Galatians 3 · Verse 18

Galatians 3:18

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

Galatians 3:18, King James Version

Galatians 3:18 in other translations

BSB	For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God freely granted it to Abraham through a promise.
WEB	For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no more of promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by promise.
ASV	For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no more of promise: but God hath granted it to Abraham by promise.
YLT	for if by law be the inheritance, it is no more by promise, but to Abraham through promise did God grant it.
DARBY	For if the inheritance be on the principle of law, it is no longer on the principle of promise; but God gave it in grace to Abraham by promise.
BBE	Because if the heritage is by the law, it is no longer dependent on the word of God; but God gave it to Abraham by his word.
Webster	For if the inheritance is by the law, it is no more by promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

What does Galatians 3:18 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

18. the inheritance--all the blessings to be inherited by Abraham's literal and spiritual children, according to the promise made to him and to his Seed, Christ, justification and glorification (Ga 4:7; Ro 8:17; 1Co 6:9). but God, &c.--The Greek order requires rather, "But to Abraham it was by promise that God hath given it." The conclusion is, Therefore the inheritance is not of, or from the law (Ro 4:14).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes

Verse 18. For if the inheritance. The inheritance promised to Abraham. The sum of the promise was, that "he should be the heir of the world." See Rom 4:13, Rom 4:13. To that heirship or inheritance Paul refers here, and says that it was an essential part of it that it was to be in virtue of the promise made to him, and not by fulfilling the law.

Be of the law. If it be by observing the law of Moses; or if it come in any way by the fulfilling of law. This is plain. Yet the Jews contended that the blessings of justification and salvation were to be in virtue of the observance of the law of Moses. But if so, says Paul, then it could not be by the promise made to Abraham, since there could not be two ways of obtaining the same blessing.

But God gave it to Abraham by promise. That, says Paul, is a settled point. It is perfectly clear; and that is to be held as an indisputable fact, that the blessing was given to Abraham by a promise. That promise was confirmed and ratified hundreds of years before the law was given, and the giving of the law could not affect it. But that promise was, that he would be the ancestor of the Messiah, and that in him all the nations of the earth should be blessed. Of course, if they were to be blessed in this way, then it was not to be by the observance of the law, and the law must have been given for a different purpose. What that was, he states in the following verses.

(b) "if the inheritance" Rom 4:14

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 18 For if the inheritance be of the law - See the preceding arguments, in which this is proved.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Galatians 3:15-18

The covenant God made with Abraham, was not done away by the giving the law to Moses. The covenant was made with Abraham and his Seed. It is still in force; Christ abideth for ever in his person, and his spiritual seed, who are his by faith. By this we learn the difference between the promises of the law and those of the gospel. The promises of the law are made to the person of every man; the promises of the gospel…

Read the full comment on Galatians 3:15-18 →

Galatians 3:18 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

εἰeiIfG1487

γὰρgarforG1063

ἐκekbyG1537

νόμουnomou[the] Law [is]G3551

ἡhētheG3588

κληρονομίαklēronomiainheritanceG2817

οὐκέτιouketino longerG3756

ἐξexbyG1537

ἐπαγγελίας·epangeliasa promise;G1860

τῷtō<the>G3588

δὲdebutG1161

ἈβραὰμAbraamto AbrahamG11

δι᾽di᾽throughG1223

ἐπαγγελίαςepangeliasa promiseG1860

κεχάρισταιkecharistaihas granted [it]G5483

ὁho<the>G3588

θεός.¶theosGod.G2316

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Galatians 3:18

Romans 4:13-16
For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,
Hebrews 6:12-15
That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
Galatians 2:21
I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
Psalms 105:42
For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham his servant.
Luke 1:54-55
He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
Galatians 3:29
And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Luke 1:72-73
To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,
Psalms 105:6-12
O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen. He is the Lord our God: his judgments are in all the earth. He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations. Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac; …
Romans 8:17
And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
Galatians 3:10
For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
Galatians 3:16
Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
Micah 7:18-20
Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

if.
10,12,26,29; 2:21; Ro 4:13-16; 8:17
but.
16; Ps 105:6-12,42; Mic 7:18-20; Lu 1:54,55,72,73; Heb 6:12-15

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Galatians 3:17
And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.
Galatians 3:18
For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
Galatians 3:19
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.

Read all of Galatians 3

Galatians 3:18 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Porque si la herencia es por la ley, ya no es por la promesa: empero Dios por la promesa hizo la donación á Abraham.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Car si l’héritage est sur le principe de loi, il n’est plus sur le principe de promesse; mais Dieu a fait le don à Abraham par promesse.
German Elberfelder 1871	Denn wenn die Erbschaft aus Gesetz ist, so nicht mehr aus Verheißung: dem Abraham aber hat Gott sie durch Verheißung geschenkt.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Nam si ex lege hæreditas, jam non ex promissione. Abrahæ autem per repromissionem donavit Deus.