GAL 3:12 Interlinear View

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 3:1–14: We are justified by believing, not by obeying the law

In this section, Paul contrasted “doing” and “believing.” He began by rebuking the Galatians because they had forgotten something. They had forgotten that they had been made right with God (justified) and had received the Holy Spirit by believing. They should not then begin to do/obey the law to be made right with God.

Being made right with God (justification) has always been an issue of believing. Abraham himself was justified because he believed. People who are Abraham’s children are those who believe. They are the ones who are blessed. People who try to be made right with God by obeying the law are cursed, because no one can obey the entire law.

Paul wanted the Galatians to change their ways. He was convinced that if they thought about their actions and understood the truth, they would change.

Some other examples for a heading for this section are:

Justification by Law or by Faith? (NET)

Law or Faith

Paragraph 3:10–14

In this paragraph, Paul stated that people who want to be justified through obedience to the law are under a curse. But Christ freed us from the curse of the law by his death on the cross. People who have faith in Christ receive a blessing instead of a curse. It was God’s purpose that by faith the Gentiles would share in the blessing of Abraham and receive the Spirit.

3:12a

The law, however, is not based on faith;

But obeying the law is not a matter of believing in God,
There is a difference between the person who obeys the law and the person who believes in God.
Faith does not go together with obeying the law.

The law, however, is not based on faith: In 3:12, Paul developed his argument that a person who is righteous by faith will live. He did this by stating that faith and the law do not go together. Paul introduced this contrast between “faith” (in 3:11b) and the law (in 3:12) by beginning this verse with a Greek conjunction that the BSB translates as however. Here are some other ways to introduce this contrast:

But (ESV)

Yet (NKJV)

Some English versions, such as the NIV and the NLT, do not explicitly show this contrast with a conjunction. In some languages, no conjunction will be necessary here either. Connect 3:12a to 3:11b in a way that is natural in your language.

The law…is not based on faith: The word law refers to “obeying/keeping the law in order to be made right with God.” So this clause means that obeying the law is not a matter of faith/believing/trusting in Jesus. As the next clause says, obeying the law is a matter of what a person “does.” The law focuses only on doing things. The law excludes faith.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

The law does not depend on faith (NAB)

obeying the law is not a matter of having faith in God/Jesus.

Belief does not go together with obeying the law.

There is a difference between obeying the law and believing.

faith: See faith, Meaning 1 in the Glossary.

3:12b

on the contrary,

rather, it is a matter of doing/obedience, as the Scripture says,
Instead of believing, the law is based on obedience. It is written in Scripture,
It is written in the Scripture,

on the contrary: There is a contrast between 3:12a and 3:12b–c. The contrast is between what the law is not (it is not of faith), and what the law is (it is doing/obeying the commandments). Languages have different ways to indicate this negative-positive type of contrast.One of the functions of the Greek conjunction ἀλλά is to signal this negative-positive type of contrast. Some of the ways are:

With the conjunction “but.”
With a conjunction other than “but.” This is a common way in English to show this type of contrast. For example:
rather (ESV)
on the contrary (BSB, NIV)
Instead (GNT)
With no conjunction. For example:
^aThe Law isn’t based on faith. ^cIt promises life only to people who obey its commands. (CEV)

In some languages, it may be necessary to include some implicit information to make this contrast more understandable. For example:

On the contrary, it is a matter of doing/obeying

Instead of faith, the law is based on obedience to it

3:12c

“The man who does these things will live by them.”

“The person who does/obeys laws will live well because of them.”
“He who does/obeys all the commandments in the law of Moses will have real/eternal life because of the commandments he obeys.”
“The person who obeys the laws will sit/walk well because he obeyed them.”

Verse 3:12c is a quote from Leviticus 18:5. In some languages, it may be good to make explicit that this is a quote from the Old Testament. For example:

as the scripture says (GNT)

Paul quoted this Scripture to support his statement that obeying the law does not include faith. The law has always focused on what a person does.

The man who does these things will live by them: The phrase does these things means “does/obeys the commandments in the law of Moses.” The phrase will live by them means “will live well because of obeying these laws.” People who diligently obeyed all the laws of Moses would find a good life both here on earth and eternally.

