Romans 4:18 · Bible study
Romans 4:18 Commentary: Paradox of Faith
Greek · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why Paul says Abraham believed 'against hope' yet 'in hope', a study of faith that trusts God's promise over impossible circumstances.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Abraham believed God's promise to make him a father despite his age and Sarah's barrenness, showing that faith rests on God's word rather than visible circumstances.
- Key words: hope occurs twice: first as human probability (‘against hope’), second as the object of faith (‘in hope’); believed (aorist tense, punctiliar act of trust).
- Main debate: Whether ‘against hope’ should be translated ‘beyond hope’ (Calvin) or ‘contrary to hope’ (most translations); both point to a lack of ordinary grounds for expectation.
- Theological theme: Faith as trust in God’s promise even when reason and experience contradict it; hope as a theological virtue that endures through delay and impossibility.
- Best use: Preaching on suffering, waiting, and the character of saving faith; counseling those who feel their situation is beyond hope.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Against 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.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
Against hope, Abraham in hope believed, to the end that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, “So will your offspring be.”
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
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.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Who, against hope in hope did believe, for his becoming father of many nations according to that spoken: `So shall thy seed be;'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
who against hope believed in hope to his becoming father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be:
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Who against hope believed in hope; that he might be made the father of many nations, according to that which was said to him: So shall thy seed be.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
El creyó en esperanza contra esperanza, para venir á ser padre de muchas gentes, conforme á lo que le había sido dicho: Así será tu simiente.
Com esperança, Abraão creu, contra as expectativas, que se tornaria pai de muitas nações, conforme o que lhe fora dito: “Assim será a tua descendência”.
Espérant contre toute espérance, il crut, en sorte qu’ il devint père d’ un grand nombre de nations, selon ce qui lui avait été dit: Telle sera ta postérité.
Und er hat geglaubt auf Hoffnung, da nichts zu hoffen war, auf daß er würde ein Vater vieler Völker, wie denn zu ihm gesagt ist: “ Also soll dein Same sein.”
Welke tegen hoop op hoop geloofd heeft, dat hij zou worden een vader van vele volken; volgens hetgeen gezegd was: Alzo zal uw zaad wezen.
Egli, sperando contro speranza, credette, per diventar padre di molte nazioni, secondo quel che gli era stato detto: Così sarà la tua progenie.
Który (Abraham) przeciwko nadziei w nadzieję uwierzył, że się stanie ojcem wielu narodów według tego, co mu powiedziano: Tak będzie nasienie twoje.
Он, сверх надежды, поверил с надеждою, через что сделался отцом многих народов, по сказанному: "так многочисленно будет семя твое".
他 在無 可指望的時候，因 信 仍有指望， 就 得以作 多 國 的父，正如 先前所說：「你的 後裔 將要 如此。」
Who without reason for hope, in faith went on hoping, so that he became the father of a number of nations, as it had been said, So will your seed be.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Romans 4:18
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
All the consulted commentators agree on the central paradox: Abraham had no natural reason to expect a child, yet he trusted God's promise. Calvin distinguishes the two uses of hope in this verse: the first refers to probable evidence from circumstances; the second, to the object of faith itself, God's sure word. Barnes puts it plainly: 'against all apparent or usual ground of hope … believed in what was promised to excite his hope.' Gill adds that Abraham's faith rested on the word of God despite his own dead body and Sarah's barren womb. The consensus is that Paul uses this paradoxical pairing to show that saving faith does not depend on visible probabilities. It anchors itself in the character and promise of God, who calls into being things that do not yet exist (cf. Romans 4:17). The verse's power lies in its realism: the hope that saves is not naive optimism but a resolute trust that God will do what He has said, even when every natural sign says otherwise.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Abraham believed God's promise despite having no natural grounds for hope, demonstrating that justifying faith trusts God's word over human circumstances.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of 'against hope' / 'in hope' | All traditions agree that Paul sets human probability against trust in God's promise. Abraham had no natural grounds to expect a child, yet he believed because God had spoken. | Some commentators (Calvin, Cambridge) read the first 'hope' as subjective grounds for hoping, and the second as objective hope set before believers. Others (Barnes, Gill) treat the first as 'contrary to appearance' and the second as the hope produced by faith. |
| Role of Abraham as father of many nations | Christians across traditions agree that Abraham is the spiritual ancestor of all believers, whether Jewish or Gentile, because he was justified by faith apart from the law. | Protestants emphasize that justification by faith alone makes Abraham the pattern for all believers. Catholic and Orthodox traditions also affirm justification by faith but see a more active role for hope and charity formed by grace. |
| Connection to resurrection (Romans 4:24-25) | Paul ties Abraham's faith to the power of God who raises the dead. Christians agree that the same God who gave life to Abraham's body gave life to Jesus and promises resurrection for believers. | Some traditions stress the imputation of Christ's righteousness as the direct basis for justification; others focus on the believer's union with Christ in His death and resurrection as the ground of new life. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Paul writes Romans 4 to a mixed Jewish and Gentile church in Rome. His argument throughout the chapter is that Abraham was justified by faith, not by works of the law or circumcision. Verse 18 sits at the climax of this argument, following verse 17 which quotes Genesis 17:5: 'I have made you a father of many nations.' The apostle then reaches back to the original story in Genesis 15, where God brought Abram outside and told him to count the stars, 'So shall your offspring be' (Genesis 15:5).
