guide.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God’s past‑tense promise to Abraham reveals that faith trusts the Creator who speaks life into death and calls future realities into present existence.
- Key words: τέθεικά (I have made/made), perfect tense shows settled appointment; καλέω (calls), to name or summon into being; ζῳοποιέω (gives life), to make alive, used of resurrection and creation.
- Main debate: Whether “calls the things that are not as though they were” refers to God’s creative decree (ex nihilo) or to His sovereign naming of future events (declaring them certain).
- Theological theme: The God of resurrection is the same God of creation; faith rests on His word against all visible evidence.
- Best use: A foundation for teaching on the nature of faith, the certainty of God’s promises, and the universal scope of the gospel.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the presence of God, in whom he believed, the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being what does not yet exist.
WEB World English Bible 2000
As it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations.” This is in the presence of him whom he believed: God, who gives life to the dead, and calls the things that are not, as though they were.
KJV King James Version 1769
(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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
(as it is written, A father of many nations have I made thee) before him whom he believed, even God, who giveth life to the dead, and calleth the things that are not, as though they were.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
who is father of us all (according as it hath been written--`A father of many nations I have set thee,') before Him whom he did believe--God, who is quickening the dead, and is calling the things that be not as being.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
(according as it is written, I have made thee father of many nations,) before the God whom he believed, who quickens the dead, and calls the things which be not as being;
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
(As it is written: I have made thee a father of many nations), before God, whom he believed: who quickeneth the dead and calleth those things that are not, as those that are.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
( Como está escrito: Que por padre de muchas gentes te he puesto) delante de Dios, al cual creyó; el cual da vida á los muertos, y llama las cosas que no son, como las que son.
(como está escrito: “Eu te constituí pai de muitas nações”) diante daquele em quem ele creu, Deus, que vivifica os mortos, e chama as coisas que não são como se já fossem.
Je t’ ai établi père d’ un grand nombre de nations. Il est notre père devant celui auquel il a cru, Dieu, qui donne la vie aux morts, et qui appelle les choses qui ne sont point comme si elles étaient.
( wie geschrieben steht: “Ich habe dich gesetzt zum Vater vieler Völker”) vor Gott, dem er geglaubt hat, der da lebendig macht die Toten und ruft dem, was nicht ist, daß es sei.
(Gelijk geschreven staat: Ik heb u tot een vader van vele volken gesteld) voor Hem, aan Welken hij geloofd heeft, namelijk God, Die de doden levend maakt, en roept de dingen, die niet zijn, alsof zij waren;
(secondo che è scritto: Io ti ho costituito padre di molte nazioni) dinanzi al Dio a cui egli credette, il quale fa rivivere i morti, e chiama le cose che non sono, come se fossero.
(Jako napisano: Ojcem wielu narodów wystawiłem cię) przed Bogiem, któremu uwierzył, który ożywia umarłe i który przywołuje te rzeczy, których nie masz, i jakoby były.
(как написано: Я поставил тебя отцом многих народов) пред Богом, Которому он поверил, животворящим мертвых и называющим несуществующее, как существующее.
