Galatians 3:16 kjv
Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
Galatians 3:16 nkjv
Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, "And to seeds," as of many, but as of one, "And to your Seed," who is Christ.
Galatians 3:16 niv
The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to your seed," meaning one person, who is Christ.
Galatians 3:16 esv
Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, "And to offsprings," referring to many, but referring to one, "And to your offspring," who is Christ.
Galatians 3:16 nlt
God gave the promises to Abraham and his child. And notice that the Scripture doesn't say "to his children, " as if it meant many descendants. Rather, it says "to his child" ? and that, of course, means Christ.
Galatians 3 16 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Galatians 3:16 | To Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He says not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy Seed, which is Christ. | Salvation History, Covenant |
| Genesis 12:7 | Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." | Covenant, Promise to Abraham |
| Genesis 13:15 | For all the land which you see, I will give to you and your offspring forever. | Covenant, Descendants |
| Genesis 15:5, 18 | And He brought him outside and said, "Look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them." ... "To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates." | Covenant, Seed |
| Genesis 17:7-8 | "And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God." | Covenant, Seed, Inheritance |
| Genesis 22:17-18 | "I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice." | Covenant, Seed, Nations Blessed |
| Isaiah 53:11-12 | He shall see his offspring; he shall continue to see it and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the mighty, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. | Servant, Atonement, Many Counted Righteous |
| Luke 1:55, 72-73 | as he promised to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever. ... to perform the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear | Promise, Covenant, Abraham, Mercy |
| John 1:29 | The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" | Christ, Lamb of God, Sin |
| John 8:56 | Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day; he saw it and was glad. | Abraham, Christ's Day |
| Acts 3:25-26 | You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, 'And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.' God, having raised up his servant, first sent him to you, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness." | Prophets, Covenant, Abraham, Offspring, Blessings |
| Acts 13:32-33 | And we bring you the good news, that the promise made to the fathers, God has fulfilled to us their children by raising up Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm, "You are my Son, today I have begotten you." | Promise, Fathers, Jesus, Son, Psalm 2 |
| Romans 4:13-17 | For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. For if it is the heirs who are of the law, faith is null and the condition is void. For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law, neither is there violation. That is why it depends on faith, in order that the gift may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise may be sure to all the offspring, not only to the one who is of the law but also to the one who is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all— as it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations"— in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not yet exist. | Promise, Faith, Law, Abraham, Nations |
| Romans 4:16 | That is why it depends on faith, in order that the gift may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise may be sure to all the offspring—not only to the one who is of the law but also to the one who is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all | Promise, Faith, Grace, Offspring, Abraham |
| Romans 9:7-8 | nor because they are his offspring have they all been children. But "Through Isaac shall your offspring be named." This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. | Offspring, Flesh, Promise |
| Galatians 3:8-9 | And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the good news beforehand to Abraham, saying, "In you shall all the nations be blessed." So then, those who are of faith will be blessed with Abraham who is of faith. | Faith, Gentiles, Abraham, Nations |
| Galatians 3:14 | so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. | Christ, Abraham's Blessing, Gentiles, Spirit, Faith |
| Galatians 3:17 | This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years after, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. | Law, Covenant, Promise |
| Galatians 3:29 | And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. | Christ, Abraham's Offspring, Heirs, Promise |
| Galatians 4:28 | Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. | Isaac, Children of Promise |
Galatians 3 verses
Galatians 3 16 Meaning
This verse emphasizes that the promises of God, made through a covenant, were not given to multiple people but to a singular seed, which is Christ.
Galatians 3 16 Context
Galatians 3 builds a case for justification by faith, contrasting it with justification by the law. Paul argues that the covenant with Abraham and its promise of inheritance and blessing were received through faith, not adherence to the Mosaic Law. He emphasizes that this promise was not to "seeds" (plural) but to "Seed" (singular), identifying this singular Seed as Christ. This means the true lineage and fulfillment of God's promises are found in Christ and in those who, through faith, are united with Him. This argument counters the false teachers in Galatia who were trying to force Jewish customs, particularly circumcision, on Gentile believers as a requirement for salvation. Paul is demonstrating that the covenant blessings are spiritual and relational, centered on Christ, rather than ethnic or ritualistic.
Galatians 3 16 Word Analysis
To Abraham: Refers to Abraham, the patriarch and father of the Israelite nation, with whom God made foundational promises.
and his Seed: The singular term "seed" is crucial. In Hebrew, the word for seed can be plural or collective. Paul, however, emphasizes its singular application here. This "seed" represents not just Abraham's descendants in general, but a specific, Messianic line.
- Greek: σπέρματι (spermati) - seed, offspring, posterity.
were the promises made: The promises of God were established with Abraham. This highlights the divine initiative and the enduring nature of the covenant.
He says: God speaking or stating.
not, And to seeds, A direct negation of a plural implication. The promises were not to a multitude of disparate individuals or groups as inheritors of the promise independently.
- Greek: οὐ before και τοῖς σπέρμασιν (ou before kai tois spermansin) - not, and to seeds (plural).
as of many; This phrase clarifies the negation – it's not in the sense of "many seeds" referring to numerous individual offspring.
but as of one, Contrasting the singular application. This singular entity is the true recipient and embodiment of the promise.
And to thy Seed, Repeating the singular "seed."
- Greek: καὶ τῷ σπέρματι σου (kai tō spermati sou) - and to your seed.
which is Christ. This is the explicit identification of the singular "Seed." The promises originally made to Abraham find their ultimate fulfillment and meaning in Jesus Christ. It signifies Christ as the lineal descendant through whom the promised blessings flow to all believers.
Words/Group Analysis:
- "To Abraham and his Seed": Establishes the basis of God's covenant and promises.
- "He says not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one": Paul's linguistic argument against a fragmented, legalistic interpretation of the promise. It redirects from a purely physical lineage to a spiritual unity.
- "And to thy Seed, which is Christ": The climactic identification, defining the spiritual inheritor and mediator of the covenant blessings.
Galatians 3 16 Bonus Section
The theological precision in the distinction between "seeds" and "Seed" highlights Paul's use of Scripture to interpret Scripture. He carefully examines the Old Testament text (Genesis 12:7, 15:18, 22:18) to reveal the preordained Messianic dimension of the Abrahamic covenant. This hermeneutical approach underscores that Old Testament promises have a singular focal point in Christ, offering a consistent message of salvation from the beginning. This understanding was often lost in later Jewish interpretations that focused solely on the physical descendants and the collective blessings received by the nation of Israel. By pointing to Christ, Paul not only establishes the universality of the promise (to Gentiles through faith) but also its singularity in Him who perfectly fulfilled all aspects of God's covenant.
Galatians 3 16 Commentary
The apostle Paul powerfully clarifies the nature of God's promises to Abraham. He dismantles the flawed reasoning that suggests these promises were a collection of individual rights dispersed among many descendants. Instead, Paul points to the specific wording "seed" (singular) in God's covenant declarations, signifying a single inheritor who embodies all the blessings. This singular Seed is definitively identified as Jesus Christ. This verse is foundational in understanding how the promises made to Abraham are inherited by believers in Christ, regardless of their ethnic background. The covenant is Christ-centered; through Him, both Jews and Gentiles become Abraham's spiritual offspring and heirs. This is the essence of justification by faith – finding inclusion and blessing through union with Christ, the true Seed of Abraham.