Gal 3:16-17 | PNT | STEP | Now to Abraham and his seed were the promise made . The covenant with its promises was made with Abraham and his seed. There were promises spoken on several occasion. See . The promises of the covenant were to the seed, as well as to Abraham, and hence did not terminate with his death. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many, but . . . to thy seed . This passage has excited much criticism. Many have thought that Paul made a grammatical mistake. Even Luther says: ``My dear brother Paul, this argument won't stick.'' The criticism is that "sperma", the Greek word rendered "seed", is a collective noun and may include all Abraham's descendants. Paul elsewhere ( ) shows that he knew just the meaning of "sperma", but the question here is not one of grammar, but of spiritual meaning. Paul does not mean that "sperma" ("seed") excludes plurality, but that it implies unity. Not the word "children" or "descendants" is used. This would embrace the children of Ishmael, of Esau, and of Keturah. But there is a seed to whom the promise is given; a seed that embraces many, but is one. That seed is Christ the head, and all in Christ. See The whole spiritual seed of Abraham concentrates in Christ. The promise is to Christ and all in Christ. Paul understood Greek as well as his critics, and also knew what he meant.

Galatians 3:16-17

Now to Abraham and his seed were the promise made. The covenant with its promises was made with Abraham and his seed. There were promises spoken on several occasion. See Ge 12:3,7 13:16 15:5 17:7. The promises of the covenant were to the seed, as well as to Abraham, and hence did not terminate with his death.

He saith not, And to seeds, as of many, but . . . to thy seed. This passage has excited much criticism. Many have thought that Paul made a grammatical mistake. Even Luther says: ``My dear brother Paul, this argument won't stick.'' The criticism is that "sperma", the Greek word rendered "seed", is a collective noun and may include all Abraham's descendants. Paul elsewhere (Ro 4:18 9:7) shows that he knew just the meaning of "sperma", but the question here is not one of grammar, but of spiritual meaning. Paul does not mean that "sperma" ("seed") excludes plurality, but that it implies unity. Not the word "children" or "descendants" is used. This would embrace the children of Ishmael, of Esau, and of Keturah. But there is a seed to whom the promise is given; a seed that embraces many, but is one. That seed is Christ the head, and all in Christ. See 1Co 12:12 The whole spiritual seed of Abraham concentrates in Christ. The promise is to Christ and all in Christ. Paul understood Greek as well as his critics, and also knew what he meant. And this I say. He returns to the argument introduced in Ga 3:15.

The covenant . . . the law . . . cannot disannul. He has just shown that this covenant was not only with Abraham, but with his spiritual seed, and hence must continue in effect until Christ came. Hence the law, made over four centuries after the covenant was given, could not disannul it. The covenant made with Abraham is still in force.

Four hundred and thirty years. According to Usher's Chronology, the promise was made to Abraham in B.C. 1921; the law was given at Sinai B.C. 1491; the interval is 430 years. But some have held that Paul made a mistake because in Exodus it said that Hebrews were in Egypt 430 years (Ex 12:12). The matter is easily explained. The Septuagint Version of the Old Testament is the one usually followed by Christ and his apostles. Its translators, following the Hebrew copy before them, render Ex 12:12, "The sojourning of the children of Israel who dwelt in Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, was four hundred and thirty years". Whether this is right, or our Hebrew text, does not matter. Paul gave the usually received statement. His point was simply that the law was given many ages after the covenant with Abraham.