Galatia 3:15-16

Inheritance Comes from Promises and not Law

3:15 Brothers and sisters, ¹  I offer an example from everyday life: ²  When a covenant ³  has been ratified, ⁴  even though it is only a human contract, no one can set it aside or add anything to it. 3:16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his descendant. ⁵  Scripture ⁶  does not say, “and to the descendants,” ⁷  referring to many, but “and to your descendant,” ⁸  referring to one, who is Christ.

[3:15]  ¹ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:11.

[3:15]  ² tn Grk “I speak according to man,” referring to the illustration that follows.

[3:15]  ³ tn The same Greek word, διαθήκη (diaqhkh), can mean either “covenant” or “will,” but in this context the former is preferred here because Paul is discussing in vv. 16-18 the Abrahamic covenant.

[3:15]  ⁴ tn Or “has been put into effect.”

[3:16]  ⁵ tn Grk “his seed,” a figurative extension of the meaning of σπέρμα (sperma) to refer to descendants (L&N 10.29).

[3:16]  ⁶ tn Grk “It”; the referent (the scripture) has been specified in the translation for clarity. The understood subject of the verb λέγει (legei) could also be “He” (referring to God) as the one who spoke the promise to Abraham.

[3:16]  ⁷ tn Grk “to seeds.” See the note on “descendant” earlier in this verse. Here the term is plural; the use of the singular in the OT text cited later in this verse is crucial to Paul’s argument.

[3:16]  ⁸ tn See the note on “descendant” earlier in this verse.

[3:16]  sn A quotation from Gen 12:7; 13:15; 17:7; 24:7.