GAL 3:24 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor.
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 So the law became our guardian until Christ, so that we might be justified by faith.

UST Like a father supervises his immature child by appointing a servant to take care of that child, God was supervising us by his laws until the Messiah came. He did this in order that he might now declare us righteous in his sight only because we trust in the Messiah.

BLB so that the Law has become our trainer unto Christ, so that we might be justified by faith.

AICNT So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.

OEB Thus the Law has proved a guide to lead us to Christ, in order that we may be pronounced righteous as the result of faith.

WEBBE So that the law has become our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

WMBB So that the law has become our tutor to bring us to Messiah, that we might be justified by faith.

NET Thus the law had become our guardian until Christ, so that we could be declared righteous by faith.

LSV so that the Law became our tutor—to Christ, that we may be declared righteous by faith,

FBV The law was our guardian until Christ came, so that we could be made right by trusting him.

TCNT The law, then, was our guardian until Christ came, so that we could be justified by faith.

T4T Like a father supervises his immature son by appointing a servant to take care of him [MET], God was supervising us by his laws [MET, PRS] until Christ came. He did this in order that he might erase the record of our sins only because we trust Christ.

LEB So then, the law became our guardian until Christ, in order that we could be justified by faith.

BBE So the law has been a servant to take us to Christ, so that we might have righteousness by faith.

Moff the Law thus held us as wards in discipline, till such time as Christ came, that we might be justified by faith.

Wymth So that the Law has acted the part of a tutor-slave to lead us to Christ, in order that through faith we may be declared to be free from guilt.

ASV So that the law is become our tutor to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

DRA Wherefore the law was our pedagogue in Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

YLT so that the law became our child-conductor — to Christ, that by faith we may be declared righteous,

Drby So that the law has been our tutor up to Christ, that we might be justified on the principle of faith.

RV So that the law hath been our tutor to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
(So that the law hath/has been our tutor to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. )

SLT So that the law was our preceptor towards Christ, that we might be justified from faith.

Wbstr Wherefore the law was our school-master to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

KJB-1769 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
(Wherefore the law was our shoelmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. )

KJB-1611 Wherefore the Law was our Schoolemaster to bring vs vnto Christ, that we might be iustified by Faith.
(Wherefore the Law was our Schoolemaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by Faith.)

Bshps Wherfore, the lawe was our scholemaister vnto Christe, that we shoulde be iustified by fayth.
(Wherefore, the law was our scholemaister unto Christ, that we should be justified by faith.)

Gnva Wherefore the Lawe was our scholemaster to bring vs to Christ, that we might be made righteous by faith.
(Wherefore the Law was our scholemaster to bring us to Christ, that we might be made righteous by faith. )

Cvdl Thus ye lawe was or scolemaster vnto Christ, that we might be made righteous by faith.
(Thus ye/you_all law was or scolemaster unto Christ, that we might be made righteous by faith.)

TNT Wherfore the lawe was oure scolemaster vnto the tyme of Christ that we might be made rightewes by fayth.
(Wherefore the law was our scolemaster unto the time of Christ that we might be made rightewes by faith. )

Wycl And so the lawe was oure vndirsmaister in Crist, that we ben iustified of bileue.
(And so the law was our undersmaister in Christ, that we been justified of believe.)

Luth Also ist das Gesetz unser Zuchtmeister gewesen auf Christum, daß wir durch den Glauben gerecht würden.
(So is the law our culture/disciplinemeister been on/in/to Christum, that we/us through the faith just/fair would.)

ClVg Itaque lex pædagogus noster fuit in Christo, ut ex fide justificemur.[fn]
(Itaque the_law pædagogus our it_was in/into/on to_Christ/Messiah, as from with_faith justificemur. )

3.24 Pædagogus noster fuit in Christo Jesu. Institutione Christi: qui ideo instituit, ut sic venientes ad fidem, quasi pueri ad perfectionem justificemur. Vel in Christo, id est, in exsequendis præceptis Christi.

3.24 Pædagogus our it_was in/into/on to_Christ/Messiah Yesu. Institutione Christi: who/which therefore/for_that_reason instituit, as so coming to faith, as_if children to perfection justificemur. Or in/into/on to_Christ/Messiah, that it_is, in/into/on exsequendis commands(n) Christi.

UGNT ὥστε ὁ νόμος, παιδαγωγὸς ἡμῶν γέγονεν εἰς Χριστόν, ἵνα ἐκ πίστεως δικαιωθῶμεν.
(hōste ho nomos, paidagōgos haʸmōn gegonen eis Ⱪriston, hina ek pisteōs dikaiōthōmen.)

