OET interlinear GAL 3:19

3:19a

Why then was the law given?: This is a rhetorical question. Paul used this rhetorical question to begin a new section. He had just talked about the things that the law cannot do. Here he stated the purpose of the law.

Some ways to translate this rhetorical question are:

• As a rhetorical question. For example:

  What purpose then does the law serve? (NKJV)

  What, then, was the purpose of the Law? (GNT)

• As a statement. For example:

  So, here is the purpose/function of the law.

Use whichever form is most natural in your language to call someone to think.

then: The Greek word that the BSB translates as then connects 3:19a to the previous section. The previous section shows that God blessed Abraham because of a promise. He did not bless him because he obeyed the law. (The law had not yet been given.) That being the case, the logical question is, “Why was the law given?” For example:

Since God blessed Abraham because of a promise, then what is the purpose of the law?

So, if that’s the case, what is the function of the law?

So what was the law for? (NCV)

3:19b

It was added: This clause means that God gave the law in addition to the covenant/promise. It was added many years later.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

The law was added to the covenant

It was given later (CEV)

God also gave the law to people

because of transgressions: There are several ways to interpret the phrase that the BSB translates as because of transgressions. Two of the main ways are:

1. The purpose of the law is to define transgressions/sins. It identifies sin and tells us what sin is. For example:

   in order to show what wrongdoing is (GNT)

   to show people their sins (NLT) (GNT, NLT, GW, CEV)

2. The purpose of the law is to deal with transgressions/sins. The law told the Jews what sacrifices to make to atone for their sins. It also told them what the punishment was for sin. For example:

   to deal with crimes (NJB) (NJB)

It is recommended that you choose interpretation (1). In the previous section, Paul told the Galatians what the law could not do. It is unlikely that he would now tell them that the law can deal with sin (interpretation (2)).

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

to make known sin

to tell us what sin is

transgressions: The Greek word that the BSB translates as transgressions means “wrongdoing,” “disobedience,” or “sins.” For example:

sins (NLT)

3:19c

until the arrival of the seed: This clause indicates how long the law was in effect. It indicates that the law had an end point. It was in force until the seed (Christ) came. This statement would have surprised the Jews. They expected the law to last forever.

The word that the BSB translates as seed is the same word that Paul used in 3:16. It refers to Jesus Christ the offspring or descendant of Abraham. You should translate it in the same way here.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

And the law continued until the descendant came

The law was valid until Christ, that descendant of Abraham had come

God wanted people to obey the law until Christ, the descendant of Abraham came

3:19d

to whom the promise referred: In Greek this phrase is more literally “to whom the promise has been made.” This clause repeats part of 3:16a, “The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed.” This is a relative clause. In some languages, it will be necessary to make this a separate sentence.

This clause is passive in Greek. Some ways to translate it are:

• Use a passive verb. For example:

  The promise had been made to this descendant.

• Use an active verb. For example:

  God had made a promise to this descendant of Abraham.

  This is the descendant to whom God had made a promise.

3:19e

It was administered through angels: The pronoun It refers to the law. The words administered mean “commanded” or “ordered.” You should use a term that is natural to describe “establishing” a law.

This clause indicates how the law is inferior to the promise. God gave the law to men. But he did not give it directly. He gave it to angels. Then angels gave it to Moses. Then Moses gave it to the people.

This is a passive clause. God is the one who put the law into effect through the angels. Some ways to translate this clause are:

• As a passive clause:

  The law was put in place through angels

  The Law was handed down by angels (GNT)

  The law was given through angels (NCV)

• As an active clause:

  God gave his law through angels (NLT)

through angels: It is not stated in Exodus that the law was given to Moses through angels. However, in Acts 7:38 and 7:53, Stephen mentions that the law was given through an angel speaking on God’s behalf.

The word angel first occurs in 1:8a. See also angel in the Glossary.

by a mediator: The word that the BSB translates as mediator refers to an “in-between person” or an “intermediary.” A mediator stands between two people. Moses was the mediator whom God used to give his law. The use of a mediator also shows that the law was inferior to the promise.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

by a middleman

using a go-between

who used Moses for a mediator to give the law to people (NCV)

to Moses, and he gave it to the people (CEV)