This verse is closely related to verse 14 and is introduced in Greek by a phrase rendered “that is why” in several translations (Moffatt, An American Translation*, Revised Standard Version, Jerusalem Bible). However, it is possible that the English reader may fail to see that this verse relates back to verse 14, and so the Good News Translation makes the relation explicit: the promise was based on faith (as a rendering of Paul’s words “this is why on the basis of faith”). The New English Bible is very close to the Good News Bible: “the promise was made on the ground of faith.”

This introductory clause the promise was based on faith may need to be somewhat more explicit in some languages—for example, “God made his promise because Abraham trusted him” or “God’s promise rested on Abraham’s believing.”

In the second clause of this sentence, in order that the promise should be guaranteed as God’s free gift…, the words rendered God’s free gift are in the stressed position in the Greek sentence structure. God’s free gift is literally “grace,” and it has been rendered in a variety of ways: “a free gift” (Jerusalem Bible), “a matter of sheer grace” (New English Bible), “God’s favor” (An American Translation*), and “God’s gift” (Twentieth Century New Testament). To all of Abraham’s descendants is literally “to all the seed” (see v. 13 above).

It is by no means easy to relate the promise and God’s free gift. In some instances this may be done by saying: “what God had promised would be shown clearly to be God’s gift” or “what God promised would be clearly what God had given freely to all of Abraham’s offspring.”

The last clause of this sentence is translated in a number of different ways, but the meaning is clear. It is important that the translator realize that the words those who believe as Abraham did refer, not to the content of what Abraham believed, but to the fact that Abraham did believe God.

This similarity of faith may be expressed more effectively in some instances by using a verb for “trust”—for example, “who trusted God as Abraham trusted him.”

Spiritual father is literally “father” (see v. 11 above). It may be of some value for the translator to see the contrasts in this verse and the previous verse: verse 15 speaks of law, disobeying the law, and of God’s wrath; verse 16 speaks of God’s promise, man’s faith, and God’s free gift.

The first person plural us in the phrase father of us all must, of course, be rendered as inclusive for those languages which do make a distinction between the inclusive and exclusive first person plural, since us in this context must include both Jews and Gentiles.

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Romans. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1973. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .