Galatians 3

Galatians · Chapter 3

Galatians 3:15

1O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?2This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?3Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?4Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.5He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?6Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.7Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.8And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.9So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.10For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.11But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.12And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.13Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:14That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.15Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man’s covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.16Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.17And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.18For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.19Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.20Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.21Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.22But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.23But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.24Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.25But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.26For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.27For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.29And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
15Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man’s covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.Brothers, let me put this in human terms. Even a human covenant, once it is ratified, cannot be canceled or amended.Brethren, I speak after the manner of men: Though it be but a man’s covenant, yet when it hath been confirmed, no one maketh it void, or addeth thereto.

In context

AI-assisted, sourced

Galatians 3:15-22The promise came before the law

About Galatians 3"O foolish Galatians," Paul asks whether they received the Spirit "by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith," and points to Abraham, who "believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness," so that "they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham." The law brings a curse on all who fail to keep it, but "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us," and the promise made to Abraham and "to thy seed, which is Christ" cannot be set aside by the law that came 430 years later. The law "was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ," and now "ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus," all "one in Christ Jesus," and "heirs according to the promise." Galatians 3:1Galatians 3:2Galatians 3:6Galatians 3:7Galatians 3:10Galatians 3:13Galatians 3:16Galatians 3:17Galatians 3:24Galatians 3:26Galatians 3:28Galatians 3:29

Who, where and when in this chapter

Original Greek words

EnglishGreekSay itStrong'sMeaning
Brothers,ἀδελφοί,adelphoiG0080
brother

ἀδελφός (adelphos) ἀδελφός, -οῦ, ὁ (ἀ- copul., δελφύς, womb), in cl., a brother, born of the same parent or parents. [In LXX (Hort, Ja., 102f.), for אָח ;] 1. lit. of a brother (Gen.4:2, al.). 2. Of a neighbour (Lev.19:17). 3. Of a member of the same nation (Exo.2:14, Deu.15:3). In NT in each of these senses (1. Mat.1:2, al.; 2. Mat.7:3; 3. Rom.9:3) and also, …

according toκατὰkataG2596
according to

κατά (kata) κατά (bef. a vowel κατ᾽, καθ᾽; on the frequently neglect of elision, see Tdf., Pr., 95; WH, App., 146a), prep. with genitive, accusative, down, downwards. I. C. genitive (WM, §47, k; Bl., §42, 2). 1. C. genitive of thing(s), in local sense; (a) down, down from: Mat.8:32, Mrk.5:13, Luk.8:33, 1Co.11:4; (b) throughout (late usage; Bl, l.with): κ. ὅλης κ.τ.λ., Luk.4:14 23:5, Act.9:31 10:37; (with) in a peculiar adjectival phrase: ἡ κ. βάθους, deep or extreme poverty, 2Co.8:2. 2. C. genitive of person(s), usually in hostile sense; …

manἄνθρωπονanthrōponG0444
a human

ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) ἄνθρωπος, -ου, ὁ, [in LXX chiefly for אִישׁ ,אָדָם, also for אֱנוֹשׁ, etc. ;] man: 1. generically, a human being, male or female (Lat. homo): Jhn.16:21; with art., Mat.4:4 12:35, Mrk.2:27, Jhn.2:25, Rom.7:1, al; disting. from God, Mat.19:6, Jhn.10:33, Col.3:23, al.; from animals, etc., Mat.4:19, Luk.5:10, Rev.9:4, al.; implying human frailty and imperfection, 1Co.3:4; σοφία ἀνθρώπων, 1Co.2:5; ἀνθρώπων ἐπιθυμίαι, 1Pe.4:2; κατὰ ἄνθρωπον περιπατεῖν, 1Co.3:3; κατὰ ἄ. λέγειν (λαλεῖν), Rom.3:5, 1Co.9:8; κατὰ ἄ- λέγειν, Gal.3:15 (cf. 1Co.15:32, Gal.1:11); by meton., of man's nature or condition, ὁ …

I am speaking.λέγω.legōG3004G
to say

λέγω (legō) λέγω, [in LXX very freq., chiefly for אמר; λέγει for נְאֻם, Gen.22:16, al. ;] 1. in Hom., to pick out, gather, reckon, recount. 2. In Hdt. and Att., to say, speak, affirm, declare: absol., Act.13:15, 24:10; before orat. dir., Mat.9:34, Mrk.3:11, Jhn.1:29, al.; before ὅτι recit., Mrk.3:21, Luk.1:24, Jhn.6:14, al.; accusative and inf., Luk.11:18, Jhn.12:29, al.; after another verb of speaking, προσφωνεῖν κ. λέγειν, Mat.11:17, al.; ἀπεκρίθη (ἐλάλησεν) λέγων (καὶ λέγει; Dalman, Words, 24 ff.), Mat.25:9, Mrk.3:33, 7:28, Luk.24:6, 7, al.; of unspoken thought, λ. ἐν ἑαυτῷ, Mat.3:9, Luk.3:8, al.; of …

