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OET (OET-LV) And I_am_saying this:
the_covenant having_been_previously_ratified by the god, the after four_hundred and thirty years having_become law is_ not _annulling, as_in_order that to_nullify the promise.
OET (OET-RV) So what I’m telling you is that the agreement with Abraham that was previously ratified by God was not annulled 430 years later when the law was given to Mosheh, and nor was the promise nullified,
This section has two parts. In the first part (3:15–18), Paul explained what the law was not intended to do. It was not intended to cancel or replace the blessing that God had promised to give to Abraham.
In the second part (3:19–25), Paul explained what the law was meant to do, how it was given, and how it was limited. It was limited as to what it could accomplish in people’s lives. And it was limited as to the time period during which it would govern God’s people.
Some other examples for a heading for this section are:
The law and the promise
The promise preceded the law
The law does not change the promise
What I mean is this:
My point is this: (REB)
Here is the meaning of my example:
Here is what I want you to understand:
In this verse Paul gave his spiritual application of the human example. He said (in 3:15) that a human document could not be changed. In the same way, God’s covenant promises cannot be changed. God established and ratified the covenant long before the law was given. This means that “believing” came before “doing/obeying” the law.
What I mean is this: This clause introduces the thing that Paul wanted to explain to the Galatians when he gave his human example (in 3:15b).
Some other ways to translate this clause are:
Here is the meaning of my example
The thing that I want you to understand about God’s promise to Abraham is thi
Here is what I want you to understand
(reordered) God made a covenant with Abraham and promised to keep it. The Law, which was given four hundred and thirty years later, cannot break that covenant and cancel God’s promise. (GNT)
Before you translate 3:17b–d, consider what is the most natural order in your language for these clauses. In some languages, it will be natural to change the order. Compare the order of the clause in the BSB and GNT below:
bThe law that came 430 years later cdoes not revoke the covenant previously established by God, dso as to nullify the promise. (BSB)
cGod made a covenant with Abraham and promised to keep it. bThe Law, which was given four hundred and thirty years later, ccannot break that covenant dand cancel God’s promise. (GNT)
The law that came 430 years later
The law came 430 years after the covenant/promise.
God made a covenant/agreement with Abraham. Then 430 years later he gave the law to Moses.
The law that came 430 years later: This clause means that God gave the law to Moses 430 years after God made his covenant with Abraham. God established the covenant first. Much later he gave the law.
Some other ways to translate this clause are:
The law was given to Moses 430 years after God established the covenant with Abraham.
God gave the covenant to Abraham 430 years before he gave the law.
God made his promise with Abraham first. Then, 430 years later, he gave the law of Moses for the people.
does not revoke the covenant previously established by God,
The law does not cancel the contract that God had already made
The law does not set aside the agreement that God had already promised.
does not revoke: The Greek word that the BSB translates as revoke is a different word than the word that the BSB translates as “canceled” in 3:15b. But the meaning is very similar. Many English versions translate the two Greek words with the same English word or expression.
Some other ways to translate this clause are:
does not cancel/break
cannot set aside
the covenant: This word refers to the agreement/promise that God made with Abraham. This same word occurs in 3:15b. If possible, use the same term here as you did there.
In some languages, it will be necessary to use one word for a human covenant and another word or term for a covenant that God makes. When God made a covenant with Abraham, he did not sign a paper.
Some other ways to translate this word are:
a contract
a promise
the agreement
See covenant in the Glossary.
previously established by God: The Greek word that the BSB translates as established is the same word used in 3:15b. God had ratified or established his covenant with Abraham (before he gave the law). He established it by verbally promising to keep it.
Some other ways to translate this clause are:
that God made
and promised to keep it (GNT)
that God sealed
In this verse, you should not translate established with a word that only refers to signing an agreement. God did not literally sign an agreement with Abraham.
so as to nullify the promise.
and destroy/break his promise.
The law did not cause God to break his promise.
so as to nullify the promise: The Greek word that the BSB translates as nullify means “cancel,” “destroy,” or “abolish.” The law did not break or cancel God’s promise with Abraham. This implies that the covenant promises are still in effect.
Some other ways to translate this clause are:
and cancel God’s promise (GNT)
and break the agreement
The clause “revoke the covenant” in 3:17c is similar to “nullify the promise” in 3:17d. In some languages, both clauses can be translated as one. The one clause is underlined below.
The laws given to Moses 430 years after God had already put his promise to Abraham into effect didn’t cancel the promise to Abraham. (GW)
δὲ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: τοῦτο Δέ λέγω διαθήκην προκεκυρωμένην ὑπό τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁ μετά τετρακοσία καί τριάκοντα ἔτη γεγονώς νόμος οὐκ ἀκυροῖ εἰς τό καταργῆσαι τήν ἐπαγγελίαν)
Alternate translation: [And]
Note 1 topic: grammar-collectivenouns
ὁ & νόμος
the & law
See how you translated the phrase “the law” in [2:16](../02/016.md).
Note 2 topic: translate-numbers
τετρακόσια καὶ τριάκοντα ἔτη
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: τοῦτο Δέ λέγω διαθήκην προκεκυρωμένην ὑπό τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁ μετά τετρακοσία καί τριάκοντα ἔτη γεγονώς νόμος οὐκ ἀκυροῖ εἰς τό καταργῆσαι τήν ἐπαγγελίαν)
Alternate translation: [four hundred and thirty years]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive
προκεκυρωμένην ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ
˓having_been˒_previously_ratified (Some words not found in SR-GNT: τοῦτο Δέ λέγω διαθήκην προκεκυρωμένην ὑπό τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁ μετά τετρακοσία καί τριάκοντα ἔτη γεγονώς νόμος οὐκ ἀκυροῖ εἰς τό καταργῆσαι τήν ἐπαγγελίαν)
If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: [which God established previously]
Note 4 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result
εἰς τὸ καταργῆσαι
˱as˲_in_order (Some words not found in SR-GNT: τοῦτο Δέ λέγω διαθήκην προκεκυρωμένην ὑπό τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁ μετά τετρακοσία καί τριάκοντα ἔτη γεγονώς νόμος οὐκ ἀκυροῖ εἰς τό καταργῆσαι τήν ἐπαγγελίαν)
Here, the word to introduces what the result would have been if the law had set aside the covenant previously established by God. Use a natural form in your language for introducing a result. Alternate translation: [so as to nullify]
3:17 Just as irrevocable agreements cannot be canceled (3:15), the terms of God’s covenant with Abraham were not changed by the giving of the law.
• 430 years: See study note on Exod 12:40.
OET (OET-LV) And I_am_saying this:
the_covenant having_been_previously_ratified by the god, the after four_hundred and thirty years having_become law is_ not _annulling, as_in_order that to_nullify the promise.
OET (OET-RV) So what I’m telling you is that the agreement with Abraham that was previously ratified by God was not annulled 430 years later when the law was given to Mosheh, and nor was the promise nullified,
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.
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