Galatians 3:22
New International Version
But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.

New Living Translation
But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ.

English Standard Version
But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

Berean Standard Bible
But the Scripture pronounces all things confined by sin, so that by faith in Jesus Christ the promise might be given to those who believe.

Berean Literal Bible
But the Scripture imprisoned all things under sin, so that by faith from Jesus Christ, the promise might be given to those believing.

King James Bible
But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

New King James Version
But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

New American Standard Bible
But the Scripture has confined everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

NASB 1995
But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

NASB 1977
But the Scripture has shut up all men under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

Legacy Standard Bible
But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

Amplified Bible
But the Scripture has imprisoned everyone [everything—the entire world] under sin, so that [the inheritance, the blessing of salvation] which was promised through faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe [in Him and acknowledge Him as God’s precious Son].

Christian Standard Bible
But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin’s power, so that the promise might be given on the basis of faith in Jesus Christ to those who believe.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But the Scripture has imprisoned everything under sin’s power, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

American Standard Version
But the scripture shut up all things under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But the Scripture has shut all things up under sin, that The Promise by the faith of Yeshua The Messiah would be given to those who are believers.

Contemporary English Version
But the Scriptures say that sin controls everyone, so that God's promises will be for anyone who has faith in Jesus Christ.

Douay-Rheims Bible
But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise, by the faith of Jesus Christ, might be given to them that believe.

English Revised Version
Howbeit the scripture hath shut up all things under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
But Scripture states that the whole world is controlled by the power of sin. Therefore, a promise based on faith in Jesus Christ could be given to those who believe.

Good News Translation
But the scripture says that the whole world is under the power of sin; and so the gift which is promised on the basis of faith in Jesus Christ is given to those who believe.

International Standard Version
But the Scripture has captured everything by means of sin's net, so that what was promised by the faithfulness of the Messiah might be granted to those who believe.

Literal Standard Version
but the Writing shut up the whole under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ may be given to those believing.

Majority Standard Bible
But the Scripture pronounces all things confined by sin, so that by faith in Jesus Christ the promise might be given to those who believe.

New American Bible
But scripture confined all things under the power of sin, that through faith in Jesus Christ the promise might be given to those who believe.

NET Bible
But the scripture imprisoned everything and everyone under sin so that the promise could be given--because of the faithfulness of Jesus Christ--to those who believe.

New Revised Standard Version
But the scripture has imprisoned all things under the power of sin, so that what was promised through faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

New Heart English Bible
But the Scriptures imprisoned all things under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

Webster's Bible Translation
But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

Weymouth New Testament
But Scripture has shown that all mankind are the prisoners of sin, in order that the promised blessing, which depends on faith in Jesus Christ, may be given to those who believe.

World English Bible
But the Scripture imprisoned all things under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

Young's Literal Translation
but the Writing did shut up the whole under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ may be given to those believing.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Purpose of the Law
21Is the law, then, opposed to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come from the law. 22But the Scripture pronounces all things confined by sin, so that by faith in Jesus Christ the promise might be given to those who believe. 23Before this faith came, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until faith should be revealed.…

Cross References
Romans 3:9
What then? Are we any better? Not at all. For we have already made the charge that Jews and Greeks alike are all under sin.

Romans 3:22
And this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no distinction,

Romans 11:32
For God has consigned everyone to disobedience so that He may have mercy on everyone.


Treasury of Scripture

But the scripture has concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

concluded.

Galatians 3:8-10,23
And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed…

Psalm 143:2
And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.

Romans 3:9-20,23
What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; …

that.

Galatians 3:14,17,29
That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith…

Romans 4:11-16
And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: …

Romans 5:20,21
Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: …

to.

