Romans 4:13

4:13 For the promise ¹  to Abraham or to his descendants that he would inherit the world was not fulfilled through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.

Romans 4:20

4:20 He ²  did not waver in unbelief about the promise of God but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God.

Romans 9:4

9:4 who are Israelites. To them belong ³  the adoption as sons, ⁴  the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the temple worship, ⁵  and the promises.

Romans 9:8

9:8 This means ⁶  it is not the children of the flesh ⁷  who are the children of God; rather, the children of promise are counted as descendants.

[4:13]  ¹ sn Although a singular noun, the promise is collective and does not refer only to Gen 12:7, but as D. Moo (Romans 1-8 [WEC], 279) points out, refers to multiple aspects of the promise to Abraham: multiplied descendants (Gen 12:2), possession of the land (Gen 13:15-17), and his becoming the vehicle of blessing to all people (Gen 12:13).

[4:20]  ² tn Grk “And he.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, δέ (de) has not been translated here.

[9:4]  ³ tn Grk “of whom.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[9:4]  ⁴ tn The Greek term υἱοθεσία (Juioqesia) was originally a legal technical term for adoption as a son with full rights of inheritance. BDAG 1024 s.v. notes, “a legal t.t. of ‘adoption’ of children, in our lit., i.e. in Paul, only in a transferred sense of a transcendent filial relationship between God and humans (with the legal aspect, not gender specificity, as major semantic component).” Although some modern translations remove the filial sense completely and render the term merely “adoption” (cf. NAB, ESV), the retention of this component of meaning was accomplished in the present translation by the phrase “as sons.”

[9:4]  ⁵ tn Or “cultic service.”

[9:8]  ⁴ tn Grk “That is,” or “That is to say.”

[9:8]  ⁵ tn Because it forms the counterpoint to “the children of promise” the expression “children of the flesh” has been retained in the translation.