New American Standard Bible 1995
Galatians 3:16
16Now the promises were spoken 1to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as referring to many, but rather to one, “2And to your seed,” that is, Christ.
Galatians 3:16 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Now 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.
- New International Version (NIV)The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, "And to offsprings," referring to many, but referring to one, "And to your offspring," who is Christ.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ.
Context of Galatians 3:16
14in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. 15Brethren, I speak in terms of human relations: even though it is only a man’s covenant, yet when it has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds conditions to it. Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as referring to many, but rather to one, “And to your seed,” that is, Christ. 17What I am saying is this: the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise. 18For if the inheritance is based on law, it is no longer based on a promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise.
Read all of Galatians 3Galatians 3:16 word by word
τῷ δὲ Ἀβραὰμ ἐρρέθησαν αἱ ἐπαγγελίαι καὶ τῷ σπέρματι αὐτοῦ. οὐ λέγει· καὶ τοῖς σπέρμασιν ὡς ἐπὶ πολλῶν ἀλλ᾽ ὡς ἐφ᾽ ἑνός· καὶ τῷ σπέρματί σου ὅς ἐστιν Χριστός.Read the interlinear
- Nowδέde · thenG1161
- the promisesἐπαγγελίαepaggelia · promiseG1860
- were spokenλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- to AbrahamἈβραάμAbraam · AbrahamG11
- and to his seedσπέρμαsperma · seed: offspringG4690
- He does not sayλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- to manyπολύςpolus polos · muchG4183
- to oneεἷςheis · oneG1520
- that is, ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547
Cross-references for Galatians 3:16
- Galatians 3:8The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the nations will be blessed in you.”
- Genesis 12:3And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”
- Genesis 13:15for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever.
- Genesis 15:5And He took him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”
- Genesis 17:7I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you.
- Genesis 21:12But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed because of the lad and your maid; whatever Sarah tells you, listen to her, for through Isaac your descendants shall be named.
- Genesis 22:17indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies.
- Genesis 26:3Sojourn in this land and I will be with you and bless you, for to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to your father Abraham.
- Genesis 28:13And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie, I will give it to you and to your descendants.
- Genesis 28:14Your descendants will also be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
- Genesis 49:10The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes, And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
- Galatians 3:27For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
- Romans 12:5so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
- 1 Corinthians 12:12For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.
- Ephesians 4:15but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,
- Ephesians 5:29for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church,
Commentaries on Galatians 3:16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16Now to Abraham and his seed - The promise of salvation by faith was made to Abraham and his posterity. He saith not, And to seeds - It was one particular kind of posterity which was intended: but as of one - which is Christ; i.e. to the spiritual head, and all believers in him, who are children of Abraham, because they are believers, Galatians 3:7. But why does the apostle say, not of seeds, as of many? To this it is answered, that Abraham possessed in…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16Now to Abraham and his seed - To him and his posterity. Were the promises made - The promise here referred to was that which is recorded in Genesis 22:17-18. “In blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea-shore; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.” He saith not, And to seeds, as of many, but as of one - He does not use the plural term…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. 16The promises to Abraham were mainly received by him and his child (literally his seed). This "seed" was the promised Messiah (God's chosen one), who is Abraham's ultimate descendant. The word "seed" can mean one descendant or many (see Genesis 12:7; 13:15). Although the promise can refer to many descendants (see Galatians 3:29; Genesis 13:15–16; 15:5–6; 17:7–8), it specifically points to one descendant, Christ, who fully fulfilled the promise. The heirs…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. This verse is parenthetical. The covenant of promise was not "spoken" (so Greek for "made") to Abraham alone, but "to Abraham and his seed"; to the latter especially; and this means Christ (and that which is inseparable from Him, the literal Israel, and the spiritual, His body, the Church). Christ not having come when the law was given, the covenant could not have been then fulfilled, but awaited the coming of Him, the Seed, to whom it was spoken…Read the comment
Topics related to Galatians 3:16
In the dictionaries
Notes
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
New American Standard Bible 1995 — © 1960–1995 The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
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