1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the trueth, to whome Iesus Christ before was described in your sight, and among you crucified? 2 This only would I learne of you, Receiued ye the Spirit by the workes of the Lawe, or by the hearing of faith preached? 3 Are ye so foolish, that after ye haue begun in the Spirit, ye would now be made perfect by the flesh? 4 Haue ye suffered so many things in vaine? if so be it be euen in vaine. 5 He therefore that ministreth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it through the workes of the Law, or by the hearing of faith preached? 6 Yea rather as Abraham beleeued God, and it was imputed to him for righteousnes. 7 Knowe ye therefore, that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. 8 For the Scripture foreseeing, that God would iustifie the Gentiles through faith, preached before the Gospel vnto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all the Gentiles be blessed. 9 So then they which be of faith, are blessed with faithfull Abraham. 10 For as many as are of the workes of the Lawe, are vnder the curse: for it is written, Cursed is euery man that continueth not in all things, which are written in the booke of the Law, to doe them. 11 And that no man is iustified by the Law in the sight of God, it is euident: for the iust shall liue by faith. 12 And the Lawe is not of faith: but the man that shall doe those things, shall liue in them. 13 Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the Lawe, made a curse for vs, (for it is written, Cursed is euery one that hangeth on tree) 14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Christ Iesus, that wee might receiue the promise of the Spirite through faith. 15 Brethren, I speake as men do: though it be but a mans couenant, when it is confirmed, yet no man doeth abrogate it, or addeth any thing thereto. 16 Nowe to Abraham and his seede were the promises made. Hee saith not, And to the seedes, as speaking of many: but, And to thy seede, as of one, which is Christ. 17 And this I say, that the couenant that was confirmed afore of God in respect of Christ, the Lawe which was foure hundreth and thirtie yeeres after, can not disanull, that it shoulde make the promise of none effect. 18 For if the inheritance be of the Lawe, it is no more by the promise, but God gaue it freely vnto Abraham by promise. 19 Wherefore then serueth the Law? It was added because of the transgressions, til the seed came, vnto the which the promise was made: and it was ordeined by Angels in the hande of a Mediatour. 20 Nowe a Mediatour is not a Mediatour of one: but God is one. 21 Is the Lawe then against the promises of God? God forbid: For if there had bene a Lawe giuen which coulde haue giuen life, surely righteousnes should haue bene by the Lawe. 22 But the Scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne, that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ should be giuen to them that beleeue. 23 But before faith came, we were kept vnder the Law, as vnder a garison, and shut vp vnto that faith, which should afterward be reueiled. 24 Wherefore the Lawe was our scholemaster to bring vs to Christ, that we might be made righteous by faith. 25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer vnder a scholemaster. 26 For ye are al the sonnes of God by faith, in Christ Iesus. 27 For all ye that are baptized into Christ, haue put on Christ. 28 There is neither Iewe nor Grecian: there is neither bonde nor free: there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Iesus. 29 And if ye be Christes, then are ye Abrahams seede, and heires by promise.
Galatians · Geneva Bible (1599)
Galatians 3 Geneva Bible (1599)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Original 16th-century spelling.
