Devine Scripture

Romans 4:14

What does Romans 4:14 mean?

A plain-English look at Romans 4:14 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What Romans 4:14 means

If those who are of the law are the heirs, then faith is emptied and the promise is rendered ineffective. Law and promise operate on different principles: law demands and condemns; promise gives and invites trust. Making the inheritance depend on law would replace receiving with achieving, thereby canceling grace. It would also restrict the promise to a limited group defined by the law, contrary to God’s word to Abraham about many nations. Paul’s logic defends the necessity of faith as the only consistent means by which God’s promise can stand and include all whom He intends to bless.

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

For if they that are of the law are heirs, faith is made void, and the promise is made of none effect:

KJV

King James Version · 1611

For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:

ASV

American Standard Version · 1901

For if they that are of the law are heirs, faith is made void, and the promise is made of none effect:

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

For if they who are of the law are the people who get the heritage, then faith is made of no use, and the word of God has no power;

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

for if they who are of law <FI>are<Fi> heirs, the faith hath been made void, and the promise hath been made useless;

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

For if they who are of the law be heirs, faith is made void: the promise is made of no effect.

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

For if they which [are] of law be heirs, faith is made vain, and the promise made of no effect.

Context

This verse tightens the argument from verse 13 by showing the consequence of a law-based inheritance: it would void faith and neutralize the promise. Verse 15 will explain why—because the law brings wrath by turning sin into transgression. The movement is toward a clear either/or between law as a principle of inheritance and faith as the principle that aligns with grace.

v.13For not through the law was the promise to Abraham or to his seed that he should be heir of the world, but through the righteousness of faith.

v.14This passage

v.15for the law worketh wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there transgression.

Cross references

Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  • Galatians 5:4

    Ye are severed from Christ, ye who would be justified by the law; ye are fallen away from grace.

  • Romans 4:16

    For this cause it is of faith, that it may be according to grace; to the end that the promise may be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all

  • Numbers 30:15

    But if he shall make them null and void after that he hath heard them, then he shall bear her iniquity.

  • Isaiah 55:11

    so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

  • Hebrews 7:19

    (for the law made nothing perfect), and a bringing in thereupon of a better hope, through which we draw nigh unto God.

  • Galatians 2:21

    I do not make void the grace of God: for if righteousness is through the law, then Christ died for nought.

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