Abraham was about 100 years old, and Sarah's womb was barren. Every physical indicator screamed impossibility. In the ancient world, age and barrenness were not merely medical facts; they carried social shame and the sense of divine disfavor. A man with no heir was cut off from the future. Yet God's promise ran directly against this reality. Paul deliberately uses the phrase 'father of many nations', not just one nation, but a multitude that transcends ethnic boundaries. This fits his argument that the gospel is for both Jew and Gentile.
The literary structure of Romans 4 shows tight argumentation: verses 1-8 deal with justification apart from works; verses 9-12 show it is apart from circumcision; verses 13-17 show it is apart from the law. Then verses 18-25 present Abraham as the pattern for all believers. Paul's point is not merely that Abraham had heroic faith, but that his faith was directed to the same God who raised Jesus from the dead (verse 24). The 'hopeless' situation of Abraham's body mirrors the hopelessness of death, and both are overcome by the same God who calls things that are not as though they were.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentaries and apparatus note no significant textual variants in Romans 4:18. The key words are well-attested across the manuscript tradition. The main interpretive question concerns the meaning of the double use of hope, not the wording itself.
Reception History
Throughout church history, this verse has been a touchstone for understanding the nature of faith in trials. The early church fathers (e.g., Chrysostom in his homilies on Romans) highlighted Abraham's perseverance as a model for Christians facing persecution. During the Reformation, both Luther and Calvin drew heavily on this passage to argue that saving faith trusts God's promise alone, not human merit. LutheréÂ's commentary on Romans calls Abraham's faith ‘the highest kind, which believes when there is no ground for hope.’ In later centuries, this verse has been a comfort to believers struggling with barrenness, illness, or long-delayed answers to prayer. Wesley's Notes on the New Testament use it to show how faith and hope join together: faith apprehends what God has said, hope what God has promised. Across traditions, Romans 4:18 has been cited in funeral sermons and hymns as grounds for confidence in the resurrection, when all earthly hope is exhausted.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- Faith acknowledges the facts, but refuses to let them have the last word. Abraham did not deny his age or Sarah's barrenness; he simply weighed God's promise as heavier.
- Hope is both a gift and a choice. The 'hope' Paul speaks of is not a feeling but a confidence anchored in God's character. Abraham chose to hope because God had spoken.
- Faith always looks toward an inheritance. Abraham believed 'to the end that he might become a father of many nations', his personal hope was caught up in God's larger plan of redemption for all peoples.
Five-Point Outline
- The Paradox Stated: 'Against hope' in hope, the clash between human probability and divine promise.
- The Promise Cited: 'So shall your offspring be', God's word spoken in Genesis 15:5 stands as the foundation of faith.
- The Person Believing: Abraham, about 100 years old, whose body and Sarah's womb were 'dead' (verse 19), no human resource left.
- The Pattern Established: Faith that justifies is the faith that trusts God's resurrection power, the same power that raised Jesus.
- The Purpose Achieved: Abraham became the father of many nations, the promise was fulfilled exactly as God said, though it took decades.
Illustration Hooks
- A couple waiting for a child after years of infertility, with medical reports that leave no hope, yet choosing to trust God's timing and plan, even if it looks different than they imagined.
