SEV Biblia, Chapter 3:21
¿Luego la ley es contra las promesas de Dios? En ninguna manera; porque si alguna ley dada pudiera vivificar, la justicia fuera verdaderamente por la ley.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Galatians 3:21
Verse 21. Is the law then against the promises of God?] Is it possible that the intervention of the law, in reference to one part of the Abrahamic seed, should annul the promise made to the other? It is impossible. For if there had been a law, &c.] If any law or rule of life could have been found out that would have given life-saved sinners from death, and made them truly happy, then righteousness] justification, should have been by that law.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 21. Is the law then against the promises of God ? etc..] If the law was added because of transgressions, and curses for them, and if the inheritance is not of it, but by promise, were it, it would not be by promise, then, says an objector, it is against the promises: these are contrary to one another, and God, in giving the one and the other, must contradict himself: to which it is replied, God forbid ; a way of speaking the apostle uses, when he would express his abhorrence and detestation of anything, as here; for though the law and promises are distinct things, and have their separate uses, yet they are not contradictory to each other; the law has its use, and so have the promises; the promises do not set aside the law as useless on all accounts, nor does the law disannul the promises, but is subservient to them: for if there had been a law which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law ; but the law cannot give life, spiritual life to a dead sinner; God only can do this, Father, Son, and Spirit; so far is the law from giving it efficiently, that it is not so much as the means of it; it is not made use of this way; God makes use of the law to kill, but not to make alive; he makes use of the law to strike dead all a man's hopes of happiness, by the deeds of it; but it is the Gospel he uses to quicken and comfort; that is the Spirit that giveth life. The law requires as much of a dead sinner, as it did of Adam in innocence, but gives him no life, activity, and strength to perform; could it quicken him, and enable him to do all its demands perfectly, then there would be righteousness, and so justification by it, as by the promise; whence it appears that there is no contrariety in the law to the promises: the reason why there is no righteousness is, because it cannot give life, spiritual life and strength; and if so, then not eternal life; which is the free gift of God, and not the merit of men's works: this is directly contrary to a notion of the Jews, who cry up the law as a life giving law; say they f61 , great is the law, hyw[l yyj tntwn ayh , for it giveth life to them that do it, in this world, and in the world to come: and elsewhere f62 , the law is a tree of life to all that study in it, yyj wl bhyml , to give unto them life in this world, and to give unto them life in the world to come.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 19-22 - If that promise was enough for salvation, wherefore then serveth the law? The Israelites, though chosen to be God's peculiar people, wer sinners as well as others. The law was not intended to discover a wa of justification, different from that made known by the promise, but to lead men to see their need of the promise, by showing the sinfulness of sin, and to point to Christ, through whom alone they could be pardone and justified. The promise was given by God himself; the law was give by the ministry of angels, and the hand of a mediator, even Moses Hence the law could not be designed to set aside the promise. mediator, as the very term signifies, is a friend that comes betwee two parties, and is not to act merely with and for one of them. The great design of the law was, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to those that believe; that, being convinced of their guilt, and the insufficiency of the law to effect a righteousness for them, they might be persuaded to believe on Christ, and so obtain the benefit of the promise. And it is not possible that the holy, just, an good law of God, the standard of duty to all, should be contrary to the gospel of Christ. It tends every way to promote it.
Greek Textus Receptus
ο 3588 ουν 3767 νομος 3551 κατα 2596 των 3588 επαγγελιων 1860 του 3588 θεου 2316 μη 3361 γενοιτο 1096 5636 ει 1487 γαρ 1063 εδοθη 1325 5681 νομος 3551 ο 3588 δυναμενος 1410 5740 ζωοποιησαι 2227 5658 οντως 3689 αν 302 εκ 1537 νομου 3551 ην 2258 5713 η 3588 δικαιοσυνη 1343
Vincent's NT Word Studies
21. Against the promises (kata twn epaggeliwn). Does it follow from the difference between the law and the promises that they are in antagonism? Paul supposes this objection on the part of a Jewish Christian.
God forbid (mh genoito). See on Rom. iii. 4. This could only be true in case the law gave life, for life must come either through the promises or through the law. If the law is against the promises, and makes them invalid, it follows that life must come through the law, and therefore righteousness, without which there is no life, would verily (ontwv), just as the Judaisers claim, be through the law.
By the law. Tisch., Rev. T., Weiss, retain ejk nomou from, resulting from the law. WH. read ejn nomw in the law. The meaning is substantially the same with either reading: in the one case proceeding from, in the other residing in the law.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
3:21 {Against the promises} (kata twn epaggeliwn). A pertinent question again. Far from it (me genoito). {Which could make alive} (ho dunamenos zwopoiesai). First aorist active infinitive of zwopoiew, late compound (zwos, alive, poiew, to make) verb for which see #1Co 15:22. Spiritual life, he means, here and hereafter. {Verily} (ontws). "Really" (cf. #Mr 11:32; Lu 24:34). Condition and conclusion (an en) of second class, determined as unfulfilled. He had already said that Christ died to no purpose in that case (#2:21).
