Galatians 3:21

Galatians 3:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.
• New International Version (NIV)Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law.
• New Living Translation (NLT)Is there a conflict, then, between God’s law and God’s promises? Absolutely not! If the law could give us new life, we could be made right with God by obeying it.

Context of Galatians 3:21

19What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. 20Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one. Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. 22But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed.

Galatians 3:21 word by word

Ὁ οὖν νόμος κατὰ τῶν ἐπαγγελιῶν τοῦ θεοῦ; μὴ γένοιτο. εἰ γὰρ ἐδόθη νόμος ὁ δυνάμενος ζῳοποιῆσαι, ὄντως ἐκ νόμου ἂν ἦν ἡ δικαιοσύνη·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• the lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
• thenοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
• againstκατάkata · according toG2596
• the promisesὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the promisesἐπαγγελίαepaggelia · promiseG1860
• of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• God forbidμήmē · notG3361
• God forbidγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
• forγάρgar · forG1063
• ifεἰei · ifG1487
• there had beenδίδωμιdidōmi · to giveG1325
• could haveδύναμαιdunamai · be ableG1410
• given lifeζωοποιέωzōopoieō · to make aliveG2227
• verilyὄντωςontōs · reallyG3689
• ·ἄνan · ifG302
• righteousnessδικαιοσύνηdikaiosunē · righteousnessG1343
• should have beenεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• byἐκek ex · out fromG1537

Cross-references for Galatians 3:21

• Matthew 5:17“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
• Romans 3:31Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.
• Romans 7:7What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.”
• Galatians 2:17“But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not!
• Romans 3:4Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written: “That You may be justified in Your words, And may overcome when You are judged.”
• Galatians 2:19For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God.
• Romans 3:20Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
• Romans 3:21But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,
• Romans 9:31but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness.
• Romans 10:3For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.
• Philippians 3:6concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
• Hebrews 11:7By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

Commentaries on Galatians 3:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21Is the law then against the promises of God? - Is it possible that the intervention of the law, in reference to one part of the Abrahamic seed, should annul the promise made to the other? It is impossible. For if there had been a law, etc. - If any law or rule of life could have been found out that would have given life - saved sinners from death, and made them truly happy, then righteousness- justification, should have been by that law.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21Is the law then against the promises of God? - Is the Law of Moses to be regarded as opposed to the promises made to Abraham? Does this follow from any view which can be taken of the subject? The object of the apostle in asking this question is, evidently, to take an opportunity to deny in the most positive manner that there can be any such clashing or contradiction. He shows, therefore, what was the design of the Law, and declares that the object was to…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 19-22Verses 19-22 If that promise was enough for salvation, wherefore then serveth the law? The Israelites, though chosen to be God's peculiar people, were sinners as well as others. The law was not intended to discover a way of justification, different from that made known by the promise, but to lead men to see their need of the promise, by showing the sinfulness of sin, and to point to Christ, through whom alone they could be pardoned and justified. The…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21There is no conflict of purpose between law and promise or between law and faith. The law works with the promise to help people believe in Jesus. The purpose of the law is to show that people are trapped by their sins (3:19, 22). It is also meant to help people not sin (3:23–25). In Galatia, the Judaizers tried to convince non-Jewish Christians that the law could do something it was never meant to do. The law was never meant to give new life and make…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2121. "Is the law (which involves a mediator) against the promises of God (which are without a mediator, and rest on God alone and immediately)? God forbid." life--The law, as an externally prescribed rule, can never internally impart spiritual life to men naturally dead in sin, and change the disposition. If the law had been a law capable of giving life, "verily (in very reality, and not in the mere fancy of legalists) righteousness would have been by the…Read the comment

Topics related to Galatians 3:21

• Faith
• Justification
• Salvation
• Works

In the dictionaries

• God
• Conclude
• Curse
• Eye
• Flesh
• Foolish
• Redeem
• Schoolmaster
• Shut
• Accommodation

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