SEV Biblia, Chapter 3:15
Hermanos, (hablo como hombre): Aunque un pacto sea de hombre, una vez ratificado, nadie lo cancela, ni le aade.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Galatians 3:15
Verse 15. I speak after the manner of men] I am about to produce an example taken from civil transactions. If it be confirmed-If an agreement or bond be signed, sealed, and witnessed, and, in this country, being first duly stamped; No man disannulleth] It stands under the protection of the civil law, and nothing can be legally erased or added.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 15. Brethren , etc..] Whereas in ( Galatians 3:1), he calls them foolish Galatians, which might seem too harsh and severe, therefore, to mitigate and soften their resentments, he styles them brethren; hoping still well of them, and that they were not so far gone, but that they might be recovered; and imputing the blame and fault rather to their leaders and teachers, than to them: I speak after the manner of men ; agreeably to a Talmudic form of speech in use among the Jews, da ynb ylk hrwt hrbd , the law speaks according to the language of the children of men, or after the manner of men f50 , when they argue from any Scripture, in which a word is repeated, and the latter word seems to point out something peculiar: but the apostle's meaning is, that the thing he was about to speak of was taken from among men, in common use with them, and what was obvious to the common sense and understanding of men, and might easily be applied and argued from, as it is by him: though it be but a man's covenant, or testament, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth or addeth thereto ; if a covenant made between men, or a man's will and testament, be confirmed, signed, sealed, and witnessed, in a proper manner, no other man can make them void, or take anything from them, or add anything to them, only the parties concerned by their own will and consent; and if this be the case among men, much less can the covenant of God, confirmed by two immutable things, his word and oath, or his will and testament, or any branch of it, be ever disannulled, or be capable of receiving any addition thereunto. The apostle seems to have a particular respect to that branch of the covenant and will of God, which regards the justification of men in his sight by the righteousness of Christ, to which the false teachers were for adding the works of the law.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 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 differenc between the promises of the law and those of the gospel. The promise of the law are made to the person of every man; the promises of the gospel are first made to Christ, then by him to those who are by fait ingrafted into Christ. Rightly to divide the word of truth, a grea difference must be put between the promise and the law, as to the inward affections, and the whole practice of life. When the promise i mingled with the law, it is made nothing but the law. Let Christ be always before our eyes, as a sure argument for the defence of faith against dependence on human righteousness.
Greek Textus Receptus
αδελφοι 80 κατα 2596 ανθρωπον 444 λεγω 3004 5719 ομως 3676 ανθρωπου 444 κεκυρωμενην 2964 5772 διαθηκην 1242 ουδεις 3762 αθετει 114 5719 η 2228 επιδιατασσεται 1928 5736
Vincent's NT Word Studies
15. After the manner of men (kata anqrwpon). According to human analogy; reasoning as men would reason in ordinary affairs. The phrase is peculiar to Paul. See Rom. iii. 5; 1 Cor. iii. 3; ix. 8; xv. 32; Galatians i. 11. Comp. ajnqrwpinov as a man, Rom. vi. 19.
Though it be - yet. The A.V. and Rev. give the correct sense, but the order of the Greek is peculiar. %Omwv yet properly belongs to oujdeiv no man: "Though a man's covenant yet no man disannulleth it." But omwv is taken out of its natural place, and put at the beginning of the clause, before ajnqrwpou, so that the Greek literally reads: "Yet a man's covenant confirmed no one disannulleth, etc." A similar displacement occurs 1 Corinthians xiv. 7.
Covenant (diaqhkhn). Not testament. See on Matt. xxvi. 28, and Hebrew ix. 16.
Confirmed (kekurwmenhn). P o . See 2 Cor. ii. 8. In LXX, Genesis xxiii. 20; Lev. xxv. 30; 4 Macc. vii. 9. From kurov supreme power. Hence the verb carries the sense of authoritative confirmation, in this case by the contracting parties.
Disannulleth (aqetei). See on bring to nothing, 1 Cor. i. 19. Rev. maketh void.
Addeth thereto (epidiatassetai). N.T.o . Adds new specifications or conditions to the original covenant, which is contrary to law. Comp. ejpidiaqhkh a second will or codicil, Joseph B. J. ii. 2, 3; Ant. xvii. 9, 4. The doctrine of the Judaisers, while virtually annulling the promise, was apparently only the imposing of new conditions. In either case it was a violation of the covenant.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
3:15 {After the manner of men} (kata anqrwpon). After the custom and practice of men, an illustration from life. {Though it be but a man's covenant, yet when it hath been confirmed} (homws anqrwpou kekurwmenen diaqeken). Literally, "Yet a man's covenant ratified." On diaqeke as both covenant and will see on Mt 26:28; 1Co 11:25; 2Co 3:6; Heb 9:16f. On kurow, to ratify, to make valid, see on 2Co 2:8. Perfect passive participle here, state of completion, authoritative confirmation. {Maketh it void} (aqetei). See on 2:21 for this verb. Both parties can by agreement cancel a contract, but not otherwise. {Addeth thereto} (epidiatassetai). Present middle indicative of the double compound verb epidiatassomai, a word found nowhere else as yet. But inscriptions use diatassomai, diataxis, diatage, diatagma with the specialized meaning to "determine by testamentary disposition" (Deissmann, _Light from the Ancient East_, p. 90). It was unlawful to add (epi) fresh clauses or specifications (diataxeis).
