Yet, looking to the promise of God, he didn’t waver through unbelief, but grew strong through faith, giving glory to God,
Parallel Translations
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Yet, looking to the promise of God, he didn’t waver through unbelief, but grew strong through faith, giving glory to God,
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He stackered not at the promes of God thorow vnbelefe: but was made stronge in the fayth and gave honour to God
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Neither did he doubt of the promise of God through vnbeliefe, but was strengthened in the faith, and gaue glorie to God,
Cross-references (19)
Passages linked to Romans 4:20 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Luke 1:45 Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord!”
- 1 Corinthians 16:13 Watch! Stand firm in the faith! Be courageous! Be strong!
- Daniel 10:19 He said, “Greatly beloved man, don’t be afraid. Peace be to you. Be strong. Yes, be strong.” When he spoke to me, I was strengthened, and said, “Let my lord speak; for you have strengthened me.”
- 2 Corinthians 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, and in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then am I strong.
- 2 Timothy 2:1 You therefore, my child, be strengthened in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
- Isaiah 7:9 The head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son. If you will not believe, surely you shall not be established.’ ”
- Isaiah 35:4 Tell those who have a fearful heart, “Be strong! Don’t be afraid! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, God’s retribution. He will come and save you.
- 2 Kings 7:19 and that captain answered the man of God, and said, “Now, behold, if Yahweh made windows in heaven, might such a thing be?” and he said, “Behold, you will see it with your eyes, but will not eat of it.”
- 2 Chronicles 20:15-20 and he said, “Listen, all Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, king Jehoshaphat. Yahweh says to you, ‘Don’t be afraid, and don’t be dismayed because of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow, go down against them. Behold, they are coming up by the ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the valley, before the wilderness of Jeruel. You will not need to fight this battle. Set yourselves, stand still, and see the salvation of Yahweh with you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Don’t be afraid, nor be dismayed. Go out against them tomorrow, for Yahweh is with you.’ ” Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground; and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before Yahweh, worshiping Yahweh. The Levites, of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites, stood up to praise Yahweh, the God of Israel, with an exceedingly loud voice. They rose early in the morning, and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. As they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in Yahweh your God, so you will be established! Believe his prophets, so you will prosper.”
- Jeremiah 32:16-27 Now after I had delivered the deed of the purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed to Yahweh, saying, “Ah Lord Yahweh! Behold, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for you. You show loving kindness to thousands, and repay the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them. The great, the mighty God, Yahweh of Armies is your name: great in counsel, and mighty in work; whose eyes are open to all the ways of the children of men, to give everyone according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings; who performed signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, even to this day, both in Israel and among other men; and made yourself a name, as it is today; and brought your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs, with wonders, with a strong hand, with an outstretched arm, and with great terror; and gave them this land, which you swore to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey. They came in and possessed it, but they didn’t obey your voice and didn’t walk in your law. They have done nothing of all that you commanded them to do. Therefore you have caused all this evil to come upon them. “Behold, siege ramps have come to the city to take it. The city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans who fight against it, because of the sword, of the famine, and of the pestilence. What you have spoken has happened. Behold, you see it. You have said to me, Lord Yahweh, ‘Buy the field for money, and call witnesses;’ whereas the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.” Then Yahweh’s word came to Jeremiah, saying, “Behold, I am Yahweh, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for me?
- Haggai 2:4 Yet now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ says Yahweh. ‘Be strong, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ says Yahweh, ‘and work, for I am with you,’ says Yahweh of Armies.
- Zechariah 8:9 Yahweh of Armies says: “Let your hands be strong, you who hear in these days these words from the mouth of the prophets who were in the day that the foundation of the house of Yahweh of Armies was laid, even the temple, that it might be built.
- Zechariah 8:13 It shall come to pass that, as you were a curse among the nations, house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you, and you shall be a blessing. Don’t be afraid. Let your hands be strong.”
