GAL 3:18 Parallel Verse View

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Text critical issues=minor/spelling Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal Speaker(s)=Narrator (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, pink:genitive/possessor, cyan:dative/indirect object.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT For if the inheritance, is from the law, it is no longer from promise. But God has graciously given, it to Abraham through a promise.

UST I want you to know that if it is because we obey the laws God gave to the Jews that he gives to us what he has promised to give to us, then he would not be giving it because he had promised to do so. However, God kindly gave to Abraham what he had promised to give to him, just because God had promised that he would give it to him. Similarly, it is not because we obey God’s laws that God kindly gives to us what he has promised to give to us.

BSB & MSB For if the inheritance depends on [the] law, [then it] no longer depends on a promise; but God freely granted [it] to Abraham through a promise.

BLB For if the inheritance is by the Law, it is no longer by a promise. But God has granted it to Abraham through a promise.

AICNT For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God granted it to Abraham by a promise.

OEB If our heritage is the result of Law, then it has ceased to be the result of a promise. Yet God conferred it on Abraham by a promise.

WEBBE & WMBB For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no more of promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by promise.

NET For if the inheritance is based on the law, it is no longer based on the promise, but God graciously gave it to Abraham through the promise.

LSV for if the inheritance [is] by law, [it is] no longer by promise, but God granted [it] to Abraham through promise.

FBV If the inheritance is derived from obedience to the law, it no longer comes from the promise. But God graciously gave it to Abraham by means of the promise.

TCNT For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by the promise; but God granted it to Abraham by a promise.

T4T Remember that if it is because we obey God’s laws that he gives to us what he has promised to give to us, then it is not just because he has promised that he would give those things to us. God freely gave to Abraham what he had promised to give to him, just because God had promised that he would give it to him. Similarly, it is not because we obey God’s laws that God gives to us what he has promised to give to us.

LEB For if the inheritance is from the law, it is no longer from the promise, but God graciously gave it to Abraham through the promise.

BBE Because if the heritage is by the law, it is no longer dependent on the word of God; but God gave it to Abraham by his word.

Moff If the Inheritance is due to law, it ceases to be due to promise. Now it was by a promise that God bestowed it on Abraham.

Wymth For if the inheritance comes through obedience to Law, it no longer comes because of a promise. But, as a matter of fact, God has granted it to Abraham in fulfilment of a promise.

ASV For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no more of promise: but God hath granted it to Abraham by promise.

DRA For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise. But God gave it to Abraham by promise.

YLT for if by law [be] the inheritance, [it is] no more by promise, but to Abraham through promise did God grant [it].

Drby For if the inheritance [be] on the principle of law, [it is] no longer on the principle of promise; but [fn]God gave it in grace to Abraham by promise.

3.18 Elohim

RV For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no more of promise: but God hath granted it to Abraham by promise.
(For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no more of promise: but God hath/has granted it to Abraham by promise.)

SLT For if of the law the inheritance, no more of promise: and God has favored Abraham by promise.

Wbstr For if the inheritance is by the law, it is no more by promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

KJB-1769 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

KJB-1611 For if the inheritance bee of the Law, it is no more of promise: but God gaue it to Abraham by promise.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from capitalisation)

Bshps For yf the inheritauce be of the lawe, then not nowe of promise: But God gaue it vnto Abraham by promise.
(For if the inheritance be of the law, then not now of promise: But God gave it unto Abraham by promise.)

Gnva For if the inheritance be of the Lawe, it is no more by the promise, but God gaue it freely vnto Abraham by promise.
(For if the inheritance be of the Law, it is no more by the promise, but God gave it freely unto Abraham by promise.)

Cvdl For yf the enheritaunce be gotten by the lawe, then is it not geuen by promes. But God gaue it frely vnto Abraham by promes.
(For if the inheritance be gotten by the law, then is it not given by promes. But God gave it freely unto Abraham by promes.)

