Galatians 3:21

3:21 Is the law therefore opposed to the promises of God? ¹  Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that was able to give life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. ² 

Numbers 23:19

23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie,

nor a human being, ³  that he should change his mind.

Has he said, and will he not do it?

Or has he spoken, and will he not make it happen? ⁴ 

Romans 4:13-14

4:13 For the promise ⁵  to Abraham or to his descendants that he would inherit the world was not fulfilled through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 4:14 For if they become heirs by the law, faith is empty and the promise is nullified. ⁶ 

Hebrews 6:13-18

6:13 Now when God made his promise to Abraham, since he could swear by no one greater, he swore by himself, 6:14 saying, “Surely I will bless you greatly and multiply your descendants abundantly.” ⁷  6:15 And so by persevering, Abraham ⁸  inherited the promise. 6:16 For people ⁹  swear by something greater than themselves, ¹⁰  and the oath serves as a confirmation to end all dispute. ¹¹  6:17 In the same way ¹²  God wanted to demonstrate more clearly to the heirs of the promise that his purpose was unchangeable, ¹³  and so he intervened with an oath, 6:18 so that we who have found refuge in him ¹⁴  may find strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us through two unchangeable things, since it is impossible for God to lie.

[3:21]  ¹ tc The reading τοῦ θεοῦ (tou qeou, “of God”) is well attested in א A C D (F G read θεοῦ without the article) Ψ 0278 33 1739 1881 Ï lat sy co. However, Ì⁴⁶ B d Ambst lack the words. Ì⁴⁶ and B perhaps should not to be given as much weight as they normally are, since the combination of these two witnesses often produces a secondary shorter reading against all others. In addition, one might expect that if the shorter reading were original other variants would have crept into the textual tradition early on. But 104 (a.d. 1087) virtually stands alone with the variant τοῦ Χριστοῦ (tou Cristou, “of Christ”). Nevertheless, if τοῦ θεοῦ were not part of the original text, it is the kind of variant that would be expected to show up early and often, especially in light of Paul’s usage elsewhere (Rom 4:20; 2 Cor 1:20). A slight preference should be given to the τοῦ θεοῦ over the omission. NA²⁷ rightly places the words in brackets, indicating doubts as to their authenticity.

[3:21]  ² tn Or “have been based on the law.”

[23:19]  ³ tn Heb “son of man.”

[23:19]  ⁴ tn The verb is the Hiphil of קוּם (qum, “to cause to rise; to make stand”). The meaning here is more of the sense of fulfilling the promises made.

[4:13]  ⁵ sn Although a singular noun, the promise is collective and does not refer only to Gen 12:7, but as D. Moo (Romans 1-8 [WEC], 279) points out, refers to multiple aspects of the promise to Abraham: multiplied descendants (Gen 12:2), possession of the land (Gen 13:15-17), and his becoming the vehicle of blessing to all people (Gen 12:13).

[4:14]  ⁶ tn Grk “rendered inoperative.”

[6:14]  ⁷ tn Grk “in blessing I will bless you and in multiplying I will multiply you,” the Greek form of a Hebrew idiom showing intensity.

[6:15]  ⁸ tn Grk “he”; in the translation the referent (Abraham) has been specified for clarity.

[6:16]  ⁹ tn The plural Greek term ἄνθρωποι (anqrwpoi) is used here in a generic sense, referring to both men and women, and is thus translated “people.”

[6:16]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “by something greater”; the rest of the comparison (“than themselves”) is implied.

[6:16]  ¹¹ tn Grk “the oath for confirmation is an end of all dispute.”

[6:17]  ¹² tn Grk “in which.”

[6:17]  ¹³ tn Or “immutable” (here and in v. 18); Grk “the unchangeableness of his purpose.”

[6:18]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “have taken refuge”; the basis of that refuge is implied in the preceding verse.