- Numbers 11:13-23 Where could I get meat to give all these people? For they weep before me, saying, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat.’ I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me. If you treat me this way, please kill me right now, if I have found favor in your sight; and don’t let me see my wretchedness.” Yahweh said to Moses, “Gather to me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; and bring them to the Tent of Meeting, that they may stand there with you. I will come down and talk with you there. I will take of the Spirit which is on you, and will put it on them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you don’t bear it yourself alone. “Say to the people, ‘Sanctify yourselves in preparation for tomorrow, and you will eat meat; for you have wept in the ears of Yahweh, saying, “Who will give us meat to eat? For it was well with us in Egypt.” Therefore Yahweh will give you meat, and you will eat. You will not eat just one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, but a whole month, until it comes out at your nostrils, and it is loathsome to you; because you have rejected Yahweh who is among you, and have wept before him, saying, “Why did we come out of Egypt?” ’ ” Moses said, “The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand men on foot; and you have said, ‘I will give them meat, that they may eat a whole month.’ Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, to be sufficient for them? Shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to be sufficient for them?” Yahweh said to Moses, “Has Yahweh’s hand grown short? Now you will see whether my word will happen to you or not.”
- 2 Kings 7:2 Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, “Behold, if Yahweh made windows in heaven, could this thing be?” He said, “Behold, you will see it with your eyes, but will not eat of it.”
- Daniel 11:32 He will corrupt those who do wickedly against the covenant by flatteries; but the people who know their God will be strong, and take action.
- Luke 1:18 Zacharias said to the angel, “How can I be sure of this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.”
- Ephesians 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might.
- Matthew 9:8 But when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (14 sources)
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John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain 20. Nor did he through unbelief make an inquiry,…
20. Nor did he through unbelief make an inquiry, etc. Though I do not follow the old version, nor Erasmus, yet my rendering is not given without reason. The Apostle seems to have had this in view, — That Abraham did not try to find out, by weighing the matter in the balance of unbelief, whether the Lord was able to perform what he had promised. What is properly to inquire or to search into anything, is to examine it through diffidence or mistrust, and to be unwilling to admit what appears not credible, without thoroughly sifting it. He indeed asked, how it could come to pass, but that was the asking of one astonished; as the case was with the virgin Mary, when she inquired of the angel how could that be which he had announced; and there are other similar instances. The saints then, when a message is brought them respecting the works of God, the greatness of which exceeds their comprehension, do indeed burst forth into expressions of wonder; but from this wonder they soon pass on to lay hold on the power of God: on the contrary, the wicked, when they examine a message, scoff at and reject it as a fable. Such, as you will find, was the case with the Jews, when they asked Christ how he could give his flesh to be eaten. For this reason it was, that Abraham was not reproved when he laughed and asked, how could a child be born to a man an hundred years old, and to a woman of ninety; for in his astonishment he fully admitted the power of God’s word. On the other hand, a similar laughter and inquiry on the part of Sarah were not without reproof, because she regarded not the promise as valid.
If these things be applied to our present subject, it will be evident, that the justification of Abraham had no other beginning than that of the Gentiles. Hence the Jews reproach their own father, if they exclaim against the call of the Gentiles as a thing unreasonable. Let us also remember, that the condition of us all is the same with that of Abraham. All things around us are in opposition to the promises of God: He promises immortality; we are surrounded with mortality and corruption: He declares that he counts us just; we are covered with sins: He testifies that he is propitious and kind to us; outward judgments threaten his wrath. What then is to be done? We must with closed eyes pass by ourselves and all things connected with us, that nothing may hinder or prevent us from believing that God is true.
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But he was strengthened, etc. This is of the same import with a former clause, when it is said, that he was not weak in faith. It is the same as though he had said, that he overcame unbelief by the constancy and firmness of faith. No one indeed comes forth a conqueror from this contest, but he who borrows weapons and strength from the word of God. From what he adds, giving glory to God, it must be observed, that no greater honor can be given to God, than by faith to seal his truth; as, on the other hand, no greater dishonor can be done to him, than to refuse his offered favor, or to discredit his word. It is hence the chief thing in honoring God, obediently to embrace his promises: and true religion begins with faith.
John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain Acknowledged and praised God, as most gracious and true.
Acknowledged and praised God, as most gracious and true.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 20 He staggered not at the promise of God…
20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
Ver. 20. Giving glory to God] Confessing and exalting God, as Luk 17:18, giving him a testimonial, as it were, Joh 3:33; cf. Deu 32:4.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain The promise of God; viz. in Gen 15:5, and…
The promise of God; viz. in Gen 15:5, and Gen 17:16.
