(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
(As it is written (Genesis 17:5 ), I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, х katenanti (G2713) hou (G3739) episteusen (G4100) Theou (G2316)]. This difficult construction may be resolved in two ways: either as in our version - "before God, whom he believed" х hou (G3739) being by attr. for hoo (G3739) episteusen (G4100)], or 'before God, before whom he believed' х katenanti (G2713) Theou (G2316), katenanti (G2713) hou (G3739) episteusen (G4100), in which case there is no attraction.] This latter construction (which Winer, Meyer, Alford, and Philippi prefer) makes perhaps the best Greek. But though critics are divided between these two views of the grammatical form, the sense is the same in both: 'Abraham is the father of us all, even of those who were not in existence in his day, in the eye of that God whom his faith apprehended.'
[Even] God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. To give life to the dead, and existence to the non-existent, is the glorious prerogative of Him on whom Abraham's faith reposed. What he was required to believe being above nature, his faith had to fasten upon God's power to surmount physical incapacity, and call into being what did not then exist. But God having made the promise, Abraham believed Him in spite of those obstacles. This is still further illustrated in what follows.