Mark 16:16
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

John 3:15-18,36
That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life…

John 5:24
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

Jump to Previous
Believe Blessing Christ Concluded Declares Depends Faith Holy However Imprisoned Jesus Mankind Order Principle Prisoner Prisoners Promise Promised Scripture Scriptures Shown Shut Sin Undertaking Whole World Writings
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Believe Blessing Christ Concluded Declares Depends Faith Holy However Imprisoned Jesus Mankind Order Principle Prisoner Prisoners Promise Promised Scripture Scriptures Shown Shut Sin Undertaking Whole World Writings
Galatians 3
1. He asks what moved them to leave the faith, and hold onto the law.
6. Those who believe are justified,
9. and blessed with Abraham.
10. And this he shows by many reasons.
15. The purpose of the Law
26. You are sons of God














(22) The scripture.--Slightly personified.

Hath concluded.--The same peculiar word occurs in Romans 11:32, with a similar sense. It means to "shut up," "hem in," "prevent from straying either to the right hand or to the left," as a shepherd shuts up his flock in the fold.

All.--This is put in the neuter gender, but only to give a more complete universality to the statement. What is meant is "all mankind."

The promise by faith of Jesus Christ.--The promise which originates in faith in Christ, which derives its fulfilment from faith, is due to faith.

Verse 22. - But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin (ἀλλὰ συνέκλεισεν ἡ γραφὴ τὰ πάντα ὑπὸ ἁμαρτίαν); on the contrary, the Scripture hath shut it all up under sin. On the sense which the phrase, "the Scripture," sometimes bears, denoting the sacred writings collectively and not one particular passage, see note on ver. 8. Here, as in ver. 8, we feel ourselves at liberty not to limit the apostle's reference to one passage, as that cited in Galatians 2:16 or ver. 23 of this chapter, but to understand him as including in his scope the teaching of Holy Scripture in both these and other places; having probably in view some such general summary of the contents of God's Word as bearing upon the subject, as he has alleged in Romans 3. It is highly probable that some such summary, very possibly this identical one with variations, he was wont frequently to employ, as he certainly had constant occasion to do, in reasoning with his fellow-Jews and others, in synagogues and elsewhere. As in ver. 8, so here, the term "Scripture" is so applied as to invest Scripture with a sort of personal agency, which in stricter propriety would be predicated of its Divine Author. We have, in fact, presented to us the action of God himself in his ordering of that older economy, and not merely the statement of Scripture describing the condition of things under it. "Shut it all up under sin;" leaving no loop-hole of escape. The sense of the verb is illustrated by its use in the Septuagint (Joshua 6:1), "Jericho was (συγκεκλεισμένη) straitly shut up." God, in the appointments and revelations of the Law, found and pointedly left his people, so to speak, under the operation and overmastering of sin, providing for them therein, and as yet, no such outlet from either its condemnation or its power ("the law of sin," Romans) as he purposed in after times to open for them. The description stands in marked contrast with the blessed liberty predicated in the next chapter of the children of "Jerusalem which is above." This condition of things under the old economy is represented as being only a provisional ordering of the Divine Disposer, made with a view to a perfect manifestation of delivering goodness to come by-and-by. "Shut up... that," etc. We have a remarkable parallel to this twofold significance of "shut up," both as present and as prospective, in Romans 11:32," God hath shut up all men unto disobedience (συνέκλεισεν ὁ Θεὸς τοὺς πάντας εἰς ἀπείθειαν), that he might have mercy upon all;" where likewise the providential ordering of God is spoken of, and not the description of Scripture only. There we read τοὺς πάντας, here τὰ πάντα, with an evident propriety in the choice of gender; for there St. Paul is thinking of Jews and of Gentiles as severally coming under the operation of the Divine "shutting up;" here he is not thinking of varied personalities, but rather of the entire circumstances of men under the legal economy. That the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe (ἵνα ἡ ἐπαγγελία ἐκ πίστεως Ἰησοῦ Ξριστοῦ δοθῇ τοῖς πιστεύουσι). The term "promise," as connected with the verb "might be given," denotes beyond doubt the thing promised, as in ver. 14, "the promise of the Spirit:" this is "the promise" meant here. Now, if we were to join the words, "by faith of Jesus Christ," with the noun "promise," we should have to understand the two together as meaning," the promise which was made to Abraham because of his faith in Jesus Christ;" and this would be attended with a twofold inconvenience:

