Galatians 3:17

Galatians 3:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And 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.
• New International Version (NIV)What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise.
• English Standard Version (ESV)This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect.

Context of Galatians 3:17

15Brothers and sisters, let me use an example from everyday life. No one can cancel a person’s will or add conditions to it once that will is put into effect. 16The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his descendant. Scripture doesn’t say, “descendants,” referring to many, but “your descendant,” referring to one. That descendant is Christ. This is what I mean: The laws ⌞given to Moses⌟ 430 years after God had already put his promise ⌞to Abraham⌟ into effect didn’t cancel the promise ⌞to Abraham⌟. 18If we have to gain the inheritance by following those laws, then it no longer comes to us because of the promise. However, God freely gave the inheritance to Abraham through a promise. 19What, then, is the purpose of the laws given to Moses? They were added to identify what wrongdoing is. Moses’ laws did this until the descendant to whom the promise was given came. It was put into effect through angels, using a mediator.

Galatians 3:17 word by word

τοῦτο δὲ λέγω· διαθήκην προκεκυρωμένην ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ ὁ μετὰ τετρακόσια καὶ τριάκοντα ἔτη γεγονὼς νόμος οὐκ ἀκυροῖ εἰς τὸ καταργῆσαι τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andδέde · thenG1161
• thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• I sayλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• the covenantδιαθήκηdiathēkē · covenantG1242
• that was confirmed beforeπροκυρόομαιprokuroō · to establishG4300
• ofὑπόhupo · by/under: byG5259
• Godὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• inεἰςeis · towardG1519
• ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547
• the lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
• wasγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
• four hundredτετρακόσιοιtetrakosioi tetrakosia · four hundredG5071
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• thirtyτριάκονταtriakonta · thirtyG5144
• yearsἔτοςetos · yearG2094
• afterμετάmeta · with/afterG3326
• cannotοὐou · noG3756
• disannulἀκυρόωakuroō · to nullifyG208
• it should makeκαταργέωkatargeō · to abateG2673
• the promiseἐπαγγελίαepaggelia · promiseG1860

Cross-references for Galatians 3:17

• Galatians 5:16Let me explain further. Live your life as your spiritual nature directs you. Then you will never follow through on what your corrupt nature wants.
• 1 Corinthians 1:12This is what I mean: Each of you is saying, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.”
• 1 Corinthians 7:29This is what I mean, brothers and sisters: The time has been shortened. While it lasts, those who are married should live as though they were not.
• 1 Corinthians 10:19Do I mean that an offering made to a false god is anything, or that a false god itself is anything?
• 2 Corinthians 9:6Remember this: The farmer who plants a few seeds will have a very small harvest. But the farmer who plants because he has received God’s blessings will receive a harvest of God’s blessings in return.
• Ephesians 4:17So I tell you and encourage you in the Lord’s name not to live any longer like other people in the world. Their minds are set on worthless things.
• Colossians 2:4I say this so that no one will mislead you with arguments that merely sound good.
• Genesis 15:18At that time the Lord made a promise to Abram. He said, “I will give this land to your descendants. This is the land from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates.
• Genesis 17:7I will make my promise to you and your descendants for generations to come as an everlasting promise. I will be your God and the God of your descendants.
• Luke 1:68“Praise the Lord God of Israel! He has come to take care of his people and to set them free.
• John 1:17Laws were given through Moses, but kindness and truth came into existence through Jesus Christ.
• John 8:56Your father Abraham was pleased to see that my day was coming. He saw it and was happy.”
• Romans 3:25God showed that Christ is the throne of mercy where God’s approval is given through faith in Christ’s blood. In his patience God waited to deal with sins committed in the past.
• 2 Corinthians 1:20Certainly, Christ made God’s many promises come true. For that reason, because of our message, people also honor God by saying, “Amen!”
• Hebrews 11:13All these people died having faith. They didn’t receive the things that God had promised them, but they saw these things coming in the distant future and rejoiced. They acknowledged that they were living as strangers with no permanent home on earth.
• 1 Peter 1:11So they tried to find out what time or situation the Spirit of Christ kept referring to whenever he predicted Christ’s sufferings and the glory that would follow.

Commentaries on Galatians 3:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17Confirmed before of God in Christ - i.e. The promise of justification, etc., made to believers in Christ Jesus, who are the spiritual seed of Christ, as they are children of Abraham, from the similitude of their faith. Abraham believed in God, and it was reckoned to him for justification; the Gentiles believed in Christ, and received justification. Probably the word Christ is to be taken, both here and in the preceding verse, for Christians, as has…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17The covenant which was confirmed before of God - By God, in his promise to Abraham. It was confirmed before the giving of the Law. The confirmation was the solemn promise which God made to him. In Christ - With respect to the Messiah; a covenant relating to him, and which promised that he should descend from Abraham. The word “in,” in the phrase “in Christ,” does not quite express the meaning of the Greek ̓ ̀ eis ChristonThat means rather “unto Christ;”…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-18Verses 15-18 The covenant God made with Abraham, was not done away by the giving the law to Moses. The covenant was made with Abraham and his Seed. It is still in force; Christ abideth for ever in his person, and his spiritual seed, who are his by faith. By this we learn the difference between the promises of the law and those of the gospel. The promises of the law are made to the person of every man; the promises of the gospel are first made to Christ…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17Just as human covenants cannot be canceled (3:15), the terms of God's covenant with Abraham were not changed when God gave Moses the law. 430 years: See study note on Exodus 12:40.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. this I say--"this is what I mean," by what I said in Ga 3:15. continued ... of God--"ratified by God" (Ga 3:15). in Christ--rather, "unto Christ" (compare Ga 3:16). However, Vulgate and the old Italian versions translate as English Version. But the oldest manuscripts omit the words altogether. the law which was--Greek, "which came into existence four hundred thirty years after" (Ex 12:40, 41). He does not, as in the case of "the covenant," add…Read the comment

Topics related to Galatians 3:17

• Abraham
• Faith
• Israel
• Salvation
• Works

In the dictionaries

• Christ
• God
• Christ, Messiah
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Four Hundred
• Chronology
• Conclude
• Curse
• Exodus, Book of
• Eye

Commentaries on Galatians 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings