Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Galatians 6:16

καὶ ὅσοι. Without restriction; whatever their nationality or past or even present behaviour. The καί makes an apodosis in thought though not in form; if a new creation then peace and mercy.

τῷ κανόνι τούτῳ, “by this rule,” i.e. the maxim of Galatians 6:14-15 culminating in the principle that a καινὴ κτίσις is of all importance. For κανών see 2 Corinthians 10:13; 2 Corinthians 10:15-16; Jdt 13:6 (8); Micah 7:4 and especially 4Ma 7:21[171] πρὸς ὅλον τὸν τῆς φιλοσοφίας κανόνα εὐσεβῶς φιλοσοφῶν.

[171] Is affixed it means that all the passages are mentioned where the word occurs in the Greek Bible.

στοιχήσουσιν. Galatians 5:25 note. In the future tense lies an invitation. For its construction with a dative see Romans 4:12. Observe here the insistence on a holy life; yet “Deed” as determined by “Creed “of mind and heart.

εἰρήνη ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς κ.τ.λ. An adaptation of Psalms 125 (124):5, 128 (127):6. Compare the Palestinian recension of the last prayer of the Eighteen Benedictions (Shemone ‘esre), “Set Thy peace upon Israel Thy people, and on Thy city and on Thine inheritance, and bless us, yea all of us as one man. Blessed be Thou, O LORD, who makest peace” (see Dalman, Words of Jesus, German edition, p. 301).

καὶ ἔλεος. This precise combination and order are unique. Contrast 1 Timothy 1:2; 2 Timothy 1:2; 2 John 1:3 and even Jude 1:2. The usual order is ἔλ. κ. εἰρ., i.e. God’s mercy as the ground of peace. Here apparently εἰρ., refers to the immediate and ἔλ. the final blessing; cf. 2 Timothy 1:18.

καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰσραηλ τοῦ θεοῦ. The phrase is unique. The addition of τοῦ θεοῦ to the old form excludes those who are of Israel and yet are not Israel (Romans 9:6); cf. Revelation 2:9. The sentence forms a suitable close to an epistle which has endeavoured to distinguish clearly those who are and those who are not the true seed of Abraham (e.g. Galatians 3:7; Galatians 3:29; Galatians 4:21 sqq.). Apparently καὶ is epexegetic of ὄσοι … στοιχήσουσιν, and ὁ Ἰσρ. τ. θ. includes all true believers whatever their origin; and so, probably, ἡ περιτομή in Philippians 3:3.

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Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Galatians 6:16

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