Romans 4:18

18 who against hope believed in hope to his becoming father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be:

Romans 4:18 Meaning and Commentary

Romans 4:18

Who against hope believed in hope
Abraham believed the promise of God,

that he might become the father of many nations,
being assisted by a supernatural aid: "in hope"; of the fulfilment of it by the grace and power of God: "against hope": against all visible, rational grounds of hope; Sarah's womb and his own body being dead, but inasmuch as God had said it, he believed:

according to that which is spoken, so shall thy seed be;
his faith rested upon the word of God, which showed the nature of it, and that it was of the right kind.

Romans 4:18 In-Context

16 Therefore [it is] on the principle of faith, that [it might be] according to grace, in order to the promise being sure to all the seed, not to that only which [is] of the law, but to that also which [is] of Abraham's faith, who is father of us all,

17 (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;

18 who against hope believed in hope to his becoming father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be:

19 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,

20 and hesitated not at the promise of God through unbelief; but found strength in faith, giving glory to God;

Footnotes

• [a] Or 'with,' epi. It is the state or condition of his mind in believing: see ch. 10.19 and 1Cor. 9.10, and Note at 2Tim. 1.12.
• [b] Gen. 15.5.