TNT For yf the inheritaunce come of the lawe it cometh not of promes. But God gave it vnto Abraham by promes.
(For if the inheritance come of the law it cometh/comes not of promes. But God gave it unto Abraham by promes.)

Wycl For if eritage were of the lawe, it were not now of biheeste. But God grauntide to Abraham thoruy biheest.
(For if heritage were of the law, it were not now of biheeste. But God granted to Abraham through biheest.)

Luth Denn so das Erbe durch das Gesetz erworben würde, so würde es nicht durch Verheißung gegeben. GOtt aber hat es Abraham durch Verheißung frei geschenkt.
(Because so the heritage through the law acquired would, so would it not through promise(n) given. God but has it Abraham through promise(n) free gift(v).)

ClVg Nam si ex lege hæreditas, jam non ex promissione. Abrahæ autem per repromissionem donavit Deus.
(For/Surely when/but_if from lawfully inheritance, already not/no from with_a_promise. Abraham however through promise donated God.)

UGNT εἰ γὰρ ἐκ νόμου ἡ κληρονομία, οὐκέτι ἐξ ἐπαγγελίας; τῷ δὲ Ἀβραὰμ δι’ ἐπαγγελίας κεχάρισται ὁ Θεός.
(ei gar ek nomou haʸ klaʸronomia, ouketi ex epangelias; tōi de Abraʼam di’ epangelias keⱪaristai ho Theos.)

SBL-GNT εἰ γὰρ ἐκ νόμου ἡ κληρονομία, οὐκέτι ἐξ ἐπαγγελίας· τῷ δὲ Ἀβραὰμ διʼ ἐπαγγελίας κεχάρισται ὁ θεός.
(ei gar ek nomou haʸ klaʸronomia, ouketi ex epangelias; tōi de Abraʼam diʼ epangelias keⱪaristai ho theos.)

RP-GNT Εἰ γὰρ ἐκ νόμου ἡ κληρονομία, οὐκέτι ἐξ ἐπαγγελίας· τῷ δὲ Ἀβραὰμ δι' ἐπαγγελίας κεχάρισται ὁ θεός.
(Ei gar ek nomou haʸ klaʸronomia, ouketi ex epangelias; tōi de Abraʼam di' epangelias keⱪaristai ho theos.)

TC-GNT εἰ γὰρ ἐκ νόμου ἡ κληρονομία, οὐκέτι ἐξ ἐπαγγελίας· τῷ δὲ Ἁβραὰμ δι᾽ ἐπαγγελίας κεχάρισται ὁ Θεός.
(ei gar ek nomou haʸ klaʸronomia, ouketi ex epangelias; tōi de Habraʼam di epangelias keⱪaristai ho Theos.)

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, orange:accents differ, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).

SOTN 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

3:18a–b

For: Verse 3:18 is an explanation of 3:15–17. In this verse Paul explained why the law cannot cancel God’s promises. The Greek introduces this explanation with a conjunction that the BSB translates as For.

Another way to introduce this explanation is:

I say this because

Some English versions do not translate this conjunction. In some languages, it will not be necessary to translate this conjunction either.

if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise: This sentence has a special type of “if” clause. In this “if” clause, Paul stated the opposite of what is true. The truth is that the inheritance (blessing) does not come by obeying the law. If it did come by the law, that would cancel the promise.

Some languages have a special way to translate this type of “if” sentence. Some examples are listed below. After the examples, each part of this verse is discussed.

Some ways to translate this sentence are:

Use an “if” clause that indicates the opposite of what is true. For example:
If we received the inheritance by obeying the law (but we do not), then we would not receive it by God’s promise.
If we inherit/receive what God gives because we obey the law, then we do not receive it because God promised it to us, but because of what we do.
Express the meaning without using an “if” clause. For example:
God does not bless people because they obey the law. He blesses them because he promised to do it.