- A small business owner facing bankruptcy, seeing no way out, but holding onto a promise from Scripture that God provides for His own, not a guarantee of rescue, but a posture of trust.
- A congregation praying for a long-term ministry to flourish when attendance is declining and resources are thin, learning to pray without visible results, sustained by the conviction that God is faithful to His word.
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- How do I keep hoping when I've prayed for years and nothing has changed?
- Does 'believing against hope' mean I have to deny reality?
- What kind of hope is the Bible talking about, is it the same as optimism?
Leading a Discussion
This verse captures one great tension of the Christian life: we are called to hope in God's promises when everything around us says the opposite. Abraham walked this road before us. Paul holds him up as the example for all who trust God for righteousness. As you discuss, notice that the verse is not a command to force positive thinking; it is an invitation to set our confidence on the one who keeps promises.
Discussion Questions
- Read Romans 4:18 slowly. What strikes you as the most surprising part of this verse?
- In your own words, what does 'against hope' mean? Can you think of a situation in your life where you felt this way?
- Paul uses the word 'hope' twice with two different senses (according to Calvin and others). Why do you think he does this? What point is he making about faith?
- How does Abraham's trust differ from simply being optimistic or denying hard realities?
- Why does Paul include the quotation 'So shall your offspring be'? How does God's spoken promise anchor faith differently than a general feeling of hope?
- What 'hopeless' situations are you facing right now where you need to believe 'in hope'?
- How does knowing that the same God who fulfilled His promise to Abraham also raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 4:24) shape the way you approach your own impossible circumstances?
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 15:5 | Yahweh brought him outside, and said, “Look now toward the sky, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” He said to Abram, “So your offspring will be.” |
| Genesis 15:6 | He believed in Yahweh, who credited it to him for righteousness. |
| Ruth 1:11 | Naomi said, “Go back, my daughters. Why do you want to go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? |
| Ruth 1:13 | would you then wait until they were grown? Would you then refrain from having husbands? No, my daughters, for it grieves me seriously for your sakes, for Yahweh’s hand has gone out against me.” |
| Proverbs 13:12 | Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when longing is fulfilled, it is a tree of life. |
| Ezekiel 37:11 | Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost. We are completely cut off.’ |
| Mark 5:35 | While he was still speaking, people came from the synagogue ruler’s house, saying, “Your daughter is dead. Why bother the Teacher any more?” |
| Mark 5:36 | But Jesus, when he heard the message spoken, immediately said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Don’t be afraid, only believe.” |
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
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke highlights that Abraham's faith perfectly corresponded to God's power and unfailing faithfulness. Despite having no natural grounds for hope, Abraham still believed the promise that he would become father of many nations. His faith rested entirely on God's word rather than on ordinary human expectation.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes draws a sharp contrast: Abraham had no natural reason to expect offspring, yet he did not lose hope because his hope was anchored in the specific promise God made. "Believed in hope" means he trusted the very thing promised, not a wishful feeling. For Barnes, faith clings to the object God spoke, not to circumstances.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin points out that Paul uses "hope" in two different senses in this one verse. The first refers to the natural, visible evidence that would normally support hope. The second is the God-given faith that trusts His promise, which Abraham exercised when no human reason for hope remained.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator distinguishes two senses of hope in Paul's phrase: Abraham set aside his own subjective expectations and rested on the objective hope contained in God's promise. Paul's allusive quotation of Genesis encourages Gentile believers to study the Old Testament closely, assuming their familiarity with the context.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights the paradox in Abraham's faith: he believed beyond all natural reason to hope, yet he held firmly onto the hope God's promise gave him. His trust rose above circumstances while being securely anchored in what God had spoken.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasizes that Abraham's faith relied entirely on God's spoken promise, even when every natural reason for hope was gone. He notes that Abraham was supernaturally enabled to believe against visible evidence, because the word of God itself became the ground and guarantee of his hope.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB highlights the striking paradox that Abraham believed when every natural reason for hope had vanished. His faith did not ignore reality but instead held a confident expectation that ran contrary to all visible evidence, anchored solely in God's spoken promise.
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.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley draws a fine distinction: faith and hope grasp the same promise, but from different angles. Faith receives it as a word God has spoken; hope receives it as a good thing God has promised to us personally. This is how Abraham believed against all probability—by fixing on the promise itself.