Galatians 3:18 BSB — MannaFest

Galatians 3:18

For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God freely granted it to Abraham through a promise.

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no more of promise: but God hath granted it to Abraham by promise.

KJV

For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

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Commentary

4 voices

Jerome

Commentary on Galatians (420)

(V. 15 seqq.) Brothers, I speak in human terms: yet no one rejects or adds to a man's covenant, which has been confirmed. The promises were made to Abraham and to his seed. It does not say, 'and to seeds,' referring to many, but referring to one, 'and to your seed,' who is Christ. Now I say this: the covenant, which was confirmed by God, the law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate the promise, so as to abolish it.

The record, by era

The Medieval Church1 voice

Theophylact of Ohrid

Commentary on Galatians (1107)

If the law, he says, grants blessing and makes heirs of life and righteousness, then the promise given to Abraham is consequently abolished and destroyed. But this would make no sense: the law appeared later, so how can it annul a covenant that existed before …

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)

And again - This is a new argument. The former was drawn from the time, this from the nature, of the transaction. If the eternal inheritance be obtained by keeping the law, it is no more by virtue of the free promise - These being just opposite to each other.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

Albert Barnes

1798–1870

Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)

For if the inheritance - The inheritance promised to Abraham. The sum of the promise was, that “he should be the heir of the world;” see Rom 4:13, and the note at that verse. To that heirship or inheritance Paul refers here, and says that it was an essential part of it that it was to be in virtue of the promise made to him, and not by fulfilling the Law. Be of the law - If it is by observing the Law of Moses; or if it come in any way by the fulfilling of law. This is plain.

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

17 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
εἰ	ei	If	G1487 →
γὰρ	gar	for	G1063 →
ἐκ	ek	by	G1537 →
νόμου	nomou	[the] Law [is]	G3551 →
ἡ	hē	the	G3588 →
κληρονομία	klēronomia	inheritance	G2817 →
οὐκέτι	ouketi	no longer	G3756 →G2089 →
ἐξ	ex	by	G1537 →
ἐπαγγελίας·	epangelias	a promise;	G1860 →
τῷ	tō	<the>	G3588 →
δὲ	de	but	G1161 →
Ἀβραὰμ	Abraam	to Abraham	G11 →
δι᾽	di᾽	through	G1223 →
ἐπαγγελίας	epangelias	a promise	G1860 →
κεχάρισται	kecharistai	has granted [it]	G5483 →
ὁ	ho	<the>	G3588 →
θεός.¶	theos	God.	G2316 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
Galatians 2:21
I do not set aside the grace of God. For if righteousness comes through the law, Christ died for nothing.
leads to
- Romans 11:6
  And if it is by grace, then it is no longer by works. Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace.
- Galatians 3:21
  Is the law, then, opposed to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come from the law.
- Hebrews 7:11
  Now if perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for on this basis the people received the law), why was there still need for another priest to appear—one in the order of…
- 1 Corinthians 15:14
  And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is worthless, and so is your faith.
- Galatians 2:16
  know that a man is not justified by works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in…
Through
Psalms 105:42
For He remembered His holy promise to Abraham His servant.
leads to
- Exodus 2:24
  So God heard their groaning, and He remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
- Luke 1:72–73
  to show mercy to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant,
- Luke 1:54–55
  He has helped His servant Israel, remembering to be merciful,

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The Bible's oldest and longest prophecy, traced through twelve progressive narrowings from Eden to Bethlehem — each stop eliminating candidates until only one person could fulfill it.

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About Galatians

The Crucifixion — Gustave Doré (engraving, public domain)

Galatians: the study guide →Read chapter 3 →The featured study →

PersonPatriarchsAbrahamCalled out of Ur, the father of all who believe, justified by faith, and the friend of God through whose seed all nations are bles…

Continue: Galatians 3 →

01Commentary

The record, by era

Voices on this verse

02Original language & word study

03The walk

Where the connections lead

04Related verses

05Featured studies on this passage

06About Galatians

The record, by era

Where the connections lead

Commentary

Original language & word study

The walk

Related verses

Featured studies on this passage

About Galatians