(1) the term would have to be taken in two senses in the same sentence; it would first mean here, "the word of promise spoken to Abraham," and then, when immediately after taken with the verb "might be given," it would change its sense into that of "the thing promised;"

(2) this method of construing the sentence would import a new thought, one which did not, so far as we know - it may have done so, perhaps, but there is no proof of it - belong to St. Paul's views of the subject; namely, that "Jesus Christ" - not merely "Christ," but "Jesus Christ" the historical Son of David - was believed in by Abraham. It appears safer, therefore, to connect the words, "by faith of Jesus Christ," with the verb; thus: "that the promise might by faith, as a consequence of faith, of Jesus Christ be given to them that believe." The apostle redoubles the mention of "faith" as the qualification for receiving the gift. "Faith! Faith! with none of your wretched works of ceremonialism! Compare for this iteration of faith, vers. 2-7. He adds, "of Jesus Christ," to "by faith," to mark that the bestowment of the blessing was delayed till Christ should have actually come, to whose line amongst Abraham's posterity the promise had been made. The apostle intimates that the ulterior purpose which God had in view in then "shutting it all up under sin," the purpose which is described in this last sentence, was likewise signified by "Scripture," as well as the condition of comparative helplessness and condemnation, under which those subject to the Law were detained. The participle τοῖς πιστευουσι is either a class substantive (as Acts 2:44; 1 Corinthians 14:22), "to believers," or the present tense of the participle points to action contemporaneous with that expressed by the verb, "to them that should believe."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
But
ἀλλὰ (alla)
Conjunction
Strong's 235: But, except, however. Neuter plural of allos; properly, other things, i.e. contrariwise.

the
(hē)
Article - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Scripture [ pronounces ]
γραφὴ (graphē)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1124: (a) a writing, (b) a passage of scripture; plur: the scriptures. A document, i.e. Holy Writ.

all
πάντα (panta)
Adjective - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3956: All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.

things
τὰ (ta)
Article - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

confined
συνέκλεισεν (synekleisen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 4788: To enclose, shut in, make subject to. From sun and kleio; to shut together, i.e. Include or embrace in a common subjection to.

by
ὑπὸ (hypo)
Preposition
Strong's 5259: A primary preposition; under, i.e. of place, or with verbs; of place (underneath) or where (below) or time (when).

sin,
ἁμαρτίαν (hamartian)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 266: From hamartano; a sin.

so that
ἵνα (hina)
Conjunction
Strong's 2443: In order that, so that. Probably from the same as the former part of heautou; in order that.

by
ἐκ (ek)
Preposition
Strong's 1537: From out, out from among, from, suggesting from the interior outwards. A primary preposition denoting origin, from, out.

faith
πίστεως (pisteōs)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 4102: Faith, belief, trust, confidence; fidelity, faithfulness.

in Jesus
Ἰησοῦ (Iēsou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2424: Of Hebrew origin; Jesus, the name of our Lord and two other Israelites.

Christ
Χριστοῦ (Christou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 5547: Anointed One; the Messiah, the Christ. From chrio; Anointed One, i.e. The Messiah, an epithet of Jesus.

the
(hē)
Article - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

promise
ἐπαγγελία (epangelia)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1860: A promise. From epaggello; an announcement.

might be given
δοθῇ (dothē)
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1325: To offer, give; I put, place. A prolonged form of a primary verb; to give.

to those who
τοῖς (tois)
Article - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

believe.
πιστεύουσιν (pisteuousin)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 4100: From pistis; to have faith, i.e. Credit; by implication, to entrust.


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NT Letters: Galatians 3:22 But the Scriptures imprisoned all things under (Gal. Ga)
Galatians 3:21
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