Passage

Galatians 3.20

Book: Galatians · NASB95

Immediate context (±2 verses)

ASV (ASV)

"18. For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no more of promise: but God hath granted it to Abraham by promise. 19. What then is the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise hath been made; and it was ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator."

"20. Now a mediator is not a mediator of one; but God is one."

"21. Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could make alive, verily righteousness would have been of the law. 22. But the scriptures shut up all things under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe." (Galatians 3:18-22, ASV)

WEB (WEB)

"18. For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no more of promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by promise. 19. What then is the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise has been made. It was ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator."

"20. Now a mediator is not between one, but God is one."

"21. Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could make alive, most certainly righteousness would have been of the law. 22. But the Scriptures imprisoned all things under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe." (Galatians 3:18-22, WEB)

KJV (KJV)

"18. For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise. 19. 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."

"20. Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one."

"21. Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. 22. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe." (Galatians 3:18-22, KJV)

YLT (YLT)

"18. for if by law [be] the inheritance, [it is] no more by promise, but to Abraham through promise did God grant [it]. 19. Why, then, the law? on account of the transgressions it was added, till the seed might come to which the promise hath been made, having been set in order through messengers in the hand of a mediator --"

"20. and the mediator is not of one, and God is one --"

"21. the law, then, [is] against the promises of God?, let it not be! for if a law was given that was able to make alive, truly by law there would have been the righteousness, 22. but the Writing did shut up the whole under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ may be given to those believing." (Galatians 3:18-22, YLT)

Setting

Speaker: TBD
Audience: TBD
Location: TBD
Time period: TBD

Theological reading

Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added.

Key words

Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word; see Lexicon Roadmap.

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Quoted in

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.