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KING JAMES BIBLE · PCE

Romans 4:16–17

TEXT EDITION
Pure Cambridge Edition selected
Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,
(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
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PASSAGE SELECTION

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2 selected · 8 available

Choose up to 10 verses in this chapter. The study tools update with the selected passage.

SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE

Cross References

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Reference depth

From verse 16

  1. Romans 3:24–26Rank 1 from verse 16
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    24Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

    25Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

    26To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

  2. Ephesians 2:8Rank 2 from verse 16
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    8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

  3. Romans 9:8Rank 3 from verse 16
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    8That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.

  4. Galatians 3:22Rank 4 from verse 16
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    22But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

  5. Titus 3:7Rank 5 from verse 16
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    7That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

From verse 17

  1. 1 Corinthians 1:28Rank 1 from verse 17
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    28And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

  2. Genesis 17:4–5Rank 2 from verse 17
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    4As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.

    5Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

  3. John 5:21Rank 3 from verse 17
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    21For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.

  4. Romans 8:29–30Rank 4 from verse 17
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    29For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

    30Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

  5. John 6:63Rank 5 from verse 17
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    63It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

WORDS IN THIS PASSAGE

Definitions

Open a word for its full definition and concordance.

DEFINED WORDS

Romans 4:16

COMBINED MEANING

faith

↗

Sense 1: The substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen; trust, confidence, belief, persuasion, or reliance. Sense 2: Faithfulness, fidelity, or trustworthiness. Sense 3: The revealed truth or gospel believed and kept.

Meaning drawn from: Direct Scripture definition · KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

might

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Sense 1: Power or strength. Sense 2: An auxiliary expressing possibility or permission.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

grace

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Sense 1: Favor, acceptance, goodwill, kindness, or mercy. Sense 2: A favor, gift, benefit, or help freely bestowed, especially God's favor and enabling help; in salvation, explicitly contrasted with works and debt. Sense 3: Pleasing quality, beauty, attractiveness, or elegance, including gracious speech. Sense 4: Thankfulness or gratitude.

Meaning drawn from: Direct Scripture definition · KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

end

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Sense 1: The last or concluding part, termination, or limit. Sense 2: A purpose or intended result. Sense 3: As a verb, to cease or bring to a close.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

promise

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Sense 1: An assurance or pledge that something will be done or given. Sense 2: That which is promised. Sense 3: To give such an assurance or pledge.

Meaning drawn from: Direct Scripture definition · KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

seed

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Sense 1: The reproductive substance of a plant or creature, especially what is sown to produce after its kind. Sense 2: Offspring, descendants, or lineage. Sense 3: A beginning, source, or thing sown that produces a result.

Meaning drawn from: Direct Scripture definition · KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

which

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1. An interrogative or relative pronoun identifying one or more persons or things from a stated or implied set. 2. That which; what.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

law

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Sense 1: An authoritative rule, command, ordinance, instruction, standard, or body of requirements. Sense 2: The writings containing such instruction. Sense 3: A governing principle, power, regular order, or civil rule. Sense 4: In family compounds, relationship by marriage.

Meaning drawn from: Direct Scripture definition · KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

but

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Sense 1: However; marking contrast or qualification. Sense 2: Except or unless; excluding all others or alternatives. Sense 3: Only; no more than what follows.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Skeat 1893 · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

Abraham

↗

The patriarch formerly named Abram, whom God appointed to be a father of many nations.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

father

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Sense 1: A male parent or begetter. Sense 2: An ancestor, forefather, founder, source, originator, chief, elder, or one bearing paternal authority and care. Sense 3: God as Father, including the Father of Jesus Christ and of those described as his children.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

us

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The first-person plural object pronoun, referring to the speaker together with one or more others as recipients or objects of an action or relation.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

DEFINED WORDS

Romans 4:17

COMBINED MEANING

written

↗

Past-tense or past-participial form of write (to set down, record, or communicate in letters or writing).

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

made

↗

Formed, caused, prepared, appointed, or brought into a stated condition.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

father

↗

Sense 1: A male parent or begetter. Sense 2: An ancestor, forefather, founder, source, originator, chief, elder, or one bearing paternal authority and care. Sense 3: God as Father, including the Father of Jesus Christ and of those described as his children.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

nations

↗

Sense 1: Distinct peoples or political communities. Sense 2: The Gentile peoples as distinguished from Israel.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

before

↗

Earlier than in time; in front of; in the presence of; or prior in order or rank.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

whom

↗

The objective form of who, referring to the person or persons acted upon or related to.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

believed

↗

Past-tense, participial, or adjectival form of believe. Sense 1: To accept as true on testimony or evidence; to be persuaded. Sense 2: To trust or place confidence in.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

even

↗

1. Used to emphasize, include, or precisely identify what is meant: indeed, precisely, or namely. 2. Used to mark a boundary, endpoint, or full reach in place, time, or degree: up to, as far as, or through. 3. In ‘even as,’ ‘even so,’ and like constructions, just as, exactly so, or in the same manner. 4. The evening, or close of day. 5. Equal, level, identical, balanced, or uniform.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

dead

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Sense 1: Without life; deprived of life. Sense 2: Lifeless, inactive, insensible, or separated from a former state by figure.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

which

↗

1. An interrogative or relative pronoun identifying one or more persons or things from a stated or implied set. 2. That which; what.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

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Related Concepts

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READ THE PASSAGE

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Suggested context · Romans 4:1–25

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Read all 25 verses in Romans 4:1–25

4:1WHAT shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?

4:2For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.

4:3For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

4:4Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.

4:5But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

4:6Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,

4:7Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

4:8Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

4:9Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.

4:10How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.

4:11And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:

4:12And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.

4:13For 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.

4:14For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:

4:15Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.

4:16Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

Selected passage

4:17(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.

Selected passage

4:18Who 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.

4:19And 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:

4:20He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

4:21And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

4:22And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.

4:23Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;

4:24But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;

4:25Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

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