Romans 4:19 · Bible study
Romans 4:19 Commentary: Faith Strong Amid Deadness
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore Romans 4:19: how Abraham’s faith remained strong even as he faced his own aging body and Sarah’s barrenness.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Abraham’s faith remained strong even as he fully considered the impossibility of his aged body and Sarah’s barren womb.
- Key words: asthenēsas (having become weak), katenoēsen (he considered attentively), nenekrōmenon (already dead/as good as dead), nekrōsis (lifelessness).
- Main debate: Whether Abraham “considered” or “considered not” the obstacles (textual variant), and whether faith requires ignoring or acknowledging difficulties.
- Theological theme: Faith trusts God’s power over nature and death, exemplified as the pattern for justification by faith.
- Best use: Preaching on faith in trials; small group study on trusting God against all odds.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Without weakening in his faith, he acknowledged the decrepitness of his body (since he was about a hundred years old) and the lifelessness of Sarah’s womb.
WEB World English Bible 2000
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.
KJV King James Version 1769
And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb:
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And without being weakened in faith he considered his own body now as good as dead (he being about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb;
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
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,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
and not being weak in faith, he considered not his own body already become dead, being about a hundred years old, and the deadening of Sarah's womb,
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And he was not weak in faith. Neither did he consider his own body, now dead (whereas he was almost an hundred years old), nor the dead womb of Sara.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y no se enflaqueció en la fe, ni consideró su cuerpo ya muerto ( siendo ya de casi cien años), ni la matriz muerta de Sara;
Ele não fraquejou na fé, mesmo considerando o seu próprio corpo já praticamente morto (pois já era de quase cem anos), e o ventre de Sara em estado de morte ;
Et, sans faiblir dans la foi, il ne considéra point que son corps était déjà usé, puisqu’ il avait près de cent ans, et que Sara n’ était plus en état d’ avoir des enfants.
Und er ward nicht schwach im Glauben, sah auch nicht an seinem eigenen Leib, welcher schon erstorben war (weil er schon fast hundertjährig war), auch nicht den erstorbenen Leib der Sara;
En niet verzwakt zijnde in het geloof, heeft hij zijn eigen lichaam niet aangemerkt, dat alrede verstorven was, alzo hij omtrent honderd jaren oud was, noch ook dat de moeder in Sara verstorven was.
E senza venir meno nella fede, egli vide bensì che il suo corpo era svigorito (avea quasi cent’anni), e che Sara non era più in grado d’esser madre;
A nie będąc słabym w wierze, nie patrzył na ciało swoje już obumarłe, mając około stu lat, ani na obumarły żywot Sary.
И, не изнемогши в вере, он не помышлял, что тело его, почти столетнего, уже омертвело, и утроба Саррина в омертвении;
他 將近 百歲的時候，雖然想到 自己的 身體 如同 已死， 撒拉 的生育 已經斷絕，他的信心 還是不 軟弱；
And not being feeble in faith though his body seemed to him little better than dead (he being about a hundred years old) and Sarah was no longer able to have children:
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Romans 4:19
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
The commentators agree on the central point: Abraham’s faith was not diminished by the overwhelming physical evidence. Clarke highlights that Abraham saw the impossibility but believed because “God is almighty.” Barnes notes that “faith looks to the strength of God, not to second causes.” Calvin argues that Abraham “withdrew his mind” from the obstacles and “resigned his own judgment to the Lord.” A key textual issue, raised by Vincent, affects the wording: the best Greek manuscripts omit “not” before “considered,” so the verse reads “he considered” rather than “he considered not.” That changes the nuance. Abraham did consider his body as good as dead and Sarah’s womb as lifeless, but this consideration did not weaken his faith. He looked full-faced at the impossibility and yet believed. The participle “weakened” (asthenēsas) indicates an action completed before the considering. So faith does not require ignorance of obstacles. Genuine faith acknowledges the difficulty but rests in God’s capacity to overcome it.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Faith ignores obstacles: The textual variant 'considered not' (KJV, older MSS) suggests he did not dwell on the impossibility.
- Faith acknowledges obstacles: The majority reading without 'not' (modern critical text) plus Vincent's note on intensive consideration shows he looked directly at them and believed anyway.
