Gal 3:8, 14 | Barnes | STEP | Verse 8. And the Scripture . The word Scripture refers to the Old Testament. . It is here personified, or spoken of as foreseeing . The idea is, that he by whom the Scriptures were inspired foresaw that. It is agreeable, the meaning is, to the account on the subject in the Old Testament. The Syriac renders this, "Since God foreknew that the Gentiles would be justified by faith, he before announced to Abraham, as the Scripture saith, In thee shall all nations be blessed." Foreseeing . That is, this doctrine is contained in the Old Testament. It was foreseen and predicted that the heathen would be justified by faith, and not by the works of the law. That God would justify the heathen . Greek, The nations- ταεθνη --the Gentiles. The fact that the heathen, or the Gentiles, would be admitted to the privileges of the true religion, and be interested in the benefits of the coming of the Messiah, is a fact which is everywhere abundantly predicted in the Old Testament. As an instance, see . I do not know that it is anywhere distinctly foretold that the heathen would be justified by faith , nor does the argument of the apostle require us to believe this. He says that the Scriptures, that is, he who inspired the Scriptures, foresaw that fact, and that the Scriptures were written as if with the knowledge of that fact; but it is not directly affirmed. The whole structure and frame of the Old Testament, however, proceeds on the supposition that it would be so; and this is all that the declaration of the apostle requires us to understand. Preached before the gospel . This translation does not convey quite the idea to us which the language of Paul, in the original, would to the people to whom he addressed it. We have affixed a technical sense to the phrase, "to preach the gospel." It is applied to the formal and public annunciation of the truths of religion, especially the "good news" of a Saviour's birth, and of redemption by his blood. But we are not required by the language used here to suppose that this was done to Abraham, or that "the gospel" was preached to him in the sense in which we all now use that phrase. The expression in Greek προευηγγελισατο means, merely, "the joyful news was announced beforehand to Abraham;" scil , that in him should all the nations of the earth be blessed. It was implied , indeed, that it would be by the Messiah; but the distinct point of the "good news" was not the "gospel" as we understand it, but it was that somehow through him all the nations of the earth would be made happy. Tindal has well translated it, "Showed beforehand glad tidings unto Abraham." This translation should have been adopted in our common version. In thee shall all nations be blessed . ; . All nations should be made happy in him, or through him. The sense is, that the Messiah was to be descended from him; and the religion of the Messiah, producing peace and salvation, was to be extended to all the nations of the earth. See . Comp. of this chapter. (d) "would justify" (e) "saying"

Galatians 3:8

Verse 8. And the Scripture. The word Scripture refers to the Old Testament. Jn 5:39. It is here personified, or spoken of as foreseeing. The idea is, that he by whom the Scriptures were inspired foresaw that. It is agreeable, the meaning is, to the account on the subject in the Old Testament. The Syriac renders this, "Since God foreknew that the Gentiles would be justified by faith, he before announced to Abraham, as the Scripture saith, In thee shall all nations be blessed."

Foreseeing. That is, this doctrine is contained in the Old Testament. It was foreseen and predicted that the heathen would be justified by faith, and not by the works of the law.

That God would justify the heathen. Greek, The nations- ταεθνη --the Gentiles. The fact that the heathen, or the Gentiles, would be admitted to the privileges of the true religion, and be interested in the benefits of the coming of the Messiah, is a fact which is everywhere abundantly predicted in the Old Testament. As an instance, see Isa 49:6,22,23 Isa 40. I do not know that it is anywhere distinctly foretold that the heathen would be justified by faith, nor does the argument of the apostle require us to believe this. He says that the Scriptures, that is, he who inspired the Scriptures, foresaw that fact, and that the Scriptures were written as if with the knowledge of that fact; but it is not directly affirmed. The whole structure and frame of the Old Testament, however, proceeds on the supposition that it would be so; and this is all that the declaration of the apostle requires us to understand.

Preached before the gospel. This translation does not convey quite the idea to us which the language of Paul, in the original, would to the people to whom he addressed it. We have affixed a technical sense to the phrase, "to preach the gospel." It is applied to the formal and public annunciation of the truths of religion, especially the "good news" of a Saviour's birth, and of redemption by his blood. But we are not required by the language used here to suppose that this was done to Abraham, or that "the gospel" was preached to him in the sense in which we all now use that phrase. The expression in Greek προευηγγελισατο means, merely, "the joyful news was announced beforehand to Abraham;" scil, that in him should all the nations of the earth be blessed. It was implied, indeed, that it would be by the Messiah; but the distinct point of the "good news" was not the "gospel" as we understand it, but it was that somehow through him all the nations of the earth would be made happy. Tindal has well translated it, "Showed beforehand glad tidings unto Abraham." This translation should have been adopted in our common version.

In thee shall all nations be blessed. Acts 3:25; Rom 4:13. All nations should be made happy in him, or through him. The sense is, that the Messiah was to be descended from him; and the religion of the Messiah, producing peace and salvation, was to be extended to all the nations of the earth. See Gen 12:3. Comp. Gal 3:16 of this chapter.

(d) "would justify" Gal 3:22 (e) "saying" Gen 12:3, 22:18, Acts 3:25

Galatians 3:14

Verse 14. That the blessing of Abraham. The blessing which Abraham enjoyed to wit, that of being justified by faith.

Might come on the Gentiles.

As well as on the Jews. Abraham was blessed in this manner before he was circumcised, Rom 4:11, and the same blessing might be imparted to others also who were not circumcised. See this argument illustrated Rom 4:10.

Through Jesus Christ. Since he has been made a curse for all, and since he had no exclusive reference to the Jews or to any other class of men, all may come and partake alike of the benefits of his salvation.

That we might receive the promise of the Spirit. That all we who are Christian converts. The promise of the Spirit, or the promised Spirit, is here put for all the blessings connected with the Christian religion. It includes evidently the miraculous agency of the Holy Spirit; and all his influences in renewing the heart, in sanctifying the soul, and in comforting the people of God. These influences had been obtained in virtue of the sufferings and death of the Lord Jesus in the place of sinners, and these influences were the sum of all the blessings promised by the prophets.

(a) "blessing of Abraham" Rom 4:9,16 (b) "promise of the Spirit" Isa 44:3, Eze 36:27, Joel 2:28,29 (*) "through" "by"