GAL 3:23 Interlinear View

1. Greek word
2. Greek lemma
3. OET-LV words
4. OET-RV words
5. Strongs
6. Role/Morphology
7. OET Gloss
8. VLT Gloss
9. CAPS codes
10. Confidence
11. OET tags
12. OET word #
1. πρό
2. pro
3. before
4. -
5. 42530
6. P·······
7. before
8. before
9. -
10. Y58
11. 126772
1. τοῦ
2. ho
3. the time
4. -
5. 35880
6. R····GNS
7. the ‹time›
8. the ‹time›
9. -
10. Y58
11. 126773
1. Δέ
2. de
3. But
4. -
5. 11610
6. C·······
7. but
8. but
9. PS
10. Y58
11. 126774
1. ἐλθεῖν
2. erχomai
3. to come
4. -
5. 20640
6. VNAA····
7. ˓to˒ come
8. ˓to˒ come
9. -
10. Y58
11. 126775
1. τήν
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····AFS
7. ¬the
8. ¬the
9. -
10. Y58
11. 126776
1. πίστιν
2. pistis
3. faith
4. -
5. 41020
6. N····AFS
7. faith
8. faith
9. -
10. Y58
11. 126777
1. ὑπό
2. hupo
3. under
4. under
5. 52590
6. P·······
7. under
8. under
9. -
10. Y58
11. 126778
1. νόμον
2. nomos
3. +the law
4. -
5. 35510
6. N····AMS
7. ˓the˒ law
8. ˓the˒ law
9. -
10. Y58
11. 126779
1. ἐφρουρούμεθα
2. froureō
3. we were being guarded
4. guarded
5. 54320
6. VIIP1··P
7. ˱we˲ ˓were_being˒ guarded
8. ˱we˲ ˓were_being˒ guarded
9. -
10. Y58; R125554; Person=Paul; R125580; R126602; R126771; R126183; R126187; Person=Barnabas; R126206
11. 126780
1. συγκεκλεισμένοι
2. sugkleiō
3. -
4. -
5. 47880
6. VPEP·NMP
7. ˓having_been˒ imprisoned
8. ˓having_been˒ imprisoned
9. -
10. -
11. 126781
1. συγκλειόμενοι
2. sugkleiō
3. being imprisoned
4. law—imprisoned
5. 47880
6. VPPP·NMP
7. ˓being˒ imprisoned
8. ˓being˒ imprisoned
9. -
10. Y58; R125554; Person=Paul; R125580; R126602; R126771; R126183; R126187; Person=Barnabas; R126206
11. 126782
1. εἰς
2. eis
3. to
4. -
5. 15190
6. P·······
7. to
8. to
9. -
10. Y58
11. 126783
1. τήν
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····AFS
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y58
11. 126784
1. μέλλουσαν
2. mellō
3. going
4. -
5. 31950
6. VPPA·AFS
7. going
8. going
9. -
10. Y58; R126786
11. 126785
1. πίστιν
2. pistis
3. faith
4. -
5. 41020
6. N····AFS
7. faith
8. faith
9. -
10. Y58; F126785; F126787
11. 126786
1. ἀποκαλυφθῆναι
2. apokaluptō
3. to be revealed
4. revealed
5. 6010
6. VNAP····
7. ˓to_be˒ revealed
8. ˓to_be˒ revealed
9. -
10. Y58; R126786
11. 126787

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 3:15–25: The law did not cancel God’s promise to Abraham

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

Paragraph 3:23–25

In this paragraph, Paul’s main point is that we are sons of God through faith in Christ. The role of the law is finished because Christ has come. He pointed out that once people have become children of God, they are entitled to all the blessings of the new life in Christ. He reminded the Christians in Galatia that they became children of God through faith. Because they were now children of God there was no longer a dividing line between Jew or non-Jew, male or female, slave or free.

3:23a

Before this faith came,

¶ Before the way of faith came,
¶ Before the time arrived when people believe/trust in Christ,
¶ At the time when Christ in whom people should believe/trust had not yet come,

In 3:23, Paul continued his discussion about the law and the promise/faith. He connected this verse to the previous verses with a Greek conjunction that many English versions translate as “now.” In this context, “now” is not a time word.

The BSB has not translated this conjunction, and some other versions, such as the NIV and NLT, also do not translate it. In some languages, it will not be necessary to translate this conjunction either. Connect 3:23a to 3:22b in a way that is natural in your language.

Before this faith came: The word faith refers to “faith in Jesus Christ” (from 3:22b). So this clause refers to the time before people could be made right with God through faith/believing in Christ.

Another way to translate this clause is:

Before the way of faith in Christ came

In some languages, it is not natural to say that faith came. In other languages, faith must be translated as a verb. In those languages, some ways to translate this clause are:

before the time of believing/trusting in Christ

before the time arrived when people could believe/trust in Christ

When Christ in whom people should believe/trust had not yet come

See faith, Meaning 1 in the Glossary.

3:23b

we were held in custody under the law,

we were held by the law
the law was like a guard who kept us in prison.
we were like prisoners whom the law guarded.

we were held in custody under the law: The words held in custody mean “held captive,” “held prisoners,” “confined,” or “guarded.”