亞伯拉罕 所信的，是那叫死人 復活、 使 無 變為 有的 神，他 在主面前 作 我們 世人 的父。如 經上所記：「 我已經立 你 作多 國 的父。」
(As it is said in the holy Writings, I have made you a father of a number of nations) before him in whom he had faith, that is, God, who gives life to the dead, and to whom the things which are not are as if they were.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Romans 4:17
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that the past tense “I have made you” (τέθεικά, perfect active indicative) is the hinge of the verse. Barnes notes that God “had, in his mind or purpose, constituted him the father of many nations; and so certain was the fulfillment of the divine purposes, that he spoke of it as already accomplished.” Calvin adds that Abraham had to “raise up his thoughts to the power of God, by which the dead are quickened”, the same power that would later raise Isaac from the dead in figure (Hebrews 11:19). On the clause “calls the things that are not, as though they were,” Vincent’s Word Studies shows that καλέω here means “to name” or “to speak of”, God speaks of the still‑unborn seed of Abraham as already existing. Clarke and Gill see a direct echo of creation out of nothing: God summons things into being by His word. All these readings converge on one point: faith takes God at His word even when every visible circumstance contradicts it.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: God’s declaration in the past tense confirms the certainty of His promise, and the description of God as life‑giver and creator undergirds the nature of faith as trust in His word alone.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The meaning of “I have made you” (past tense) | God speaks of Abraham as father of many nations before it is physically true, because His purpose is certain. | Some stress that the perfect tense indicates a completed divine decree; others emphasize the covenantal appointment (τίθημι = appoint, constitute) rather than a mere prediction. |
| “Calls the things that are not as though they were” | God’s word is so powerful that He can speak of non‑existent things as existing, and His speech effects reality. | Some interpreters (Gill, Clarke) see this as a direct reference to creation out of nothing (ex nihilo); others (Vincent, Calvin) argue it means God names or decrees future events as certain, without implying that He instantly creates them in the present. |
| “Quickeneth the dead”, reference point | The phrase primarily refers to God’s power to restore life, which is the basis for Abraham’s faith in the birth of Isaac. | Some apply it directly to the resurrection of the dead at the last day (Gill); others see it as a general description of God’s power that also applied to Abraham’s and Sarah’s ‘dead’ bodies (Calvin, Barnes, Cambridge). |
Historical & Cultural Context
Paul writes Romans to a mixed church of Jews and Gentiles in Rome, arguing that justification comes through faith, not by keeping the Law. In Romans 4, he presents Abraham as the prototype, a man declared righteous by faith before he was circumcised and before the Law was given. Verse 17 quotes Genesis 17:5, where God changes Abram’s name to Abraham (“father of a multitude”) and uses the perfect tense, ”I have made you”, even though Abraham and Sarah are still childless and past the age of bearing children.
The phrase “quickens the dead” (ζῳοποιοῦντος τοὺς νεκρούς) draws on Old Testament language (1 Samuel 2:6; Isaiah 43:6) and directly connects to Abraham’s situation: his body was “as good as dead” (Romans 4:19), and Sarah’s womb was dead. The phrase “calls the things that are not as though they were” echoes the creation account (Genesis 1:3), where God speaks and it exists. In Jewish tradition, the same verb (קרא) is used in Genesis 17:5 when God renames Abraham. Paul thus weaves together the original promise, the power behind it, and the nature of faith that responds.
Literarily, this verse caps the argument that Abraham is father of all believers, not only ethnic Jews but also Gentiles who share his faith (Romans 4:16). The “many nations” include every tribe that trusts in the God who raises the dead.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Romans 4:17. The quotation from Genesis 17:5 follows the Septuagint (LXX) closely, which is the form Paul uses throughout the passage.
Reception History
From the early church onward, this verse has been a touchstone for understanding faith as trust in God’s power to create from nothing and to raise the dead. In the Reformation, it was central to the doctrine of justification by faith alone: Abraham’s faith was not in his own works or lineage but in the God who makes promises out of barrenness. The phrase “calls the things that are not as though they were” has been used in discussions of divine omnipotence and providence, and it appears in funeral liturgies within many traditions as a confession of hope in the resurrection. The verse also shaped the church’s mission theology, reminding believers that Abraham’s fatherhood includes people from every nation, a theme that echoes in modern missiology.
Preaching This Verse
Three‑point outline
- God speaks in the past tense of what is not yet visible. The promise to Abraham was recorded as already fulfilled, because God’s word carries its own certainty.
- Faith fixes on the God who gives life to the dead. Abraham believed not in his own ability but in the One who can reverse physical impossibility.
- God calls non‑existence into being, and faith answers that call. Our situation may feel barren, but the same creating voice summons life where there is only death.
Five‑point outline
- The past tense assures us: God’s promise is as good as done.
- Abraham’s fatherhood extends to every nation, this is the universal scope of the gospel.
- Faith looks before God, not at circumstances (the “presence of him whom he believed”).
- God’s power to quicken the dead is the foundation for all hope, whether for a child, a new start, or eternal resurrection.
- Our calling as believers is to trust that the God who names things into being will finish what He started.
Illustration hooks
- Waiting for a medical test result that could go either way, choosing to trust the promise before the report comes.
- A farmer planting seed in drought conditions, acting on the hope of rain that hasn’t fallen.
- Starting a new venture with no visible resources, only a conviction that the call is from God.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If I have no evidence that God will come through, how can I genuinely believe?
