New English Translation
Galatians 3:17
17What I am saying is this: The law that came four hundred thirty years later does not cancel a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to invalidate the promise.
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, I offer an example from everyday life: When a covenant has been ratified, even though it is only a human contract, no one can set it aside or add anything to it. 16Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his descendant. Scripture does not say, “and to the descendants,” referring to many, but “and to your descendant,” referring to one, who is Christ. What I am saying is this: The law that came four hundred thirty years later does not cancel a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to invalidate the promise. 18For if the inheritance is based on the law, it is no longer based on the promise, but God graciously gave it to Abraham through the promise. 19Why then was the law given? It was added because of transgressions, until the arrival of the descendant to whom the promise had been made. It was administered through angels by an intermediary.
Read all of Galatians 3Galatians 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 5:16But I say, live by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.
- 1 Corinthians 1:12Now I mean this, that each of you is saying, “I am with Paul,” or “I am with Apollos,” or “I am with Cephas,” or “I am with Christ.”
- 1 Corinthians 7:29And I say this, brothers and sisters: The time is short. So then those who have wives should be as those who have none,
- 1 Corinthians 10:19Am I saying that idols or food sacrificed to them amount to anything?
- 2 Corinthians 9:6My point is this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously.
- Ephesians 4:17So I say this, and insist in the Lord, that you no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.
- Colossians 2:4I say this so that no one will deceive you through arguments that sound reasonable.
- Genesis 15:18That day the Lord made a covenant with Abram: “To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates River –
- Genesis 17:7I will confirm my covenant as a perpetual covenant between me and you. It will extend to your descendants after you throughout their generations. I will be your God and the God of your descendants after you.
- Luke 1:68“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, because he has come to help and has redeemed his people.
- John 1:17For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came about through Jesus Christ.
- John 8:56Your father Abraham was overjoyed to see my day, and he saw it and was glad.”
- Romans 3:25God publicly displayed him at his death as the mercy seat accessible through faith. This was to demonstrate his righteousness, because God in his forbearance had passed over the sins previously committed.
- 2 Corinthians 1:20For every one of God’s promises are “Yes” in him; therefore also through him the “Amen” is spoken, to the glory we give to God.
- Hebrews 11:13These all died in faith without receiving the things promised, but they saw them in the distance and welcomed them and acknowledged that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth.
- 1 Peter 1:11They probed into what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating when he testified beforehand about the sufferings appointed for Christ and his subsequent glory.
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
In the dictionaries
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 English Translation — © 1996-2016 Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C.
Commentaries