Some other ways to translate this quote are:

He who does/obeys all the commandments will have a good life because he obeyed them.

Whoever does everything the Law requires will live. (GNT)

A person who obeys these things will live because of them. (NCV)

If you wish to find life by obeying the law, you must obey all of its commands. (NLT96)

The man who: This is a way to refer to people in general. You should use a natural way in your language to make a general statement.

Some possible ways are:

The person/people who

Anyone who

You who

He who

will live by them: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as will live by them means “will live well because of obeying these laws.” In the context of Leviticus, these words probably meant that people who diligently obeyed all the laws would find a good life here on earth. They would have peace within their community, and God would bless them. But this phrase could also refer to an eternal life with God.Moo says, “The ‘life’ in view here, as typically in the Pentateuch in these kinds of texts, is the blessing of God’s covenant promises: health, fruitful crops, security in the land (‘a happy life in which a man enjoys God’s bounty of health, children, friends, and prosperity’…). This verse is frequently quoted later in the OT and in Judaism with a similar purpose; in places it takes on a more spiritual interpretation of ‘life,’ even at times explicitly eternal life…” (p. 208).

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

will live because of them (NCV)

will live because of the laws he obeys (GW)

will have a good life because he did/obeyed all the laws

As with the words “will live” in 3:11b, languages have many ways to talk about will live here. Some other ways that languages may translate this phrase are:

will sit/stay well because he obeyed the laws

will walk well because of obeying the laws

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-words-phrases

δὲ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὁ Δέ νόμος οὐκ ἐστίν ἐκ πίστεως ἀλλʼ Ὁ ποιήσας αὐτά ζήσεται ἐν αὐτοῖς)

The word Now indicates that Paul is introducing new information into his argument and it also indicates that Paul is introducing information that will be in contrast with his statement in [3:11](../03/11.md), that the law is not able to justify a person. Use a natural form in your language for indicating these things. Alternate translation: [And]

Note 2 topic: grammar-collectivenouns

ὁ & νόμος

the & law

See how you translated the phrase the law in [2:16](../02/016.md).

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

ἐκ πίστεως

of faith

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of faith, you could express the same idea with a verb such as “believing,” or you could express the meaning in some other way that is natural in your language.

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ὁ & νόμος οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ πίστεως

the & law not (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὁ Δέ νόμος οὐκ ἐστίν ἐκ πίστεως ἀλλʼ Ὁ ποιήσας αὐτά ζήσεται ἐν αὐτοῖς)

Here, the phrase the law is not by faith means that the law of Moses is not based on faith. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate that explicitly. Alternate translation: [the law of Moses is not founded on faith] or [the law of Moses is not dependent upon faith]

Note 5 topic: grammar-connect-logic-contrast

ἀλλ’

but

What follows the word but here is indicating a contrast between law and faith. Use a natural way in your language for introducing a contrast.

Note 6 topic: writing-quotations

ἀλλ’

but

The phrase The one doing these things will live in them is a quotation from Leviticus 18:5. Use a natural way of introducing direct quotations from an important or sacred text. Alternate translation: [but as it is written in Scripture]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

αὐτὰ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὁ Δέ νόμος οὐκ ἐστίν ἐκ πίστεως ἀλλʼ Ὁ ποιήσας αὐτά ζήσεται ἐν αὐτοῖς)

The phrase “these things” refers to God’s statutes and laws, which are mentioned in the first part of Leviticus 18:5. Here Paul is citing the second half of Leviticus 18:5. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate explicitly in your translation to what “these things” refers. Alternate translation: [these laws and statutes of mine] or [my law and statutes]

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ζήσεται ἐν αὐτοῖς

˓will_be˒_living by them

Here, the word in means “by” and refers to the means by which a person will live, namely by doing them. The word them refers to “all the things written in the Book of the Law,” mentioned in [3:10](../03/10.md). If it would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate these things explicitly. Alternate translation: [will live because they do them] or [will live by obeying them]

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.

Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.