EvenὅμωςhomōsG3676
just as

ὅμως (homōs) ὅμως adv. (ὁμίς), yet: ὅ. μέντοι, but yet, nevertheless, Jhn.12:42; by hyperbaton, out of its proper position, 1Co.14:7, Gal.3:15 (but see Bl., § 77, 14).† (AS)

of manἀνθρώπουanthrōpouG0444
a human

ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) ἄνθρωπος, -ου, ὁ, [in LXX chiefly for אִישׁ ,אָדָם, also for אֱנוֹשׁ, etc. ;] man: 1. generically, a human being, male or female (Lat. homo): Jhn.16:21; with art., Mat.4:4 12:35, Mrk.2:27, Jhn.2:25, Rom.7:1, al; disting. from God, Mat.19:6, Jhn.10:33, Col.3:23, al.; from animals, etc., Mat.4:19, Luk.5:10, Rev.9:4, al.; implying human frailty and imperfection, 1Co.3:4; σοφία ἀνθρώπων, 1Co.2:5; ἀνθρώπων ἐπιθυμίαι, 1Pe.4:2; κατὰ ἄνθρωπον περιπατεῖν, 1Co.3:3; κατὰ ἄ. λέγειν (λαλεῖν), Rom.3:5, 1Co.9:8; κατὰ ἄ- λέγειν, Gal.3:15 (cf. 1Co.15:32, Gal.1:11); by meton., of man's nature or condition, ὁ …

ratifiedκεκυρωμένηνkekurōmenēnG2964
to affirm

κυρόω (kuroō) κυρόω, -ῶ (κῦρος, 1. authority. 2. validity), [in LXX for קוּם ;] to confirm, ratify, make valid: 2Co.2:8; pass., Gal.3:15 (cf. προ-κυρόω).† (AS)

a covenantδιαθήκηνdiathēkēnG1242
covenant

διαθήκη (diathēkē) διαθήκη, -ης, ἡ (διατίθημι), [frequently in LXX, and nearly always for בְּרִית ;] 1. as usually in cl., a disposition, testament, will (Plat., al.): Gal.3:15 (R, mg., but see Lft., in l.), Heb.9:16, 17 (R, txt.; MM, Exp., xi; Milligan, NTD, 75; Abbott, Essays, 107; Deiss., LAE, 341; but see infr.). …

no [one]οὐδεὶςoudeisG3762
none

οὐδείς (oudeis) οὐδείς, -δεμία, -δέν (also in WH, txt., the Hellenistic forms -θείς, -θέν, Luk.22:35 23:14, Act.15:9 19:27 26:26, 1Co.13:2, 2Co.11:8; cf. BL, §6, 7; M, Pr., 56n, Thackeray, Gr., 58), related to μηδείς as οὐ to μή, …

sets asideἀθετεῖatheteiG0114
to reject

ἀθετέω (atheteō) ἀθετέω, -ῶ (τίθημι), [in LXX for seventeen different words, פּשׁע, מרד, בּגד, מעל, etc., often meaning, as 1Ki.13:3 (Heb., al.), to revolt; properly, to make ἄθετον , or do away with what has been laid down (see DCG, i, 453 f.)]. 1. to set aside, disregard (in Gramm., to reject as spurious): διαθήκην , Gal.3:16; ἐντολήν , Mrk.7:9; νόμον . Heb.10:28; πίστιν , 1Ti.5:12. 2. to nullify, make void: Luk.7:30 (see Field, Notes, 59), 1Co.1:19, Gal.2:21. 3. to reject: Mrk.6:26 (Field, op. cit., 30), Lk 10:16, Jhn.12:48, I Th 48, Ju 8 (for exx. in π., see MM, VGT, see word). † (AS)

orἢēG2228
or

ἤ (ē) ἤ, disjunctive and comparative particle (Bl., §36, 12; 77, 11); 1. disjunctive, or; (a) between single words: Mat.5:17 Mrk.6:56, Luk.2:24, Jhn.6:19, Rom.1:21, al.; (b) before a sentence expressing a variation, denial or refutation of a previous statement, frequently in interrog. form: Mat.7:4, 9 Mrk.12:14, Luk.13:4, Rom.3:29 6:3 9:21, 1Co.6:9, 16 9:6, 2Co.11:7; ἤ . . . ἤ, either . . . or, Mat.6:24, Luk.16:13, 1Co.14:6; …

adds thereto.ἐπιδιατάσσεται.epidiatassetaiG1928
to add to

ἐπιδιατάσσομαι (epidiatassomai) ἐπι-δια-τάσσομαι to add provisions to a document: Gal.3:15 (cf. ἐπιδιαθήκη, a second will, F1J, BJ, ii, 2, 3; the word is used of wills in π., cf. Deiss., LAE, 87).† (AS)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.