Cross references (29)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Galatians 5:7–8; 2 Corinthians 11:3; Revelation 2:20; Galatians 1:6; Galatians 3:3
- 2 Romans 10:16–17; Galatians 3:14; Acts 15:8; Ephesians 1:13–14; Galatians 3:5
- 3 Galatians 5:4–8; Galatians 4:7–10; Hebrews 7:16–19; Hebrews 9:9–10; Galatians 6:12–14
- 4 2 John 8; 1 Corinthians 15:2; Hebrews 10:32–39; Hebrews 6:4–6; Ezekiel 18:24
- 5 Galatians 3:2; Acts 14:9–10; Acts 19:11–12; Acts 14:3; 2 Corinthians 13:3
- 6 Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:21–22; James 2:23; Romans 4:3–6; Romans 4:24
- 7 Galatians 3:9; Romans 9:7–8; Galatians 3:26–29; Psalm 100:3; Romans 4:24
- 8 Genesis 12:3; Genesis 22:18; Genesis 28:14; Genesis 18:18; Genesis 26:4
- 9 Romans 4:16; Galatians 3:29; Galatians 4:28; Romans 4:24; Romans 4:11
- 10 Deuteronomy 27:26; Romans 8:7; Romans 3:19–20; Deuteronomy 11:26–28; James 2:9–11
- 11 Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 1:17; Hebrews 10:38; Galatians 2:16; Ecclesiastes 7:20
- 12 Leviticus 18:5; Romans 10:5–6; Nehemiah 9:29; Romans 4:14; Luke 10:25–28
- 13 1 Peter 2:24; Deuteronomy 21:23; Hebrews 9:12; Hebrews 9:15; 1 Peter 1:18–21
- 14 Galatians 3:28–29; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 2:18; Galatians 3:2; Ezekiel 36:26–27
- 15 Hebrews 9:17; Romans 6:19; Romans 3:5
- 16 Genesis 17:7–8; Romans 4:13; Luke 1:55; Genesis 22:17–18; Galatians 3:27–29
- 17 Hebrews 11:39–40; Romans 4:13–14; Exodus 12:40–41; Genesis 15:13; 2 Corinthians 1:20
- 18 Romans 4:13–16; Hebrews 6:12–15; Galatians 2:21; Psalm 105:42; Luke 1:54–55
- 19 Acts 7:53; Romans 7:7–13; Hebrews 2:2; Galatians 3:16; Romans 5:20–21
- 20 1 Timothy 2:5; Deuteronomy 6:4; Job 9:33; Hebrews 9:15; Hebrews 8:6
- 21 Galatians 2:21; Romans 9:31; Romans 3:20–22; Galatians 2:19; Romans 10:3–6
- 22 Romans 11:32; Hebrews 9:15; John 11:25–26; Galatians 3:23; 1 John 2:25
- 23 Galatians 5:18; Galatians 3:24–25; Romans 6:14–15; Romans 11:32; Galatians 3:19
- 24 Romans 10:4; Acts 13:38–39; Hebrews 10:1–14; Romans 7:24–25; Matthew 5:17–18
- 25 Romans 6:14; Romans 7:4; Hebrews 10:15–18; Hebrews 7:11–19; Hebrews 8:3–13
- 26 Ephesians 1:5; 2 Corinthians 6:18; John 1:12–13; Galatians 4:5–6; 1 John 3:1–2
- 27 Romans 13:14; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Romans 6:3–4; 1 Peter 3:21; Ephesians 4:24
- 28 1 Corinthians 12:12–13; Colossians 3:11; Romans 3:29–30; Galatians 5:6; Romans 10:12–15
- 29 Ephesians 3:6; Romans 9:7–8; Galatians 3:7; Romans 8:17; Romans 4:16–21
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
It was added, until the seed should come to whom the promise was made; [and it was] ordained by angels in the hand of a Mediator." For the order of the words runs thus: "Wherefore then the law of works?
… deep, saying, "Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind." And, "Be not children in understanding, howbeit in malice be ye children," that in "understanding ye may be perfect;" and "O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you?" But now not in his own voice, but in Thine who sentest Thy Spirit from …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
… ye are not so minded, our fathers thought it necessary by these boards to wall you off; since I hear from the elder ones, that of old there were not so much as these partitions; "For in Christ Jesus there is neither male nor female." And in the apostle's time also both men and women were together.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
For before faith came, we were kept in ward under the law, and, the law hath been our tutor to bring us unto Christ.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
But you must hear too the words, "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law;" and "while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Give careful heed, too, to the words of the Lord, and note how, whenever He instructs us about His Father, He is in the habit of using terms of personal authority, saying, "I …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 8 (1895)