Galatians 3:22

But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
But	ἀλλὰ alla	G235	properly · conjunction
scripture	γραφὴ graphē	G1124	a document · noun — nominative singular feminine
concluded	συνέκλεισεν sunekleisen	G4788	to shut together · verb — aorist active indicative, 3rd person singular
all	πάντα panta	G3956	all · adjective — accusative plural neuter
under	ὑπὸ hupo	G5259	under · preposition
sin	ἁμαρτίαν, hamartian	G266	a sin (properly abstract) · noun — accusative singular feminine
that	ἵνα ina	G2443	compare G3588 (ὁ)) · conjunction
promise	ἐπαγγελία epangelia	G1860	an announcement (for information · noun — nominative singular feminine
by	ἐκ ek	G1537	literal or figurative · preposition
faith	πίστεως pisteōs	G4102	persuasion · noun — genitive singular feminine
Jesus	Ἰησοῦ Iēsou	G2424	Jesus (i.e. Jehoshua) · noun — genitive singular masculine, a proper name
Christ	Χριστοῦ Christou	G5547	anointed · noun — genitive singular masculine, a title
given	δοθῇ dothēa	G1325	to give (used in a very wide application · verb — aorist passive subjunctive, 3rd person singular
that	ἡ hē	G3588	the (sometimes to be supplied · article — nominative singular feminine
believe	πιστεύουσιν.¶ pisteuousin	G4100	to have faith (in · verb — present active participle, dative plural masculine

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Romans 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
Hebrews 9:15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under…
John 11:25-26 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
Galatians 3:23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
1 John 2:25 And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.
John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on hi…
Romans 3:9-20 What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;
Romans 5:20-21 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Galatians 3:19–end

The apostle having just before been speaking of the promise made to Abraham, and representing that as the rule of our justification, and not the law, lest they should think he did too much derogate from the law, and render it altogether useless, he thence takes occasion to discourse of the design and tendency of it, and to acquaint us for what purposes it was given. It might be asked, "If that promise be sufficient for salvation, wherefore then serveth the law? Or, Why did God give the law by Moses?" To this he answers, I. The law was added because of transgressions, Gal 3:19. It was not designed to disannul the promise, and to establish a different way of justification from that which was s…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Galatians 3:22

But--as the law cannot give life or righteousness [ALFORD]. Or the "But" means, So far is righteousness from being of the law, that the knowledge of sin is rather what comes of the law [BENGEL]. the scripture--which began to be written after the time of the promise, at the time when the law was given. The written letter was needed SO as PERMANENTLY to convict man of disobedience to God's command. Therefore he says, "the Scripture," not the "Law." Compare Gal 3:8, "Scripture," for "the God of the Scripture." concluded--"shut up," under condemnation, as in a prison. Compare Isa 24:22, "As prisoners gathered in the pit and shut up in the prison." Beautifully contrasted with "the liberty whe…

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Adam Clarke on Galatians 3:22

But the scripture hath concluded - All the writings of the prophets have uniformly declared that men are all sinners, and the law declares the same by the continual sacrifices which it prescribes. All, therefore have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; and, being tried and found guilty, συνεκλεισεν ἡ γραφη, the Scripture hath shut them up - put them in prison, and locked them up, till the time should come in which the sentence of the law should be executed upon them: (See Rom 3:9-20, and the notes there; and particularly Rom 11:32 (note), where the apostle uses the same metaphor, and which in the note is particularly explained.) That the promise of justification, by faith of Jesus C…

The Church Fathers

Law without grace, then, can expose disease but cannot heal. It can reveal the wounds but does not administer the remedy. But so that the law's precepts may be fulfilled, grace provides assistance within.
— Fulgentius of Ruspe, ON THE TRUTH OF PREDESTINATION 1.41

For those who are proud it is useful to be more closely bound under sin, so that they would not presume on free will for the performance of righteousness, as though upon their own strength.
— Augustine of Hippo, ON THE GRACE OF CHRIST 9

Whose grace, if not of that God from whom also came the law? Unless it be, forsooth, that the Creator intercalated His law for the mere purpose of producing some employment for the grace of a rival god, an enemy to Himself (I had almost said, a god unknown to Him), "that as sin had" in His own dispensation "reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto (eternal) life by Jesus Christ," His own antagonist! For this (I suppose it was, that) the law of the Creator had "concluded all under sin," and had brought in "all the world as guilty (before God)," and had "stopped every mouth," so that none could glory through it, in order that grace might be maintained to the glory of the Christ, not of the Creator, but of Marcion! I may here anticipate a remark about the substance of Christ, in the prospect of a question which will now turn up.
— Tertullian, Against Marcion Book V

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Law of Moses — Is the whole body of the Mosaic legislation (1 Kings 2:3; 2 Kings 23:25; Ezra 3:2). It is called by way of eminence simply “the Law” (Heb. Torah, Deut. 1:5; 4:8, 44; 17:18, 19; 27:3, 8). As a written…
Scripture — Invariably in the New Testament denotes that definite collection of sacred books, regarded as given by inspiration of God, which we usually call the Old Testament (2 Tim. 3:15, 16; John 20:9; Gal.…
Sin — Is “any want of conformity unto or transgression of the law of God” (1 John 3:4; Rom. 4:15), in the inward state and habit of the soul, as well as in the outward conduct of the life, whether by…
Depravity Of Man · 7:17;12:34,35;15:19; — 7:17;12:34,35;15:19;
Faith · 10:20;14:32;26:3;30:15;57:13; — 10:20;14:32;26:3;30:15;57:13;
Fall Of Man, The · All men partake of the effects of — All men partake of the effects of
Justification · 23:6; — 23:6;
Promises Of God, The · Are: Given to those who believe — Are: Given to those who believe
Sin · Scripture concludes all under — Scripture concludes all under

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Galatians 3:22

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Galatians 3:19–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Galatians 3:22

Adam Clarke on Galatians 3:22

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Galatians 3:22

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Galatians 3:19–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Galatians 3:22

Adam Clarke on Galatians 3:22

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Gill on Galatians 3:22

John Calvin on Galatians 3:19-22

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Galatians 3:22