This is a passive clause. Some ways to translate this clause are:

As a passive clause. For example:
we were held prisoners by the law (NIV)
we were placed under guard by the law (NLT)
As an active clause. For example:
the Law kept us all locked up as prisoners (GNT)
The Law controlled us and kept us under its power (CEV)

This clause is also a figure of speech called personification. In this figure of speech, Paul spoke of the law as if it were a prison guard who guarded people in prison. In some languages, it is not natural to keep this personification. Some ways to translate this clause without using personification are:

the law was like a guard who held us in prison

we were like prisoners whom the law guarded

In your translation, do not use a word that implies “protected.”

3:23c

locked up until faith should be revealed.

as prisoners until the coming way of faith was made known.
The law controlled us until the time came when believing/trusting in Christ was shown to us.
It had power over us until the time came when God revealed/showed to us that we should/must believe in Christ.

locked up: The Greek word that the BSB translates as locked up is the same Greek word as in 3:22a, where the BSB translates it as “confined.” You should translate it in a similar way or in the same way as you did there. For example:

confined

under the power of

controlled

In some languages, it may be necessary to begin a new sentence here. For example:

We were locked up

The law kept us in prison

until faith should be revealed: This clause refers to a particular period of time. It is the time that lasted up to the time when God revealed/showed the way of faith in Christ. That time happened when Christ came. When it happened, the time ended during which people were prisoners to the law. The time of the law ended.

This is a passive clause. Some ways to translate this clause are:

Use a passive clause. For example:
until the coming way of faith in Christ was revealed
until the time came when believing/trusting in Christ was shown to us
as an active clause
until the time came when God revealed/showed to us that we should believe in Christ

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

τὴν πίστιν & τὴν μέλλουσαν πίστιν ἀποκαλυφθῆναι

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: πρό τοῦ Δέ ἐλθεῖν τήν πίστιν ὑπό νόμον ἐφρουρούμεθα συγκλειόμενοι εἰς τήν μέλλουσαν πίστιν ἀποκαλυφθῆναι)

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 “trust” or “believe,” or you could express the meaning in some other way that is natural in your language.

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

πρὸ τοῦ & ἐλθεῖν τὴν πίστιν

The phrase before the faith came means before faith in Jesus Christ came. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate that explicitly. Alternate translation: [before faith in Jesus Christ came]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / exclusive

ἐφρουρούμεθα

˱we˲_˓were_being˒_guarded

When Paul says we, he is including the Galatian believers, so we would be inclusive. Your language may require you to mark these forms.

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ὑπὸ νόμον ἐφρουρούμεθα, συνκλειόμενοι

Here, Paul is continuing the metaphor of the law that he began in the previous verse. The power that the law had over humans is spoken of as if the law were a prison guard holding people captive. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent metaphor from your culture. Alternatively, you could express the meaning plainly.

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ὑπὸ

Here, the word under means “under the authority of” or “under the jurisdiction of.” If it would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate that explicitly. Alternate translation: [under the authority of] or [under the jurisdiction of]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / personification

ὑπὸ νόμον ἐφρουρούμεθα, συνκλειόμενοι

Here, Paul is continuing his personification of the law that he began in the previous verse. Paul speaks of the law as though it were a jailer who held people captive and kept them imprisoned until the time when the coming faith in Jesus Christ would be revealed. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this meaning plainly.

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

ὑπὸ νόμον ἐφρουρούμεθα

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: [the law held us captive under its power]

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

συνκλειόμενοι

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. If you must state who did the action, the first half of the verse states that the law did it. Alternate translation: [and the law imprisoned us]

Note 9 topic: grammar-connect-logic-goal

εἰς τὴν μέλλουσαν πίστιν ἀποκαλυφθῆναι

to (Some words not found in SR-GNT: πρό τοῦ Δέ ἐλθεῖν τήν πίστιν ὑπό νόμον ἐφρουρούμεθα συγκλειόμενοι εἰς τήν μέλλουσαν πίστιν ἀποκαλυφθῆναι)

Here, the word until could: (1) refer to time and introduce the time at which people being imprisoned under the law would end, namely until the time when God would reveal Jesus Christ as an object of faith. Alternate translation: [until God would reveal the message about trusting in Christ that he was about to reveal] (2) be translated as “to” and be indicating the purpose for people being imprisoned under the law, namely so that people would be ready for the coming faith in Jesus Christ. Alternate translation: [in order to lead us to believe in the good news that God was about to reveal] or [in order that we might be ready to believe the good news concerning Christ, the news that God would later reveal]

Note 10 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

τὴν πίστιν & τὴν & πίστιν

The phrase the faith means “the faith in Jesus Christ.” If it would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate that explicitly. Alternate translation: [the faith in Jesus Christ … the faith in Jesus Christ came, which was]

Note 11 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

εἰς τὴν μέλλουσαν πίστιν ἀποκαλυφθῆναι

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: [until the faith came that God was about to reveal] or [until the faith that God would soon reveal came]

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.