- How do I tell the difference between faith and wishful thinking?
- What does it mean for God to “call” something into being in my life today?
Leading a Discussion
This verse stands at the climax of Paul’s argument that Abraham is the father of all who believe. Before you study it together, take a moment to consider: what makes a promise feel real when nothing in your present situation supports it?
Discussion questions
- Read Genesis 17:1, 8. Why do you think God changed Abram’s name to Abraham before Isaac was born?
- Paul quotes the LXX version of Genesis 17:5. The verb τέθεικά is in the perfect tense, a completed action with ongoing results. How does that tense shape the meaning of God’s promise?
- The verse says Abraham is father of many nations “before God” (κατέναντι θεοῦ). Why is it significant that this paternity is declared in God’s presence, not yet in human history?
- How does the description of God as “who gives life to the dead” relate to Abraham’s specific situation (see Romans 4:19)?
- What does it mean for God to “call the things that are not as though they were”? How is that different from pretending something is true when it isn’t?
- In what area of your life are you waiting for God to call into being what does not yet exist?
- How does this verse encourage you to pray differently about situations that seem hopeless?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 17:4 | “As for me, behold, my covenant is with you. You will be the father of a multitude of nations. |
| Genesis 17:5 | Your name will no more be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham; for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. |
| Genesis 17:16 | I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her. Yes, I will bless her, and she will be a mother of nations. Kings of peoples will come from her.” |
| Genesis 17:20 | As for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. |
| Genesis 25:1 | Abraham took another wife, and her name was Keturah. |
| Genesis 25:34 | Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew. He ate and drank, rose up, and went his way. So Esau despised his birthright. |
| Genesis 28:3 | May God Almighty bless you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, that you may be a company of peoples, |
| Isaiah 43:6 | I will tell the north, ‘Give them up!’ and tell the south, ‘Don’t hold them back! Bring my sons from far away, and my daughters from the ends of the earth— |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke highlights that Abraham's title "father of many nations" comes directly from God's covenant, which established him as head of the Gentile world. He then emphasizes that God alone deserves total trust because He can raise the dead and call nonexistent things into being, making His promises absolutely certain.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes highlights that the past tense "I have made thee" shows God speaking of a future promise as already accomplished because His purpose is certain. He connects "quickeneth the dead" to Abraham's situation, where God's power to give life overcame the natural impossibility of his and Sarah's age.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin sees Abraham's faith in God who raises the dead as the key pattern for Gentile inclusion. The patriarch trusted God could give life from his own dead body, proving that spiritual deadness in the Gentiles is no barrier. Every believer's calling follows this same pattern: we are nothing, and God's call creates life from that nothing.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator defends the apostle's claim that Moses’ words in Genesis were a prophecy of the Gospel, rejecting the shallow criticism that Moses had no such design. He insists that behind the prophets' words lies the thought and purpose of God, who speaks through them. This view is consistent with how both Christ and Peter understood Scripture.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The note emphasizes that Abraham's faith was directed toward the God who brings life out of death and speaks things into being that do not yet exist. Because of that faith, Abraham was already a father of many nations in God's sight, even before any children were born.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill argues that Abraham became father of many nations not in a physical sense but in God’s sight, because God calls nonexistent things as though they already exist. Abraham’s fatherhood resembles God’s fatherhood over all believers, though the two are not identical. This interpretation opens Abraham’s promise to include both Jews and Gentiles.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB emphasizes that Abraham’s faith was not in the promise itself but in God’s power to create life where none existed and raise the dead. This is the pattern all believers must copy: trusting God’s ability to overcome every natural obstacle, just as Abraham did.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry draws attention to the timing of Abraham's justification: it occurred before he was circumcised, by many years. This order proves that circumcision is not necessary for righteousness; faith alone secured that blessing, and the later sign merely sealed what was already given.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent notes that the Greek word for "have made" means appointed or constituted, not mere physical fatherhood. He explains that God's call in this verse is best understood as naming or speaking of things that do not yet exist as though they already do.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley stresses that God does not wait for things to exist before relating to them. God speaks to what is not yet created as if it already stands before him, just as he called light into being and declared Abraham's descendants when Abraham had none. This is a power no human possesses.