3:6 Just as Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, 1 3:7 so then, understand 2 that those who believe are the sons of Abraham. 3 3:8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, proclaimed the gospel to Abraham ahead of time, 4 saying, “All the nations 5 will be blessed in you.” 6
1 sn A quotation from Gen 15:6.
2 tn Grk “know.”
3 tn The phrase “sons of Abraham” is used here in a figurative sense to describe people who are connected to a personality, Abraham, by close nonmaterial ties. It is this personality that has defined the relationship and its characteristics (BDAG 1024-25 s.v. υἱός 2.c.α).
4 tn For the Greek verb προευαγγελίζομαι (proeuangelizomai) translated as “proclaim the gospel ahead of time,” compare L&N 33.216.
5 tn The same plural Greek word, τὰ ἔθνη (ta eqnh), can be translated as “nations” or “Gentiles.”
6 sn A quotation from Gen 12:3; 18:18.