- Faith transforms perspective: Calvin argues he 'withdrew his mind' from human reason; faith reinterprets the obstacle in light of God's promise.
What is clear: Abraham’s faith was not weakened by the physical impossibility, and he trusted God’s promise despite full awareness of the circumstances.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Textual variant in 'considered' | Both readings emphasize that Abraham’s faith was not weakened. | Some traditions (KJV) read 'considered not', while modern critical texts (WEB, BSB) omit the negative, meaning he did consider but without weakening. |
| Role of human effort in faith | Faith is a gift from God and not a work. | Some emphasize that Abraham actively ‘considered’ (intentional reflection) while others stress God’s sovereignty in sustaining his faith. |
| Nature of Abraham’s body condition | Abraham’s body was ‘as good as dead’ for generating children. | Augustine argued impediment only in Sarah; Calvin and others include Abraham based on Genesis 17 and 18. |
| Application to believers today | Abraham is the father of all who believe (v16). | How this applies in contexts of unanswered prayer or chronic suffering (faith as perseverance vs. faith as specific promise-claiming). |
Historical & Cultural Context
Paul’s argument in Romans 4 hinges on Abraham’s faith as the pattern for all who believe. In verse 19 he drops us into the moment of faith being tested. Abraham was about a hundred years old. The Greek text uses “already having been worn out” (nenekrōmenon), a perfect passive participle meaning “slain” or “corpsed,” as Vincent notes it is hyperbolic. His body was, for the purpose of fathering a child, as good as dead. Sarah’s womb is described with nekrōsis, not just dead but a state of death. These are medical impossibilities from a human standpoint. Yet the promise from God (Gen 17:16, 18:14) stood: “Is anything too hard for Yahweh?” Paul has already reminded us in verse 17 that Abraham believed God “who gives life to the dead and calls the things that are not as though they were.” That sets the theological framework: the same God who can raise the dead can bring life from a dead womb. In Jewish culture, barrenness was a source of shame and sorrow (see Hannah, Rachel). Sarah’s barrenness was lifelong. So the obstacle was not just age but a lifetime of infertility. Yet Abraham’s faith, as Paul describes it, was not weakened by these facts. Instead, he considered them, fixed his eyes on them (katenoēsen, intensive consideration) and still believed. This is the model of faith Paul wants for his readers: not a faith that pretends obstacles away, but one that acknowledges them and trusts God anyway.
Textual Notes
The main textual issue concerns the presence of οὐ (not) before κατενόησεν (he considered). Some manuscripts, including the Textus Receptus (followed by KJV), include the negative, yielding “he considered not.” However, the earliest and most reliable witnesses (P46, Sinaiticus, Vaticanus) omit it, so most modern editions read “he considered.” Vincent notes this change actually strengthens the meaning: Abraham fixed his eyes on the obstacles (intensive consideration) and yet his faith did not weaken. The difference does not alter the core message that his faith remained strong.
Reception History
This verse has been a key text for understanding faith in physical impossibility. Augustine used it to argue that the obstacle was only in Sarah, but Calvin rejected that based on Genesis 17. The Reformation saw it as a proof that faith rests on God’s promise alone, not on human worthiness. Wesley and the Methodist tradition used it to preach the possibility of full assurance despite circumstances. In modern evangelical preaching, it is often cited to encourage believers facing seemingly impossible situations. The textual variant has been debated since the early church, but the consistent message is that Abraham’s faith was unshaken by visible deadness.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Faith Faces the Facts. Verse 19 says Abraham considered his body and Sarah’s womb. Faith is not denial. He saw the situation clearly, his body “as good as dead,” her womb lifeless.
- Faith Refuses to Weaken. “Without being weakened in faith.” The obstacles did not erode his trust. He acknowledged them but did not let them control his hope.
- Faith Looks to the Promise. The promise of God, not the physical evidence, became his anchor. He gave glory to God (v20) by trusting that what God promised, He could perform.
Five-point outline
- The Context of the Promise (vv 16, 18): Abraham’s faith is set within God’s call to be father of many nations.
- The Reality of the Obstacle (v19): His body dead, Sarah’s womb dead, two full stops from nature.
- The Response of Faith (vv 20, 21): He did not waver; he grew strong; he gave glory to God.
- The Result: Righteousness (v22): His faith was credited to him as righteousness.
