Romans 4:13
11 And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but are not circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.
12 And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised, but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world was not given through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.
14 For if those who live by the law are heirs, faith is useless and the promise is worthless,
15 because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law, there is no transgression.
Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world was not given through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.
- KJV
- For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
- WEB
- For the promise to Abraham and to his offspring that he would be heir of the world wasn’t through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
- ASV
- For not through the law was the promise to Abraham or to his seed that he should be heir of the world, but through the righteousness of faith.
- DARBY
- For [it was] not by law that the promise was to Abraham, or to his seed, that he should be heir of [the] world, but by righteousness of faith.
- BLB
- For not through law [was] the promise to Abraham or his seed [for] him to be heir [of] the world, but through the righteousness of faith.
- ÅB
- For det var ikke ved loven Abraham eller hans slekt fikk løftet at han skulle være arving til verden, men ved troens rettferdighet.
- OTB
- Det var ikke gjennom loven at Abraham og hans etterkommere mottok løftet om at han skulle være arving til verden, men gjennom den rettferdighet som kommer ved tro.
- B1930
- For ikke ved loven fikk Abraham eller hans ætt det løfte at han skulde være arving til verden, men ved troens rettferdighet.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Galatians 3:29
And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.
Read in contextGenesis 28:14
Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and east and north and south. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.
Read in contextRomans 9:8
So it is not the children of the flesh who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as offspring.
Read in contextGenesis 22:17–18
I will surely bless you, and I will multiply your descendants like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will possess the gates of their enemies.
Read in contextPsalms 2:8
Ask Me, and I will make the nations Your inheritance, the ends of the earth Your possession.
Read in contextGenesis 17:4–6
“As for Me, this is My covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations.
Read in contextGalatians 3:16–18
The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say, “and to seeds,” meaning many, but “and to your seed,” meaning One, who is Christ.
Read in contextGenesis 17:16
And I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will descend from her.”
Read in context