Romans 4:17 says that God brings life out of death and speaks of things that do not yet exist as if they already do, and that is the kind of God Abraham trusted when he believed he would become the father of many nations. Paul wrote this to the church in Rome, using Abraham’s story to show that a right relationship with God has always rested on faith in God’s promises rather than on a person’s own record or ability.
As it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations.” This is in the presence of him whom he believed: God, who gives life to the dead, and calls the things that are not, as though they were.
Romans 4:17 (WEB)
What Romans 4:17 Means
The verse opens by quoting Genesis, where God tells Abraham that he has been made a father of many nations. At that point Abraham had no heir and was far past the age of having children, so the promise rested entirely on God’s word. Paul is pointing to that promise as the foundation of his argument.
The phrase “God, who gives life to the dead” points to what God does in Abraham’s situation. Abraham’s body was as good as dead for the purpose of having children, and Sarah’s womb was barren. God’s power is shown in creating new life where none could naturally come. Paul uses this same God to describe the resurrection of Jesus later in the letter.
The phrase “calls the things that are not, as though they were” describes God speaking what is not yet real and then making it real. The verse does not promise that every hope we hold will happen on our schedule or in the form we imagine. It describes God’s character as the one whose word is the final word, and it asks us to trust that word over what our circumstances seem to say.
The Context of Romans 4:17
Paul wrote Romans in the middle of the first century to a mixed congregation in the capital city, made up of Jewish and Gentile believers. Many of the Jewish believers placed great weight on their heritage and on keeping the law, and Paul is working to show that Abraham was counted righteous before he had any law at all, and before he was circumcised. Faith, not heritage or works, is the thread running through Abraham’s life.
Just before verse 17, Paul explains in verses 14 to 16 that the promise comes by faith so that it can rest on grace and reach all of Abraham’s offspring. Just after verse 17, in verses 18 to 20, Paul describes Abraham hoping against hope, not weakening in faith when he looked at his own aging body, and giving glory to God. Read in that setting, Romans 4:17 is the anchor for Abraham’s trust, showing that the God he believed is the one who makes life out of nothing.
Key Phrases in Romans 4:17
Hebrews 11:11
By faith, even Sarah herself received power to conceive, and she bore a child when she was past age, since she counted him faithful who had promised.
(WEB)
This verse credits Sarah with faith to conceive a child, since she considered God faithful who had promised. It shows the same trust in God’s word that Paul highlights in Abraham, and it reinforces that the promise rests on God’s faithfulness rather than human ability.
Genesis 17:5
Your name will no more be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham; for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.
(WEB)
This is the original promise that God gave Abraham, changing his name to reflect the many nations that would come from him. Reading it alongside Romans 4:17 shows the exact word of promise that Paul is quoting and reflecting upon.
A Short Prayer From Romans 4:17
Lord, you are the God who gives life to the dead and speaks into being what does not yet exist. When my hopes feel buried and my circumstances seem closed, help me to remember that your word is stronger than what I can see. Teach me to trust you the way Abraham did, looking to your promises rather than to my own weakness. Give me patience to wait on your timing and courage to keep believing when the path ahead is unclear. Amen.
