ROM 4:18 Parallel View

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The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible. Please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Key: yellow:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor, cyan:dative/indirect object.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT who against hope believed on the basis of hope so that he might become the father of many nations according to what was said, “So will your seed be.”

UST Abraham trusted in God by hoping in God despite what seemed hopeless. As a result, he became the spiritual ancestor for numerous people groups. This happened just as God had promised him in the Scriptures: “The people who descend from you will become as numerous as the stars in the sky.”

BSB § Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.”[fn]

4:18 Genesis 15:5

BLB who against hope, in hope believed, for him to become the father of many nations, according to that having been spoken, "So shall your offspring be."

AICNT In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, “So shall your descendants be.”[fn]

4:17-18, Genesis 17:5, 15:5

OEB With no ground for hope, Abraham, sustained by hope, put faith in God; in order that, in fulfilment of the words – “So many will your descendants be,” he might become “the father of many nations.”

WEB Against hope, Abraham in hope believed, to the end that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, “So will your offspring be.”

NET Against hope Abraham believed in hope with the result that he became the father of many nations according to the pronouncement, “ so will your descendants be.”

LSV Who, against hope, believed in hope, for his becoming father of many nations according to that spoken: “So will your seed be”;

FBV Against all hope Abraham in hope trusted God, so he could become the father of many peoples, just as God had promised him: “This is how many descendants you'll have!”[fn]

4:18 Referring to Genesis 15:5.

TCNT Against all hope Abraham believed in hope that he would become the father of many nations according to what had been spoken: “So shall yoʋr offspring be.”

T4T even though there was no physical reason for him to hope that he would have descendants, because he and his wife were too old to bear children. But God is the one who causes dead people to live again, and who talks about things that do not yet exist as already existing. God said to Abraham, “You will have so many descendants that they will be as impossible to count as the stars.” And Abraham believed that, and he believed that he would become the ancestor of many ethnic groups.

LEB who against hope believed in hope, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was said, “so will your descendants be.”[fn]

?:? A quotation from Gen 15:5|link-href="None"

BBE Who without reason for hope, in faith went on hoping, so that he became the father of a number of nations, as it had been said, So will your seed be.

MOF No MOF ROM book available

ASV Who in hope believed against hope, to the end that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, So shall thy seed be.

DRA Who against hope believed in hope; that he might be made the father of many nations, according to that which was said to him: So shall thy seed be.

YLT Who, against hope in hope did believe, for his becoming father of many nations according to that spoken: 'So shall thy seed be;'

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

RV Who in hope believed against hope, to the end that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, So shall thy seed be.

WBS Who against hope believed with hope, that he should become the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.

KJB Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
(Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall thy/your seed be. )

BB Who contrary to hope, beleued in hope, that he shoulde be the father of many nations, accordyng to that which was spoken: so shall thy seede be.
(Who contrary to hope, believed in hope, that he should be the father of many nations, accordyng to that which was spoken: so shall thy/your seed be.)

GNV Which Abraham aboue hope, beleeued vnder hope, that he should be the father of many nations: according to that which was spoken to him, So shall thy seede be.
(Which Abraham above hope, believed under hope, that he should be the father of many nations: according to that which was spoken to him, So shall thy/your seed be. )

CB And he beleued vpo hope, where nothinge was to hope, that he shulde be a father of many Heythen. Acordinge as it was sayde vnto him:
(And he believed upo hope, where nothing was to hope, that he should be a father of many Heathen. Acordinge as it was said unto him:)

TNT Which Abraham contrary to hope beleved in hope that he shuld be the father of many nacions accordynge to that which was spoken: So shall thy seed be.
(Which Abraham contrary to hope believed in hope that he should be the father of many nations accordynge to that which was spoken: So shall thy/your seed be. )

WYC Which Abraham ayens hope bileuede in to hope, that he schulde be maad fader of many folkis, as it was seid to hym, Thus schal thi seed be, as the sterris of heuene, and as the grauel that is in the brenke of the see.
(Which Abraham against hope believede in to hope, that he should be made fader of many folks/people, as it was said to him, Thus shall thy/your seed be, as the sterris of heaven, and as the grauel that is in the brenke of the see.)

LUT Und er hat geglaubet auf Hoffnung, da nichts zu hoffen war, auf daß er würde ein Vater vieler Heiden, wie denn zu ihm gesagt ist: Also soll dein Same sein.
(And he has geglaubet on Hoffnung, there nichts to hoffen war, on that he würde a father vieler Heiden, like because to him gesagt ist: So should your Same sein.)

CLV qui contra spem in spem credidit, ut fieret pater multarum gentium secundum quod dictum est ei: Sic erit semen tuum.[fn]
(who contra spem in spem credidit, as fieret pater multarum gentium after/second that dictum it_is ei: So will_be seed tuum.)

