Romans 4:13-17 ASV

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Romans 4:15

Because the law worketh wrath - For law νομος , any law, or rule of duty. No law makes provision for the exercise of mercy, for it worketh wrath, οργην , punishment, for the disobedient. Law necessarily subjects the transgressor to punishment; for where no law is - where no rule of duty is enacted and acknowledged, there is no transgression; and where there is no transgression there can be no punishment, for there is no law to enforce it. But the Jews have a law, which they have broken;... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Romans 4:16

Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace - On this account the promise is mercifully grounded, not on obedience to a law, but on the infinite goodness of God: and thus the promise is sure to all the seed - to all, both Jews and Gentiles, who, believing in Christ Jesus, have a right to all the blessings contained in the Abrahamic covenant. All the seed necessarily comprehends all mankind. Of the Gentiles there can be no doubt, for the promise was given to Abraham while he was a... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Romans 4:17

As it is written, I have made thee a father - That Abraham's being a father of many nations has relation to the covenant of God made with him, may be seen, Genesis 17:4 , Genesis 17:5 ; : Behold my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations: neither shall thy name any more be called Abram; but thy name shall be Abraham, for a father of many nations have I made thee, i.e. he was constituted the head of many nations, the Gentile world, by virtue of the covenant,... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Romans 4:13

Verse 13 13.For the promise, etc. He now more clearly sets the law and faith in opposition, the one to the other, which he had before in some measure done; and this ought to be carefully observed: for if faith borrows nothing from the law in order to justify, we hence understand, that it has respect to nothing else but to the mercy of God. And further, the romance of those who would have this to have been said of ceremonies, may be easily disproved; for if works contributed anything towards... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Romans 4:14

Verse 14 14.For if they who are of the law, etc. He takes his argument from what is impossible or absurd, that the favor which Abraham obtained from God, was not promised to him through any legal agreement, or through any regard to works; for if this condition had been interposed — that God would favor those only with adoption who deserved, or who performed the law, no one could have dared to feel confident that it belonged to him: for who is there so conscious of so much perfection that he can... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Romans 4:15

Verse 15 15.For the law causeth wrath, etc. This is a confirmation of the last verse, derived from the contrary effect of the law; for as the law generates nothing but vengeance, it cannot bring grace. It can indeed show to the good and the perfect the way of life: but as it prescribes to the sinful and corrupt what they ought to do, and supplies them with no power for doing, it exhibits them as guilty before the tribunal of God. For such is the viciousness of our nature, that the more we are... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Romans 4:16

Verse 16 16.It is therefore of faith, etc. This is the winding up of the argument; and you may summarily include the whole of it in this statement, — “If the heirship of salvation comes to us by works, then faith in it vanishes, the promise of it is abolished; but it is necessary that both these should be sure and certain; hence it comes to us by faith, so that its stability being based on the goodness of God alone, may be secured.” See how the Apostle, regarding faith as a thing firm and... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Romans 4:17

Verse 17 17.Whom he believed, who quickens the dead, etc. In this circuitous form is expressed the very substance of Abraham’s faith, that by his example an opening might be made for the Gentiles. He had indeed to attain, in a wonderful way, the promise which he had heard from the Lord’s mouth, since there was then no token of it. A seed was promised to him as though he was in vigor and strength; but he was as it were dead. It was hence necessary for him to raise up his thoughts to the power of... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Romans 4:1-25

(5) Abraham himself shown to have been justified by faith, and not by works, believers being his true heirs. The main points of the argument may be summarized thus: When Abraham obtained a blessing to himself and to his seed for ever, it was by faith, and not by works, that he is declared to have been justified so as to obtain it. Thus the promise to his seed, as well as to himself, rested on the principle of justification by faith only. The Law, of which the principle was essentially... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Romans 4:1-25

Abraham's faith. We have already seen how the apostle has prepared the way for the great doctrine of justification by faith. He showed in the first two chapters that man has no righteousness of his own, that he could not justify himself, but, on the contrary, that both Jew and Gentile are all under sin. "There is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Now, in this fourth chapter, he shows that this great fact—the necessity for justification by faith—has... read more

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Romans 4:15

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Romans 4:16

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Romans 4:17

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Romans 4:13

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Romans 4:14

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Romans 4:15

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Romans 4:16

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Romans 4:17

The Pulpit Commentary - Romans 4:1-25

The Pulpit Commentary - Romans 4:1-25

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