Galatians 3:9
in Galatians 3So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
So then they that are of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham.
KJV
So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.
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This verse in Galatians 3
Commentary
13 notes on this versePaul has thus eulogized faith and shown what fruits it has from the gracious gifts of the Spirit. He also has shown that it is older than the law from the witness of the law itself—for the Old Testament describes the events concerning Abraham. Finally, …
This site's exposition
accounted to him for righteousness
on Galatians 3:6-9
Paul reaches back past Sinai to Genesis 15:6, where Abraham believed God and righteousness was reckoned to him with no law yet given. Verse 8 makes the larger claim: Genesis 12:3, in thee shall all nations be blessed, was the gospel preached beforehand to Abraham, so Gentile justification by faith was in the promise from the start. They which are of faith, Jew or Gentile, are the sons who share faithful Abraham's blessing.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
(Verse 8, 9.) But the Scripture, foreseeing that by faith God would justify the Gentiles, foretold to Abraham that all nations would be blessed in him. So then, those who are of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. Not that the Scripture itself, namely the ink and the parchment, which are insensible, can foreknow the future; but rather the Holy Spirit and the senses, hidden in the letter, have foretold things to come many centuries later.
Further, they were possessed with another apprehension; it was written, "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the Law, to do them." And this he removes, with great skill and prudence, turning their argument against themselves, and showing that those who relinquish the Law are not only not cursed, but blessed; and they who keep it, not only not blessed but cursed. They said that he who kept not the Law was cursed, but he proves that he who kept it was cursed, and he who kept it not, blessed. Again, they said that he who adhered to Faith alone was cursed, but he shows that he who adhered to Faith alone, is blessed. And how does he prove all this? for it is no common thing which we have promised; wherefore it is necessary to give close attention to what follows. He had already shown this, by referring to the words spoken to the Patriarch, "In thee shall all nations be blessed," at a time, that is, when Faith existed, not the Law...
"Therefore those who are of faith are blessed." Those who are of faith united to Abraham and are counted as his offspring, not those who are of the flesh.
The Medieval Church2 voices
Then when he says, "Therefore, they that are of faith," he draws the conclusion from the premises. Accordingly, the argument can be formulated thus: God the Father announced to Abraham that in his seed all nations would be blessed. But those who seek to be …
Since they were afraid that for not observing the law they would be subjected to a curse (for it is written: cursed is he who does not observe what is written in the law), he shows the complete opposite, namely, that blessed are those who …
6 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
) that those who are of faith, that is, true believers, of what nation soever they are, are blessed with faithful Abraham. They are blessed with Abraham the father of the faithful, by the promise made to him, and therefore by faith as he was.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
So then all they, and they only, who are of faith - Who truly believe. Are blessed with faithful Abraham - Receive the blessing as he did, namely, by faith.
So then they which be of faith,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
So then they which be of faith - They whose leading characteristic it is that they believe. This was the leading trait in the character of Abraham, and this is the leading thing required of those who embrace the gospel, and in the character of a true Christian. Are blessed with faithful Abraham - In the same manner they are interested in the promises made to him, and they will be treated as he was. They are justified in the same manner, and admitted to the same privileges on earth and in heaven.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
they--and they alone. of faith--(See on Ga 3:7, beginning). with--together with. faithful--implying what it is in which they are "blessed together with him," namely, faith, the prominent feature of his character, and of which the result to all who like him have it, is justification.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
They which be of faith - All who believe, as Abraham has believed, are made partakers of Abraham’s blessings.
The words behind it
9 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ὥστε | hoste | So then | G5620 → | 83 times |
| οἱ | hoi | those | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐκ | ek | of | G1537 → | 911 times |
| πίστεως | pisteos | faith | G4102 → | 242 times |
| εὐλογοῦνται | eulogountai | are blessed | G2127 → | |
| σὺν | sun | along with | G4862 → | 128 times |
| τῷ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πιστῷ | pisto | believing | G4103 → | |
| Ἀβραάμ. | abraam | Abraham. | G11 → | 73 times |
ὥστεSo then
hosteG5620 →83 times
οἱthose
hoiG3588 →19766 times
ἐκof
ekG1537 →911 times
πίστεωςfaith
pisteosG4102 →242 times
εὐλογοῦνταιare blessed
eulogountaiG2127 →
σὺνalong with
sunG4862 →128 times
τῷthe
toG3588 →19766 times
πιστῷbelieving
pistoG4103 →
Ἀβραάμ.Abraham.
abraamG11 →73 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Galatians 3:29And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.
it leads to
- Ephesians 3:6
This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are fellow heirs, fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus.
- Romans 9:7–8
Nor because they are Abraham’s descendants are they all his children. On the contrary, “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.”
- Galatians 3:7
Understand, then, that those who have faith are sons of Abraham.
- Romans 8:17
And if we are children, then we are heirs: heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with Him, so that we may also be glorified with Him.
- Galatians 4:22–31
For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman.
- Ephesians 3:6
Through
Romans 4:16Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may rest on grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who…
it leads to
- Romans 3:24–26
and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
- Ephesians 2:8
For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God,
- Romans 3:24–26
Through
Romans 4:11And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but…
it leads to
- Romans 3:22
And this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no distinction,
- Romans 3:22
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies14
- The Abrahamic Covenant: Genesis 12 · 15 · 17
- The Bronze Serpent
- The Covenant Lawsuit: When God Sues His People
- The Covenants
- The Fruit of the Spirit
- The Seed Promise
- The Bible and Slavery
- The Garment & the Robe
- The Just Shall Live by His Faith: Habakkuk 2:4
- The Law as Tutor
- The New Perspective on Paul
- The Seed
- The Tree
- Trees: Eden, Cross, New Jerusalem
About Galatians

Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 13 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Galatians; John Calvin, Commentary on Galatians; John Chrysostom, Homily on Galatians 3; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on Galatians; Theodoret of Cyrus, EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS 3.7-9; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Galatians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Galatians.
