Galatians 3:9

9 Therefore, those who believe are blessed together with Abraham who believed.

Galatians 3:9 Meaning and Commentary

Galatians 3:9

So then they which be of faith
This is the apostle's conclusion upon the whole, from the instance of Abraham, and, the promise made to him; and is an explanation of the preceding clause, and shows that it must be taken in a limited sense, and understood not of every individual; only of those who are of the same faith with Abraham, are believers in Christ, and seek for justification by faith in him, and not by the works of the law:

these are blessed with faithful Abraham;
in his seed Christ; they are blessed with a justifying righteousness in Christ as he was, and will be blessed with eternal life as he is; they shall sit with him, and with Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. The character of "faithful" given to him, respects not his uprightness and integrity among men, but his faith in God; and does not suppose that he was blessed for his faith, but that it was through faith that he received the blessing of justification, and not by the works of the law; and that in the same way, all that believe enjoy the same favour, for to them it is limited and restrained: nor can the Jews of all men find fault with this interpretation of the apostle's, since they themselves interpret the above clause of some particular persons of the nations of the world, and say in so many words, that

``the meaning is, not that all the men of the world should be blessed, but that every family that is in the world, (wtnwmaw wtemvml brqttv) , "that comes to the obedience and faith of him" (God,) to it shall adhere the blessing and providence. F15''


FOOTNOTES:

F15 Abarbinel in Pentateuch, fol. 54. 1, 2. Vid. R. Isaac Chizzuk Emuna, par. 1. c. 13. p. 135.

Galatians 3:9 In-Context

7 those who believe are the children of Abraham.
8 But when it saw ahead of time that God would make the Gentiles righteous on the basis of faith, scripture preached the gospel in advance to Abraham: All the Gentiles will be blessed in you.
9 Therefore, those who believe are blessed together with Abraham who believed.
10 All those who rely on the works of the Law are under a curse, because it is written, Everyone is cursed who does not keep on doing all the things that have been written in the Law scroll.
11 But since no one is made righteous by the Law as far as God is concerned, it is clear that the righteous one will live on the basis of faith.
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