Giving glory to God; as all do that rely upon the power and promise of God, setting to their seals that he is true.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And being fully persuaded,.... He had not only faith,…
And being fully persuaded,.... He had not only faith, a strong faith, but full assurance of faith:
that what he God had promised; though it was so long ago, and there were so many difficulties in the way;
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he was able, being the Lord God Almighty,
to perform; so his faith rested upon the power of God, with whom nothing is impossible.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain He staggered not - He was not moved, or…
He staggered not - He was not moved, or agitated; he steadily and firmly believed the promise.
Giving glory to God - Giving honor to God by the firmness with which he believed his promises. His conduct was Such as to honor God; that is, to show Abraham’s conviction that he was worthy of implicit confidence and trust. In this way all who believe in the promises of God do honor to him. They bear testimony to him that he is worthy of confidence. They become so many witnesses in his favor; and furnish to their fellow-men evidence that God has a claim on the credence and trust of mankind.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain He staggered--hesitated
He staggered--hesitated
not . . . but was strong in faith, giving glory to God--as able to make good His own word in spite of all obstacles.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 20. Staggered not—Wavered not in thought.
20. Staggered not—Wavered not in thought.
Glory to God—For nothing so glorifies God as the illustrious faith of the greatly faithful. By this have martyrs and confessors rendered the name of God glorious in the earth.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 20–21. he staggered not, &c.] The Gr. suggests the…
20–21. he staggered not, &c.] The Gr. suggests the paraphrase; “he looked away from his own physical state, only at the Promise, and did not doubt its terms—just because they were the Promise. So he rose in a great effort and exercise of faith, which consisted in giving glory to God (the ‘glory’ of absolute and adoring trust in Him as God); in being perfectly sure of His ability to keep whatever promise He should in fact make.”
We have here a fuller account than anywhere else of the nature of Faith as essentially Trust; not mere historic belief, nor mental assent, but personal Trust; reposed, with application to self of the consequences, on the Divine Promiser as such. We have also a precious suggestion of some reasons (if we may say so) why God prescribes Faith as the condition of the justification of a sinner. Faith, we see, is an act of the soul which looks wholly away from “self” (as regards both merit and demerit), and honours the Almighty and All-gracious in a way not indeed in the least meritorious (because merely reasonable, after all), but yet such as to “touch the hem of His garment.” It brings His creature to Him in the one right attitude—complete submission and confidence. We thus see, in part, why faith, and only faith, is the way to reach and touch the Merit of the Propitiation. This is suggested in the next verse.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (20) In faith.—Better, through or by faith, corresponding to…
(20) In faith.—Better, through or by faith, corresponding to “through unbelief” in the preceding clause. Unbelief did not make him doubt, but faith made him confident and strong.
Giving glory to God.—This phrase does not necessarily refer to a verbal ascription of praise, but may be used of anything which tends to God’s glory, whether in thought, word, or deed (comp. Jos_7:19; Ezr_10:11; Jer_13:16; Luk_17:18; Joh_9:24; Act_12:23); here it seems to be applied to the frank recognition of God’s omnipotence involved in Abraham’s faith.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
B. W. Johnson 1891 · Public Domain 20. He staggered not. He accepted the promise with…
20. He staggered not. He accepted the promise with unfaltering faith.
B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.
William B. Godbey 1900 · Public Domain 20. “And he staggered not at the promise of…
20. “And he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was filled up with dynamite through faith, giving glory to God,
William B. Godbey, Commentary on the New Testament (1896–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
J. W. McGarvey 1914 · Public Domain yet, looking unto the promise of God, he wavered…
yet, looking unto the promise of God, he wavered not through unbelief, but waxed strong through faith, giving glory to God ,
J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 did not hesitate in unbelief
did not hesitate in unbelief
You can translate this double negative in a positive form. AT: "kept on acting in faith" (See: Double Negatives)
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he was strengthened in faith
You can translate this in an active form. AT: "he became stronger in his faith" (See: Active or Passive)
He was fully convinced
"Abraham was completely sure"
he was also able to accomplish
"God was able to do"
Therefore this was also counted to him as righteousness
You can translate this in an active form. AT: "Therefore God counted Abraham's belief as righteousness" or "Therefore God considered Abraham righteous because Abraham believed him" (See: Active or Passive)
translationWords
promise
Abraham
faith
praise
righteous
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.