Galatians 3:19 kjv
Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
Galatians 3:19 nkjv
What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator.
Galatians 3:19 niv
Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was given through angels and entrusted to a mediator.
Galatians 3:19 esv
Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary.
Galatians 3:19 nlt
Why, then, was the law given? It was given alongside the promise to show people their sins. But the law was designed to last only until the coming of the child who was promised. God gave his law through angels to Moses, who was the mediator between God and the people.
Galatians 3 19 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Galatians 3:23 | Before the coming of faith, we were kept in custody under the law... | Cross-reference: Law's temporary role |
| Romans 5:20 | The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase... | Cross-reference: Law revealing sin |
| Romans 7:4 | Through Christ's body, you also died to the law... | Cross-reference: Death to the law's power |
| Ephesians 2:14-15 | For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one... | Cross-reference: Christ abolishing law |
| Hebrews 9:10 | ...for they (gifts and sacrifices) were only in regard to food and drink and various ceremonial washings, ordinances imposed on them until the time of reformation. | Cross-reference: Ceremonial law's temporary nature |
| Romans 6:14 | For sin shall not be master over you, since you are not under law but under grace. | Cross-reference: Grace over law |
| 1 Timothy 1:9 | ...the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient... | Cross-reference: Law's purpose: convicting sin |
| John 1:17 | For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. | Cross-reference: Contrast: Law vs. Grace/Truth |
| Acts 7:53 | “Did not your fathers persecute the prophets, and kill those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One...? | Cross-reference: Prophets persecuted |
| Deuteronomy 27:26 | "Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all the words of this law, to perform them." | Cross-reference: The Law's demanding nature |
| Galatians 2:16 | ...yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ... | Cross-reference: Justification by faith |
| Romans 10:4 | For Christ is the end of the law, that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes. | Cross-reference: Christ fulfilling law |
| Psalm 119:1 | Blessed are the blameless in their way, who walk in the law of the LORD! | Cross-reference: Old Testament view of Law |
| Jeremiah 31:31-34 | "Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant... | Cross-reference: New Covenant anticipation |
| Acts 15:10 | Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? | Cross-reference: Burden of the Law |
| Galatians 3:29 | And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise. | Cross-reference: Heirs through Christ |
| 1 Corinthians 10:13 | No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful... | Cross-reference: God's faithfulness |
| Matthew 5:17 | "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." | Cross-reference: Christ fulfilling the Law |
| John 14:6 | Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." | Cross-reference: Christ as the way |
| Hebrews 8:6 | But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant that he mediates is better than the old one... | Cross-reference: Christ's superior ministry |
Galatians 3 verses
Galatians 3 19 Meaning
The law was a temporary custodian, appointed until the coming of the promised Seed, Jesus Christ. Its purpose was to guide and protect Israel, but it was not the final or ultimate means of righteousness and inheritance. The transition from law to grace is a key theme.
Galatians 3 19 Context
This verse is part of Galatians chapter 3, where Paul is strongly arguing against the necessity of following Mosaic Law for justification and inclusion in God's people. He has established that Abraham was justified by faith, not by works of the Law, which came much later. He contrasts the temporary nature and function of the Law with the permanence and fullness of God's promise received through faith in Christ. The immediate context is setting up the argument that the Law served a specific purpose before Christ's arrival and does not annul the prior promise made to Abraham.
Galatians 3 19 Word Analysis
- But: Introduces a contrast.
- the law: Refers specifically to the Mosaic Law given at Sinai.
- was: Past tense, indicating its temporal nature.
- added: Not original, but a later addition. It implies something not part of the original covenant with Abraham, but a subordinate provision.
- because of transgressions: Its purpose was to make sin known, define what sin is, and therefore increase the awareness and legal consequences of sinning. It was a diagnostic tool for sin.
- until: Signifies a specific, limited time period.
- the seed: Refers to Jesus Christ, the singular descendant through whom the promises would be fulfilled. This echoes the earlier promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:7, 13:15, and 22:18 where the "seed" (singular) is mentioned as the recipient of the inheritance.
- the offspring of whom the promise was made: Clarifies that the covenantal promises, especially the inheritance, were specifically tied to this particular descendant, Christ.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "the law was added": This phrase highlights that the Law was not intended to replace or invalidate the Abrahamic covenant established by faith. Its introduction was for a distinct purpose related to sin.
- "because of transgressions": This emphasizes the role of the Law as a revealer of sin. It didn't create sin but clarified its boundaries and consequences, thus magnifying transgression and revealing the need for a mediator.
- "until the Seed should come": This points to the Messiah as the ultimate goal and endpoint of the Law's mediating function. His coming marked the end of the Law's role as the primary dispenser of covenant relationship and the beginning of the era of grace through faith.
Galatians 3 19 Bonus Section
The Greek word for "added" (epiteithēmi) can also mean "to lay upon" or "to superimpose." This suggests the Law was placed alongside, or perhaps on top of, the existing covenant of promise. It was not meant to nullify the earlier covenant but to serve a particular function within its historical unfolding until the final revelation in Christ. The concept of "the Seed" as singular and pointing to Christ is crucial, differentiating it from the plural descendants of Abraham. This theological distinction underscores that inheritance comes not through the entire nation in its temporal, nationalistic sense but through the one Mediator, Jesus. The contrast with Abraham, justified by faith before the Law, reinforces Paul's argument against legalism in Galatia.
Galatians 3 19 Commentary
The Mosaic Law was not an error or a mistake; it served a crucial, God-ordained purpose for a specific period. It functioned like a temporary overseer or guardian, exposing sin and its penalties, thereby revealing humanity's absolute need for a Savior. The Law's existence underscored the sinfulness that needed redemption. It was added after the promise to Abraham, showing that the promise preceded and superseded the Law in terms of establishing one's standing with God. The Law highlighted transgressions, increasing the awareness of sin, thus driving people to seek the promised Seed, Jesus Christ, who alone could fulfill the Law's requirements and secure the inheritance promised to Abraham. The coming of Christ marks the termination of the Law's role as the mediating agency for covenant life and righteousness.