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 King James Version (NKJV)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.

Context of Galatians 3:21

19Then why the Torah? It was added because of wrongdoings until the Seed would come—to whom the promise had been made. It was arranged through angels by the hand of an intermediary. 20Now an intermediary is not for one party alone—but God is one. Then is the Torah against the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given that could impart life, certainly righteousness would have been based on law. 22But the Scripture has locked up the whole world under sin, so that the promise based on trust in Messiah Yeshua might be given to those who trust. 23Now before faith came, we were being guarded under Torah—bound together until the coming faith would 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 abolish the Torah or the Prophets! I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill.
• Romans 3:31Do we then nullify the Torah through faithfulness? May it never be! On the contrary, we uphold the Torah.
• Romans 7:7What shall we say then? Is the Torah sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the Torah. For I would not have known about coveting if the Torah had not said, “You shall not covet.”
• Galatians 2:17But if, while seeking to be justified in Messiah, we ourselves also were found to be sinners, is Messiah then an agent of sin? May it never be!
• Romans 3:4May it never be! Let God be true even if every man is a liar, as it is written, “that You may be righteous in Your words and prevail when You are judged.”
• Galatians 2:19For through law I died to law, so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Messiah;
• Romans 3:20For no human, on the basis of Torah observance, will be set right in His sight—for through the Torah comes awareness of sin.
• Romans 3:21But now God’s righteousness apart from the Torah has been revealed, to which the Torah and the Prophets bear witness—
• Romans 9:31But Israel, who pursued a Torah of righteousness, did not reach the Torah.
• Romans 10:3For being ignorant of God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit themselves to the righteousness of God.
• Philippians 3:6as for zeal, persecuting Messiah’s community; as for Torah righteousness, found blameless.
• Hebrews 11:7By faith Noah, when warned about events not yet seen, in holy fear prepared an ark for the safety of his household. Through faith he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by 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
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Conclude
• Curse
• Eye
• Flesh
• Foolish
• Redeem
• Schoolmaster
• Shut

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