In the Greek this verse is part of the same sentence as verses 17-18. Most modern translations begin a new sentence, since it is at this point that the writer passes from a summary of the story of Isaac to a comment on it.

Reckoned suggests a process of thought or reasoning; Barclay says “had reasoned it out.” Traduction œcuménique de la Bible renders the first half of this verse as “Even a dead man, he said to himself, God is able to resurrect him.”

God was able to raise Isaac from death may be expressed as “God was able to cause Isaac to live again” or “… to come back to life.”

So to speak is literally “in a parable,” but the word for “parable” in biblical Greek has a much wider meaning than its English equivalent, since it can include proverbs and various other types of figurative language (see symbol in 9.9). The point here is that Isaac was practically dead, like Abraham for different reasons in verse 12. Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente brings out the meaning more fully than Good News Translation: “God restored the son to him (that is, gave his son back to him), and this fact has the value of a symbol.”

The phrase so to speak marks the final statement of verse 19 as being a simile. In some languages this may be rendered “as though to say,” “as though it were,” or “as it might seem.”

Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Letter of the Hebrews. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1983. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .