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Selected Verse: Romans 4:19 - King James
| Verse |
Translation |
Text |
| Ro 4:19 |
King James |
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: |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
| A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
| he considered not, &c.--paid no attention to those physical obstacles, both in himself and in Sarah, which might seem to render the fulfilment hopeless. |
| Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
And being not weak in faith - That is, having strong faith.
He considered not - He did not regard the fact that his body was now dead, as any obstacle to the fulfillment of the promise. He did not suffer that fact to influence him, or to produce any doubt about the fulfillment. Faith looks to the strength of God, not to second causes, or to difficulties that may appear formidable to man.
Now dead - Aged; dead as to the purpose under consideration; compare Heb 11:12, "As good as dead." That is, he was now at an age when it was highly improbable that he would have any children; compare Gen 17:17.
Deadness ... - Heb 11:11, "When she was past age;" compare Gen 18:11. |
| Vincent's Word Studies, by Marvin R. Vincent [1886] |
Being not weak in faith he considered not (μὴ ἀσθενήσας τῇ πίστει οὐ κατενόησεν)
The best texts omit οὐ not before considered. According to this the rendering is as Rev., he considered, etc. Being not weak or weakened: (Rev.) is an accompanying circumstance to he considered. He considered all these unfavorable circumstances without a weakening of faith. The preposition κατά in κατενόησεν considered, is intensive - attentively. He fixed his eye upon the obstacles.
Dead (νενεκρωμένον)
The participle is passive, slain. Used here hyperbolically. Hence, Rev., as good as dead. |
| Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
| He considered not his own body now dead - He showed at once the correctness and energy of his faith: God cannot lie; Abraham can believe. It is true that, according to the course of nature, he and Sarah are so old that they cannot have children; but God is almighty, and can do whatsoever he will, and will fulfill his promise. This was certainly a wonderful degree of faith; as the promise stated that it was in his posterity that all the nations of the earth were to be blessed; that he had, as yet, no child by Sarah; that he was 100 years old; that Sarah was 90; and that, added to the utter improbability of her bearing at that age, she had ever been barren before. All these were so many reasons why he should not credit the promise; yet he believed; therefore it might be well said, Rom 4:20, that he staggered not at the promise, though every thing was unnatural and improbable; but he was strong in faith, and, by this almost inimitable confidence, gave glory to God. It was to God's honor that his servant put such unlimited confidence in him; and he put this confidence in him on the rational ground that God was fully able to perform what he had promised. |
11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
11 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.
17 Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?
12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.
20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;