Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Galatians 3:22

ἀλλὰ. In contradiction to the hypothesis in Galatians 3:21 b, the statement of Scripture is otherwise.

συνέκλεισεν. Galatians 3:23; Romans 11:32; Luke 5:6[109]. For its metaphorical use in the LXX. see Psalms 30 (31):9, 77 (78):50, 62. The preposition refers not to the things enclosed, i.e. “together,” but to the completeness of the closure, “complete custody, so that the enclosed are absolutely and entirely held in by the barriers in question” (Meyer).

[109] Is affixed to a word it means that all the passages are mentioned where that word occurs in the New Testament.

ἡ γραφὴ. Galatians 3:8 note. The passage here referred to is Deuteronomy 27:26, quoted in Galatians 3:10, or, less probably, Psalms 142 (143):2, quoted in Galatians 2:16.

τὰ πάντα. Not strictly in the sense of “all things,” as in Colossians 1:20. Perhaps it is safest to understand it of the whole results of the dispensation of the Law, but persons may be referred to by the neuter in abstract speech: see John 6:37; 1 John 5:4. So Thuc. III. 11. 4 τὰ κράτιστα ἐπὶ τοὺς ὑποδεεστέρους πρώτους ξυνεπῆγον; Xen. Anab. VII. 3. 11 τὰ μὲν φεύγουτα καὶ� … ἢν δέ τις�.τ.λ. See Winer-Schmiedel, § 28. 1; Blass, § 32. 1. For the thought cf. Romans 11:32.

ἵνα, strictly telic. Cf. Chrysostom εἰ δὲ διὰ τοῦτο ἐδόθη [ό νόμος], ἴνα συγκλείσῃ πάντας, τουτέστιν, ἵνα ἐλέγξῃ καὶ δείξῃ τὰ οἰκεῖα αὐτῶν πλημμελήματα, οὐ μόνον οὐ κωλύει σε τοῦ τυχεῖν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ συμπράττει πρὸς τὸ τυχεῖν … ἐπειδὴ γὰρ Ἰουδαῖοι οὐδὲ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ᾐσθάνοντο τῶν οἰκείων, μὴ αἰσθανόμενοι δὲ οὐδὲ�, ἔδωκε τὸν νόμον ἐλέγχοντα τὰ τραύματα, ἵνα ποθήσωσι τὸν ἰατρόν.

ἡ ἐπαγγελία ἐκ πίστεως Ἰ. Χρ. δοθῇ. ἐκ π., cf. the marginal ἐκ νόμου Galatians 3:21. ἐκ π. Ἰ. Χρ., cf. Galatians 2:16. It is possible to take the phrase ἐκ π. Ἰ. Χρ. closely with ἡ ἐπαγγελία (so Ell.), the promise belonging to faith not to works (for the omission of the article after ἐπαγγελία see Colossians 1:8 note, Blass, § 47. 7 sq.); but as this hardly brings out the full meaning of ἐκ it is better to join the phrase with δοθῇ: “in order that the promise should, as a result of faith in Jesus Christ, be given to them that believe.” Had the Law brought righteousness this would not have been necessary, but the Scripture included all under sin for this express purpose. It could not be given till Christ came; cf. Galatians 3:23.

τοῖς πιστεύουσιν. In one emphatic word he sums up the argument of Galatians 3:7-22.

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Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Galatians 3:22

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