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Shared Word Translation

Romans 4

The Promise Depends on Trust

For the promise to Abraham or to his offspring, that he would be heir of the world, did not come through the law but through the righteousness of trust. For if those who are of the law are heirs, trust has been emptied and the promise made void. For the law produces wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there transgression.

For this reason, the promise is from trust, so that it may be according to grace and be guaranteed to all the offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who share the trust of Abraham, who is the father of us all, as it is written,
“I have made you the father of many nations”—
in the presence of the God in whom he trusted, who gives life to the dead and calls the things that do not exist as though they exist.

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Notes

Translation notes for Romans 4.

v13

“heir of the world” — Paul uses “world” rather than repeating the language of a particular land. The expression broadens the wording of the Abrahamic promise without explaining how that relationship is to be understood.

v17

“calls the things that do not exist as though they exist” — The Greek expression can carry more than one nuance, including calling what does not exist into existence or speaking of what is not yet as though it were. TSW preserves the expression without resolving the ambiguity.

v18

“Against hope, in hope” — The wording preserves Paul’s deliberate repetition of “hope,” holding the apparent absence of hope together with Abraham’s continuing hope.

v19

“he considered his own body” — Some manuscripts read “he did not consider his own body.” Other witnesses also include “already” before “as good as dead.” TSW follows the critical-text reading reflected in the main text.

v25

“for our trespasses… for our setting right” — The same Greek construction is used in both clauses. The repeated “for” preserves the parallel relationship without further defining how Jesus’ being handed over and raised relate to trespasses and setting right.

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Vocabulary

Selected source-language vocabulary for Romans 4.

v03

πίστις (pistis)

“Trust; faith; faithfulness.” A central term throughout the chapter. TSW uses “trust” here to preserve the relational response to God’s promise while not excluding the term’s broader semantic range.

v03

λογίζομαι (logizomai)

“To count; reckon; consider.” Repeated throughout the chapter, especially in the language of trust and righteousness being “counted.”

v13

σπέρμα (sperma)

“Offspring; seed.” Repeated in the Abrahamic promise. TSW uses “offspring” to preserve the repeated term across the chapter.

v15

παράβασις (parabasis)

“Transgression; violation.” Refers to crossing or violating a defined boundary.

v17

ζωοποιέω (zōopoieō)

“To give life; make alive.” Used here of God giving life to the dead.

v25

δικαίωσις (dikaiōsis)

“Setting right; justification.” Refers to the act or result of being declared or established as right. TSW renders the term “setting right” here while retaining its traditional theological sense in the vocabulary.v21: and being fully convinced that what God had promised, God was also able to do.