4:17a
As it is written: This phrase introduces a quote from the Old Testament. Paul quoted what God said to Abraham (Genesis 17:5). You may want to include some or all of this implied information. For example:
As it is written ⌊in God’s Word⌋
-or-
as Scripture says (God’s Word)
-or-
⌊It is⌋ like what the Scriptures say ⌊when God told him⌋
See how you translated this phrase in 1:17 or 3:4.
4:17b–c
“I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the presence of God, in whom he believed: There are several ways to interpret the connection of in the presence of God, in whom he believed to the rest of the Greek text:
(1) It connects to Abraham being the father of us all (4:16f). For example:
“I have made you the father of many nations”). He is our father in the presence of God whom he believed (NET Bible)
(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, NET Bible, New American Standard Bible, King James Version, New American Bible, Revised Edition)
(2) It connects to the faith of Abraham (4:16e). For example:
the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, 17 as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”)—in the presence of the God in whom he believed (New Revised Standard Version)
(New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, God’s Word)
(3) It connects to the promise to Abraham (4:16a). For example:
“I have made you father of many nations.” So the promise is good in the sight of God, in whom Abraham believed (Good News Translation)
(Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, English Standard Version)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), because that is the closest connection and seems the most natural.
I have made you a father of many nations: These words are a quote found in Genesis 17:5. If you indicate the location of quotes from the Old Testament with cross-references, you may want to do so here.
4:17b
I have made you a father of many nations: This quote is from Genesis 17:5. In Abraham’s story in the book of Genesis, God caused Abraham to have many descendants. Many of them became the founders of new nations.
I have appointed you to be father of many nations (Revised English Bible)
-or-
I will make you the ancestor of many kinds of people
You should translate this clause with its meaning in Genesis 17:5. You should not explicitly translate Paul’s figurative use of father (4:11–16) here.
a father: The Greek refers generally to being a father or ancestor. But it does not imply one of many “fathers.” Consider how to translate that meaning. For example:
the father (English Standard Version)
-or-
father (Good News Translation)
-or-
the ancestor (Contemporary English Version)
nations: Here the word nations refers to people grouped by language and culture. Here are other ways to translate this clause:
people-groups
-or-
language-groups
4:17c
in the presence of God: This phrase probably connects to “the father of many nations” (4:17b). It indicates that God considered Abraham to be the father of many nations. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:
This is true before God (New Century Version)
-or-
in the sight/eyes of God
It is also possible that this phrase connects to “the father of us all” in 4:16f. For example:
He is our father in the sight of God (New International Version)
-or-
Abraham is our father in the eyes of God (New Jerusalem Bible)
in whom he believed: This clause tells the reader more about God. It does not separate God from other gods. For the correct meaning in some languages, translators must avoid the word whom. For example:
Abraham believed in him.
4:17d
the God who gives life to the dead: This clause tells the reader more about God. It does not separate God from other gods. For the correct meaning in some languages, translators must avoid the word who. For example:
He gives life to the dead.
gives life to the dead: God has power to make people live again after they die. Here are other ways to translate these words:
raises the dead to life (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
brings the dead back to life (New Living Translation (2004))
4:17e
and calls: The word “who” is implied from 4:17d. God calls here.
calls into being what does not yet exist: The Greek is literally “calling the things not being as being.” There are two ways to interpret the Greek here:
(1) It indicates that God speaks and things that did not exist now exist. For example:
who creates new things out of nothing (New Living Translation (2004))
(Berean Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, New International Version (2011), Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, English Standard Version, Revised English Bible, God’s Word, New American Standard Bible, New Living Translation (2004), Contemporary English Version, New Century Version)
(1) It indicates that God refers to things as existing that do not yet exist. For example, when God promised Abraham in Genesis 17:5 that he would be the father of many nations, those nations did not yet exist. For example:
calls things that are not as though they were (New International Version (1984))
(New International Version (1984), King James Version)
It is recommended that you follow (1) because both Greek words “gives life” (4:17d) and calls probably refer generally to any time God chooses to do those things. Here the word calls does not refer only to calling Abraham the father of many nations. Here are other ways to translate this according to interpretation (1):
calls into being things that were not (New International Version (2011))
-or-
whose command brings into being what did not exist (Good News Translation)
-or-
those things that do not exist ⌊that God wants to exist⌋, he says “may they exist” and they exist
what does not yet exist: Here the word what refers to all that God created, including the nations. Consider how to translate with that meaning.
© 2020 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.