GAL 3:7 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. Γινώσκετε
2. ginōskō
3. Be knowing
4. -
5. 10970
6. VMPA2··P
7. ˓be˒ knowing
8. ˓be˒ knowing
9. PS
10. Y58; R126368
11. 126449
1. Γινώσκεται
2. ginōskō
3. -
4. -
5. 10970
6. VIPP3··S
7. ˱it˲ ˓is˒ being_known
8. ˱it˲ ˓is˒ being_known
9. P
10. -
11. 126450
1. ἄρα
2. ara
3. consequently
4. -
5. 6860
6. C·······
7. consequently
8. consequently
9. -
10. Y58
11. 126451
1. ὅτι
2. hoti
3. that
4. -
5. 37540
6. C·······
7. that
8. that
9. -
10. Y58
11. 126452
1. οἱ
2. ho
3. the ones
4. -
5. 35880
6. R····NMP
7. the ‹ones›
8. the ‹ones›
9. -
10. Y58; F126456
11. 126453
1. ἐκ
2. ek
3. of
4. -
5. 15370
6. P·······
7. of
8. of
9. -
10. Y58
11. 126454
1. πίστεως
2. pistis
3. faith
4. faith
5. 41020
6. N····GFS
7. faith
8. faith
9. -
10. Y58
11. 126455
1. οὗτοι
2. houtos
3. these
4. -
5. 37780
6. E····NMP
7. these
8. these
9. -
10. Y58; R126453
11. 126456
1. εἰσίν
2. eimi
3. -
4. -
5. 15100
6. VIPA3··P
7. are
8. are
9. -
10. -
11. 126457
1. υἱοί
2. huios
3. +the sons
4. -
5. 52070
6. N····NMP
7. ˓the˒ sons
8. ˓the˒ sons
9. -
10. Y58
11. 126458
1. εἰσίν
2. eimi
3. are
4. -
5. 15100
6. VIPA3··P
7. are
8. are
9. -
10. Y58
11. 126459
1. Ἀβραάμ
2. abraam
3. of Abraʼam
4. Abraham
5. 110
6. N····GMS
7. ˱of˲ Abraʼam/(ʼAⱱrāhām)
8. ˱of˲ Abraham
9. U
10. Person=Abraham; Y58
11. 126460

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 3:6–9

The implied response to Paul’s rhetorical questions in 3:1–5 is that the Galatians received the Spirit by faith in Christ. Paul then talked about Abraham to support his case that salvation is by faith. Abraham was a familiar example of a person with great faith.

Paul explained that God accepted Abraham as righteous because of his faith. Salvation never depended on keeping the law.

3:7

In 3:7, Paul explained how his quotation from Genesis about Abraham related to the Galatians. Because the Galatians believed in Christ, they were spiritual descendants of Abraham. God considered both Abraham and the Galatians as righteous by means of faith.

In some languages, it may be more natural to change the order of parts of 3:7a and 3:7b. For example:

^aSo you should know that ^bthe true children of Abraham are ^athose who have faith. (NCV)

3:7a

Understand, then, that those who have faith

So, you^(plur) should know that it is those who have faith
So then, you^(plur) should understand that the people who believe in Christ
Therefore, know/understand that if you^(plur) trust in Christ,

Understand, then, that: These words are a command or encouragement to draw a conclusion from the example of Abraham and his faith.

Some other ways to translate these words are:

So you should know that (NCV)

And so, you should understand that (CEV)

those who have faith: This phrase means “it is those people who have faith” or “the people who believe in Christ.”

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

it is the people who have faith

the people who believe in Christ are the ones

if you believe

See faith, Meaning 1 in the Glossary for more information.

3:7b

are sons of Abraham.

who are the children of Abraham.
are counted/considered the true descendants of Abraham.
then you^(plur) are the real descendants of Abraham.

are sons of Abraham: The expression sons of Abraham is a figure of speech. It means “to be like Abraham.” The Galatians are like Abraham in that they have faith. Because of that faith, they are considered to be in the line of Abraham’s descendants.

All Jews are physical descendants of Abraham. But Paul did not consider them to be descendants of Abraham if they did not have faith. He focused on the spiritual relationship and not on the physical relationship.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

the true children of Abraham (NCV)

are counted as Abraham’s children

are children of Abraham

3:7a–b

(reordered) So you should know that the true children of Abraham are those who have faith. (NCV)

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

οἱ ἐκ πίστεως

the_‹ones› 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 “trust,” or you could express the meaning in some other way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: [those who believe]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

οἱ ἐκ πίστεως

the_‹ones› of faith

Your language may require you to state the object of faith. Here, the phrase by faith is probably a shortened way of saying “who by faith in Christ are trusting God to consider them righteous” or “who are trusting God to consider them righteous because they believe in Christ.” Here, the phrase by faith is equivalent or similar in meaning to the phrase “by faith in Christ” in [2:16](../02/16.md), where it occurs in the phrase “we also believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by faith in Christ.” If it would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate the meaning explicitly here. Alternate translation: [the ones who by faith in Christ are trusting God to consider them righteous] or [the ones who are trusting God to consider them righteous because they believe in Christ]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

υἱοί & Ἀβραὰμ

˓the˒_sons & (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Γινώσκετε ἄρα ὅτι οἱ ἐκ πίστεως οὗτοι υἱοί εἰσίν Ἀβραάμ)

People who have faith in God, as Abraham did, are here spoken of as if they were Abraham’s sons. Paul does not mean that people who have faith in God are Abraham’s biological descendants but, rather, he is saying that they share a spiritual similarity to him because they believe in God. Therefore Paul calls them sons of Abraham. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly or use a simile.

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations

υἱοί

˓the˒_sons

Although the term sons is masculine, Paul is using the word here in a generic sense that includes both men and women. Alternate translation: [children]

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.

OET interlinear GAL 3:7