3:18a

For if the inheritance depends on the law,

For if the inheritance could be received by keeping the law, (NLT)
If we have to obey the Law in order to receive God’s blessings, (CEV)
I say this because inheriting/receiving God’s blessing does not depend on obeying the law. If it did,

if the inheritance: In the Old Testament, the word inheritance referred to inheriting/receiving the Promised Land. When God gave the Jews the land, it showed his favor and blessing. Paul used this word to refer to God’s blessing in giving his people salvation. God’s people receive this inheritance/blessing as a result of his promise to bless them through Jesus, the special descendant of Abraham.

Some other ways to translate this word are:

if inheriting God’s blessings

If…God’s blessings (CEV)

if we received God’s blessing

if God’s gift (GNT)

The word inheritance does not refer to a human inheritance that is passed on to a person’s descendants after he dies.

depends on the law: This clause means that the inheritance “comes by keeping the law of Moses.”

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

is based on the law (NET)

could be received by keeping the law (NLT)

comes from obeying the law of Moses

because we obey the law

3:18b

then it no longer depends on a promise;

then it would not be the result of accepting God’s promise. (NLT)
those blessings don’t really come to us because of God’s promise. (CEV)
it would not depend on God’s promise. It would depend on doing something.

then it no longer depends on a promise: Here the pronoun it refers to the inheritance. The word promise refers to God’s promise to bless people through Abraham.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

then the inheritance does not come to us because God promised it

then we do not receive/inherit God’s blessings because he promised it, but because of what we have done

3:18c

but God freely granted it to Abraham through a promise.

But God kindly gave the inheritance to Abraham by/through a promise.
But Abraham received the blessing because God promised to bless him.
But God was kind and gave Abraham a blessing because he had made a promise.

but: There is a contrast between 3:18a–b and 3:18c. The contrast is between the way that the inheritance would not come (in 3:18b) and the way it actually came (in 3:18c). The BSB indicates this contrast with the conjunction but.

God freely granted it to Abraham through a promise: The Greek verb that the BSB translates as freely granted means “graciously/kindly gave.” God kindly gave the inheritance to Abraham simply because he promised it to him. This truth proves that the inheritance does not depend on obeying the law.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

God kindly gave the blessing/gift to Abraham because he made a promise to give it to him

it was because of his promise that God gave that gift to Abraham (GNT)

God was kind and gave Abraham a blessing because he promised it to him

UTN uW Translation Notes:

εἰ & ἐκ & ἡ κληρονομία, οὐκέτι ἐξ

if & by & the inheritance_‹is› no_longer_‹it_is› by

Alternate translation: [if the inheritance is from … then it is no longer from]

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἡ κληρονομία

the inheritance_‹is›

Paul speaks of God’s blessings to those who believe in him as if they were an inheritance. If your readers would not understand what inheritance means in this context, you could use an equivalent metaphor from your culture. Alternatively, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [the blessing] or [God’s blessing]

ἐκ νόμου & οὐκέτι ἐξ

by ˓the˒_law & no_longer_‹it_is› by

Alternate translation: [is by the law, it is no longer by] or [is based on the law, it is no longer based on] or [comes from the law, it no longer comes from]

Note 2 topic: grammar-collectivenouns

νόμου

˓the˒_law

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

Note 3 topic: grammar-connect-logic-contrast

δὲ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἰ Γάρ ἐκ νόμου ἡ κληρονομία οὐκέτι ἐξ ἐπαγγελίας τῷ δέ Ἀβραάμ διʼ ἐπαγγελίας κεχάρισται ὁ Θεός)

What follows the word But here is in contrast to the idea that the inheritance is from the law. Instead, Paul points out that the inheritance is based on God’s promise. Use a natural way in your language for introducing a contrast. Alternate translation: [Rather]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

κεχάρισται

˓has˒_granted_‹it›

Here, the word it refers to the inheritance mentioned earlier in this verse. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate that explicitly. Alternate translation: [has graciously given the inheritance]

δι’

through

Here, the word through is indicating means and is introducing the means through which God gave the inheritance … to Abraham, namely through a promise. Use a natural form in your language for indicating the means by which something happens.

Parallel GAL 3:18

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

3:18a–b

3:18a

3:18b

3:18c