- The Application for Us (vv 23, 25): The same faith is counted for those who believe in the God who raised Jesus from the dead.
Illustration hooks
- A farmer planting seeds in drought-ridden ground, hoping for rain despite the forecast.
- A couple waiting for a medical miracle after years of infertility, each doctor’s report more discouraging.
- A business owner facing bankruptcy, choosing to trust God’s provision while still making hard financial decisions.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How can I have faith when my situation seems hopeless?
- Does having doubts mean I lack faith?
- Is it wrong to acknowledge the reality of my problems?
Leading a Discussion
Abraham’s faith was tested by a promise that seemed impossible. In Romans 4:19, Paul shows us what genuine faith looks like in the face of overwhelming odds. As you discuss this verse, consider how you respond when God’s promises seem to contradict your circumstances.
Discussion questions
- What does Abraham’s situation tell you about the obstacles he faced? List them from the text and from Genesis 17, 18.
- Why do you think Paul emphasizes that Abraham considered his body and Sarah’s womb? What does “considered” mean in this context?
- How is Abraham’s faith described in verses 18, 21? Which phrases stand out to you?
- In what ways do we sometimes avoid considering the real difficulties in our lives? Is denial a form of weak faith?
- How can we acknowledge obstacles without letting them weaken our faith? What practical steps help you do that?
- What promises of God are you finding it hard to trust right now? How does Abraham’s example speak to that?
- How does the resurrection of Jesus (vv 24, 25) connect to Abraham’s faith in a God “who gives life to the dead”?
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 17:17 | Then Abraham fell on his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, “Will a child be born to him who is one hundred years old? Will Sarah, who is ninety years old, give birth?” |
| Genesis 18:11 | Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. |
| Genesis 18:14 | Is anything too hard for Yahweh? At the set time I will return to you, when the season comes around, and Sarah will have a son.” |
| Matthew 6:30 | But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today exists and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won’t he much more clothe you, you of little faith? |
| Matthew 8:26 | He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then he got up, rebuked the wind and the sea, and there was a great calm. |
| Matthew 14:31 | Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand, took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” |
| Mark 9:23 | Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” |
| Mark 9:24 | Immediately the father of the child cried out with tears, “I believe. Help my unbelief!” |
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 emphasizes that Abraham’s faith was not blind optimism but a reasoned response to God’s character. Abraham fully acknowledged the natural impossibility, yet he placed unlimited confidence in God on the rational ground that God cannot lie and is fully able to do whatever He promises.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes emphasizes that genuine faith focuses entirely on God's power, not on natural obstacles. Abraham's strength lay in refusing to let his aged body or Sarah's barrenness become a reason for doubt. Faith, in his view, deliberately looks away from human impossibilities to fix on the promise itself.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin emphasizes that Abraham's faith required a deliberate mental turning away from what he could plainly see about his own aged body. He insists that Abraham was fully aware of his natural inability to father a child, but chose not to dwell on it so he could trust God's promise. Calvin also explicitly rejects Augustine's view that the obstacle was only in Sarah, arguing Abraham's own body was equally incapable at that time.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator stresses that Abraham’s faith was not a vague trust but a deliberate refusal to dwell on physical impossibility at the moment of crisis. Instead of ignoring his aged body, Abraham consciously looked past it, focusing solely on God’s promise and rising above the obstacle.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights that Abraham's faith was not weak precisely because he refused to dwell on his own nearly dead body or Sarah's barren womb. His strength lay in not considering these natural impossibilities, choosing instead to focus on God's promise.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasizes that Abraham’s faith remained strong even though he fully considered his own aged body and Sarah’s barrenness. A textual variant that removes the negative makes Abraham’s faith even more remarkable: he deliberately weighed the obstacles yet did not waver in trusting God’s promise.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that Abraham deliberately set aside the physical obstacles in himself and Sarah that could have made God's promise seem impossible. Instead of focusing on those natural barriers, he simply paid them no attention. This highlights the nature of his faith: a refusal to let apparent impossibilities undermine trust in God's word.
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 best Greek manuscripts omit the negative before "considered," so Abraham attentively fixed his eye on the obstacles without his faith weakening. The word for "dead" is a passive participle meaning "slain," used hyperbolically to indicate as good as dead.
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.