Thomas Aquinas, on Rom 4:20

“In the promise also of God he staggered not by distrust; but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God:”

“Then when he says, in the promise also of God, he commends Abraham's faith in the repeated promise that his seed would be exalted. First, he mentions the firmness of faith; second, the cause of the firmness, at giving glory to God. First, therefore, he says: in the promise also of God, i.e., the promise that his seed would be exalted or that it would be multiplied, which was repeated: look toward heaven and number the stars. . . . So shall your descendants be (Gen 15:5); you shall be the father of a multitude of nations (Gen 17:4); I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven (Gen 22:17). Or, in the promise of God can refer to the exaltation of his descendants, because when he had said: I will multiply your descendants, he added at once: and your descendants shall possess the gates of their enemies and by your descendants shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. Concerning this promise of God he staggered not by distrust, i.e., he did not doubt the truth of the divine promise: he who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind (Jas 1:6); but was strengthened in faith, i.e., clung firmly to his belief: resist him, firm in your faith (1 Pet 5:9).”

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