Galatians 3:8-14
Context3:8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, proclaimed the gospel to Abraham ahead of time, 1 saying, “All the nations 2 will be blessed in you.” 3 3:9 So then those who believe 4 are blessed along with Abraham the believer. 3:10 For all who 5 rely on doing the works of the law are under a curse, because it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not keep on doing everything written in the book of the law.” 6 3:11 Now it is clear no one is justified before God by the law, because the righteous one will live by faith. 7 3:12 But the law is not based on faith, 8 but the one who does the works of the law 9 will live by them. 10 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming 11 a curse for us (because it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”) 12 3:14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles, 13 so that we could receive the promise of the Spirit by faith.
[3:8] 1 tn For the Greek verb προευαγγελίζομαι (proeuangelizomai) translated as “proclaim the gospel ahead of time,” compare L&N 33.216.
[3:8] 2 tn The same plural Greek word, τὰ ἔθνη (ta eqnh), can be translated as “nations” or “Gentiles.”
[3:8] 3 sn A quotation from Gen 12:3; 18:18.
[3:9] 4 tn Grk “those who are by faith,” with the Greek expression “by faith” (ἐκ πίστεως, ek pistew") the same as the expression in v. 8.
[3:10] 5 tn Grk “For as many as.”
[3:10] 6 tn Grk “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all the things written in the book of the law, to do them.”
[3:11] 7 tn Or “The one who is righteous by faith will live” (a quotation from Hab 2:4).
[3:12] 8 tn Grk “is not from faith.”
[3:12] 9 tn Grk “who does these things”; the referent (the works of the law, see 3:5) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[3:12] 10 sn A quotation from Lev 18:5. The phrase the works of the law is an editorial expansion on the Greek text (see previous note); it has been left as normal typeface to indicate it is not part of the OT text.
[3:13] 11 tn Grk “having become”; the participle γενόμενος (genomenos) has been taken instrumentally.
[3:13] 12 sn A quotation from Deut 21:23. By figurative extension the Greek word translated tree (ζύλον, zulon) can also be used to refer to a cross (L&N 6.28), the Roman instrument of execution.
[3:14] 13 tn Or “so that the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus.”