4.18 Qui contra spem. Incipit commendare fidem Abrahæ, ut imitemur eum qui per fidem justitiam et talem promissionem accepit. Sic erit semen, etc. Sciendum quoniam Abraham Deum prius trinum et unum cognovit, et per hoc fidei meritum, omnium peccatorum remissionem adeptus est. Post justitiam vero, ut multarum pater fieret gentium, a Deo promissionem accepit. Deinde facta fuit sibi rursus promissio quod ita fieret semen suum sicut stellæ, etc.

4.18 Who contra spem. Incipit commendare faith Abrahæ, as imitemur him who per faith justitiam and talem promissionem accepit. So will_be semen, etc. Sciendum quoniam Abraham God first/before trinum and unum cognovit, and per hoc of_faith meritum, omnium peccatorum remissionem adeptus est. Post justitiam vero, as multarum pater fieret gentium, a Deo promissionem accepit. Godnde facts fuit sibi rursus promissio that ita fieret seed his_own like stellæ, etc.

UGNT ὃς παρ’ ἐλπίδα, ἐπ’ ἐλπίδι ἐπίστευσεν, εἰς τὸ γενέσθαι αὐτὸν πατέρα πολλῶν ἐθνῶν, κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον, οὕτως ἔσται τὸ σπέρμα σου.
(hos par’ elpida, ep’ elpidi episteusen, eis to genesthai auton patera pollōn ethnōn, kata to eiraʸmenon, houtōs estai to sperma sou.)

SBL-GNT ὃς παρʼ ἐλπίδα ἐπʼ ἐλπίδι ἐπίστευσεν εἰς τὸ γενέσθαι αὐτὸν πατέρα πολλῶν ἐθνῶν κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον· Οὕτως ἔσται τὸ σπέρμα σου·
(hos parʼ elpida epʼ elpidi episteusen eis to genesthai auton patera pollōn ethnōn kata to eiraʸmenon; Houtōs estai to sperma sou; )

TC-GNT Ὃς παρ᾽ ἐλπίδα ἐπ᾽ ἐλπίδι ἐπίστευσεν, εἰς τὸ γενέσθαι αὐτὸν πατέρα πολλῶν ἐθνῶν, κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον, Οὕτως ἔσται τὸ σπέρμα σου.
(Hos par᾽ elpida ep᾽ elpidi episteusen, eis to genesthai auton patera pollōn ethnōn, kata to eiraʸmenon, Houtōs estai to sperma sou. )

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, orange:accents differ (from our SR-GNT base).

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: writing-pronouns

ὃς & αὐτὸν & σου

who & him & ˱of˲_you

The pronouns who and he and your refer to Abraham, not God. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly.

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

ὃς παρ’ ἐλπίδα, ἐπ’ ἐλπίδι ἐπίστευσεν

who contrary_to hope in hope believed

Here, against hope is an idiom meaning “despite what seemed hopeless.” If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “although it seemed hopeless, he believed on the basis of hope”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

ὃς παρ’ ἐλπίδα, ἐπ’ ἐλπίδι ἐπίστευσεν

who contrary_to hope in hope believed

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of hope, you could express the same idea with a different form. Alternate translation: “who hopefully believed although it seemed hopeless”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

ἐπίστευσεν

believed

Paul is leaving out some of the words that a clause would need in many languages to be complete. If it would be helpful in your language, you could supply these words from the context. Alternate translation: “believed in God” or “believed what God had promised”

Note 5 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

εἰς τὸ γενέσθαι αὐτὸν

in_order that /to/_become him

Here, so that indicates that this is a purpose clause. Paul is stating the result of Abraham believing on the basis of hope. Use a natural way in your language for introducing a result clause. Alternate translation: “which resulted in him becoming”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

πατέρα πολλῶν ἐθνῶν

/the/_father ˱of˲_many nations

See how you translated this phrase in 4:17.

Note 7 topic: writing-quotations

τὸ εἰρημένον

that the_‹word› /having_been/_spoken

Here Paul uses what was said to introduce a quotation from an Old Testament book (Genesis 15:5). If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a comparable phrase that indicates that Paul is quoting from an important text. Alternate translation: “what was said in the Scriptures”

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

τὸ εἰρημένον

that the_‹word› /having_been/_spoken

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you can state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you must state who did the action, the quotation was spoken by God. Alternate translation: “what God said”

Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

οὕτως ἔσται τὸ σπέρμα σου

thus will_be the descendants ˱of˲_you

Paul assumes that his readers would know the rest of what God said in the verse he is quoting (Genesis 15:5). If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “Look now at the heavens and count the stars, if you are able to count them. So will your seed be”

Note 10 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

τὸ σπέρμα

that the_‹word› the descendants

See how you translated seed in 4:16.

Parallel ROM 4:18