Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Romans: Chapter 4].
fast, firm. Old adjective from \bain•\, to walk. {Not to that
only which is of the law} (\ou t•i ek tou nomou monon\). Another
instance where \monon\ (see verse 12) seems in the wrong place.
Normally the order would be, \ou monon t•i ek tou nomou, alla kai
ktl\.
4:17 {A father of many nations} (\patera poll•n ethn•n\).
Quotation from Ge 17:5. Only true in the sense of spiritual
children as already explained, father of believers in God.
{Before him whom he believed even God} (\katenanti hou episteusen
theou\). Incorporation of antecedent into the relative clause and
attraction of the relative \h•i\ into \hou\. See Mr 11:2 for
\katenanti\, "right in front of." {Calleth the things that are
not as though they were} (\kalountos ta m• onta h•s onta\).
"Summons the non-existing as existing." Abraham's body was old
and decrepit. God rejuvenated him and Sarah (Heb 11:19).
4:18 {In hope believed against hope} (\par' elpida ep' elpidi
episteusen\). "Past hope in (upon) hope he trusted." Graphic
picture. {To the end that he might become} (\eis to genesthai
auton\). Purpose clause again with \eis\ to and the infinitive as
in verses 11-16.
4:19 {Without being weakened in faith} (\m• asthen•sas t•i
pistei\). "Not becoming weak in faith." Ingressive first aorist
active participle with negative \m•\. {Now as good as dead} (\•d•
nenekr•menon\). Perfect passive participle of \nekro•\, "now
already dead." B omits \•d•\. He was, he knew, too old to become
father of a child. {About} (\pou\). The addition of \pou\
(somewhere, about) "qualifies the exactness of the preceding
numeral" (Vaughan). The first promise of a son to Abraham and
Sarah came (Ge 15:3f.) before the birth of Ishmael (86 when
Ishmael was born). The second promise came when Abraham was 99
years old (Ge 17:1), calling himself 100 (Ge 17:17).
4:20 {He wavered not through unbelief} (\ou diekrith• t•i
apisti•i\). First aorist passive indicative of old and common
verb \diakrin•\, to separate, to distinguish between, to decide
between, to desert, to dispute, to be divided in one's own mind.
This last sense occurs here as in Mt 21:22; Mr 11:23; Ro 14:23;
Jas 1:6. "He was not divided in his mind by unbelief"
(instrumental case). {Waxed strong through faith} (\enedunam•th•
t•i pistei\). First aorist passive again of \endunamo•\, late
word to empower, to put power in, in LXX and Paul and Ac 9:22.
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