SBL-GNT ὥστε ὁ νόμος παιδαγωγὸς ἡμῶν γέγονεν εἰς Χριστόν, ἵνα ἐκ πίστεως δικαιωθῶμεν·
(hōste ho nomos paidagōgos haʸmōn gegonen eis Ⱪriston, hina ek pisteōs dikaiōthōmen;)

RP-GNT Ὥστε ὁ νόμος παιδαγωγὸς ἡμῶν γέγονεν εἰς χριστόν, ἵνα ἐκ πίστεως δικαιωθῶμεν.
(Hōste ho nomos paidagōgos haʸmōn gegonen eis ⱪriston, hina ek pisteōs dikaiōthōmen.)

TC-GNT Ὥστε ὁ νόμος παιδαγωγὸς ἡμῶν γέγονεν εἰς Χριστόν, ἵνα ἐκ πίστεως δικαιωθῶμεν.
(Hōste ho nomos paidagōgos haʸmōn gegonen eis Ⱪriston, hina ek pisteōs dikaiōthōmen. )

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs (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

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.

3:24a

So the law became our guardian to lead us to Christ,

The law was also our guardian until Christ came,
In other words, the law was like a person who watches a child. It was in charge of us until Christ came,
The law controlled us until Christ came.

So: In 3:24, Paul used another figure of speech to explain further what he had already said about the law in the previous verses.

The Greek conjunction that Paul used here normally indicates result. That is why some English versions begin this verse with the conjunction So. However, here, it is better to see 3:24 as simply another figure of speech to explain the role of the law.

Some ways to introduce this verse are:

Let me put it another way (NLT)

In other words (NCV)

Or, to change the metaphor (JBP)

Also

Some English versions do not use a conjunction here. In some languages, a conjunction will not be necessary either.

the law became our guardian: This is a metaphor. In this metaphor, the law is compared to a guardian. The word guardian refers to a slave who was put in charge of his master’s child. This word is further defined below.

The law and a guardian are similar in that both (harshly) control someone for a temporary period of time. Just as a guardian controlled a child until he became an adult, so also the law controlled people until Christ came.

Some ways to translate this metaphor are:

Keep the metaphor. For example:
Moses’ laws served as our guardian (GW)
the law of Moses watched over us
Translate it as a simile. For example:
the law can be compared to someone who watches over a child
the law was like a slave who was in charge of a child
Translate the meaning without using a figure of speech. For example:
The Law controlled us (CEV)

guardian: The word guardian refers to a slave who was put in charge of his master’s child. (The child was about 6 to 16 years of age.) The slave’s job was to discipline the child. He made sure that the child did what he was required to do, including going to school. He did this until the child became an adult. Guardians were often very strict. Sometimes they would slap, beat, whip, or pinch the child to punish and correct him.

It was not the responsibility of a guardian to teach the child formally. Other people were the child’s teachers. So words such as “teacher” or “schoolmaster” are not good words to translate this Greek word.

Some other ways to translate the word guardian are:

child-watcher

slave in charge of a child

In some languages, it may be more natural to translate the noun guardian as a verb. For example:

the Law was in charge of us until Christ came (GNT)

the law was like a person who was in control of us until Christ came

to lead us to Christ: The phrase that the BSB translates as to lead us to Christ is literally just “to Christ.” There are two ways to interpret this phrase:

It refers to the time of Christ’s coming. For example:
until Christ came (NIV11) (NIV11, RSV, ESV, GNT, CEV, NET, REB, NLT)
It refers to the purpose of having the law as a guardian. The purpose was to lead people to Christ. For example:
to lead us to Christ (NIV) (BSB, NIV, KJV, NASB, NCV, NJB)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). This interpretation fits the context well. In this paragraph, Paul was talking about the temporary role of the law. The time of the law ended when the time of faith in Christ came.

3:24b

that we might be justified by faith.

so that we could be justified through faith.
so that, when he came, we could be made right/blameless through faith.
It did this so that after he came God would make us right because of our faith.

that we might be justified by faith: This is a purpose clause. There are two things that this could be the purpose of:

It is the purpose of all of 3:24a. The law had a role, but it was only temporary. It was temporary so that we might be justified by faith. We could not be justified by following the law. For example:
^athe Law was in charge of us until Christ came, ^bin order that we might then be put right with God through faith (GNT) (BSB, NIV11, ESV, GNT, RSV, NET)
It is the purpose of Christ’s coming. For example:
^aBefore Christ came, Moses’ laws served as our guardian. ^bChrist came so that we could receive God’s approval because of faith. (GW)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). It is a suitable way to understand the Greek grammar.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

so that, when Christ arrived, we might be justified by faith

The law did this so that we might be justified by faith.

we might be justified by faith: The Greek verb that the BSB translates as justified means “cause/make to be acceptable/right.” This same verb occurs in 3:8b and 3:11a.

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

Use a passive verb. For example:
we might be made right by/through faith in him/God
we could be accepted as righteous by God because of our faith
As an active. For example:
God would make us right through faith
God would consider us straight because of our faith

Parallel GAL 3:24

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

Paragraph 3:23–25

3:24a

3:24b