KwabaseRoma 4:19

Izhibhalo Ezingcwele

19 Wathi, engebuthathaka nje ngokholo, akondela emzimbeni wakhe, obuselufile (emayela ekhulwini leminyaka ezelwe), kwanokufa kwesizalo sikaSara;

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

being: Romans 4:20, Romans 4:21, Romans 14:21, Matthew 6:30, Matthew 8:26, Matthew 14:31, Mark 9:23, Mark 9:24, John 20:27, John 20:28

considered: Genesis 17:17, Genesis 18:11-14, Hebrews 11:11-19

Reciprocal: Genesis 17:24 - General Genesis 21:5 - General Genesis 24:36 - Sarah 1 Kings 17:15 - did according Matthew 14:29 - he walked Matthew 15:28 - great Matthew 21:21 - If ye have Luke 1:7 - well Luke 1:18 - for Romans 4:18 - against Romans 14:1 - weak Hebrews 11:12 - and him

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And being not weak in faith,.... Abraham was not weak in the exercise of his faith, on the promise of God; nor was his faith weakened about the accomplishment of it, neither by the length of time after the promise was made, nor by the seeming insuperable difficulties of nature which attended it; for

he considered not his own body now dead. The Alexandrian copy reads without the negative, "he considered his own body now dead", and so the Syriac version: which makes his faith the greater, that though he did consider his case, yet his faith was not weakened: the phrase, "his body now dead", is an "euphemism" of the "merebrum virile", which by the Jews, when unfit for generation, is called אבר מת, "merebrum emortuum" t:

when he was about an hundred years old; not being quite an hundred years of age, wanting a year or thereabout:

neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb; how unfit she was to conceive and bear children: now though he might consider these things in his mind, yet they did not dwell upon his mind, nor he upon them; at least he did not consider them, so as to distrust the divine promise.

t T. Bab. Yebamot, fol. 55. 2. & Gloss. in ib. Sanhedrin, fol. 55. 1. & Gloss in ib. Shebuot, fol. 18. 1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And being not weak in faith - That is, having strong faith.

He considered not - He did not regard the fact that his body was now dead, as any obstacle to the fulfillment of the promise. He did not suffer that fact to influence him, or to produce any doubt about the fulfillment. Faith looks to the strength of God, not to second causes, or to difficulties that may appear formidable to man.

Now dead - Aged; dead as to the purpose under consideration; compare Hebrews 11:12, “As good as dead.” That is, he was now at an age when it was highly improbable that he would have any children; compare Genesis 17:17.

Deadness ... - Hebrews 11:11, “When she was past age;” compare Genesis 18:11.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 19. He considered not his own body now dead — He showed at once the correctness and energy of his faith: God cannot lie; Abraham can believe. It is true that, according to the course of nature, he and Sarah are so old that they cannot have children; but God is almighty, and can do whatsoever he will, and will fulfil his promise. This was certainly a wonderful degree of faith; as the promise stated that it was in his posterity that all the nations of the earth were to be blessed; that he had, as yet, no child by Sarah; that he was 100 years old; that Sarah was 90; and that, added to the utter improbability of her bearing at that age, she had ever been barren before. All these were so many reasons why he should not credit the promise; yet he believed; therefore it might be well said, Romans 4:20, that he staggered not at the promise, though every thing was unnatural and improbable; but he was strong in faith, and, by this almost inimitable confidence, gave glory to God. It was to God's honour that his servant put such unlimited confidence in him; and he put this confidence in him on the rational ground that God was fully able to perform what he had promised.