But before faith came
This is to be understood, not of the grace of faith, which was
under the former dispensation, as now; the Old Testament saints
had the same Spirit of faith, and the same grace of faith, as for
its nature, object, and use, as New Testament saints have; Adam,
Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham believed in Christ, and were justified
by faith in his righteousness, as we are. It is much better to
understand it of the doctrine of faith, which though preached to
Adam, and by Noah, and to Abraham, and by Isaiah, and others, yet
not so clearly, largely, and fully, as by Jesus Christ and his
apostles; so that the times of the Gospel may be called the times
of faith, in comparison of the times of the law, and which some
think is here meant; but it is best to interpret it of Christ,
the object of faith, who was to come, and is come in the flesh,
to fulfil the law; and, by so doing, has put an end to it; and to
redeem his people from under it, and to save them with an
everlasting salvation; for before this his coming in the flesh,
the people of the Jews, of whom the apostle was one, were under
the law:
we were kept under the law;
as persons in a garrison, as the word signifies; they were kept
distinct and separate from the rest of the nations of the world,
and had neither civil nor religious conversation with them; and
so were preserved in some measure both from their impieties and
idolatries, which otherwise they were naturally prone to; and as
a distinct people, unto the coming of the Messiah, who was to
arise from among them; so that their being kept under the law in
this sense, was both for their honour and their safety: though
the meaning may also be, that they were kept under it as persons
under a military guard, as the word likewise imports; and
signifies, that the law kept a strict guard and a watchful eye
over them, as the Roman soldier had over Paul, that kept him, and
held fast the chain in his hand, with which he was bound, that he
might not get loose and escape from him; see ( Acts 28:16 Acts 28:20 ) to which
the apostle seems here to allude; the law kept them close to the
discharge of their duty, and held them fast as prisoners; and
which is more fully expressed in the next clause,
shut up.
The Syriac version reads this in connection with the former,
thus, (Nnyvybx dk Nl awh rjn
aowmn) "the law kept us shut up", as in a prison; and the
same way reads the Arabic version; which shows the state and
condition the Jews were in under the law, and how they were
treated by it; not as good and righteous persons, but as persons
in debt, as criminals and malefactors; a prison is made, and so
the law, for such sort of persons; the law considered and used
them as sinners, as criminals convicted and condemned; it did
itself accuse, convict, and pronounce them guilty, and condemned
them to punishment; and detained them as prisoners in its dark
dungeon, where they had little light and comfort; and were as in
a pit, wherein is no water; though they lay here as prisoners of
hope, in expectation of the Messiah's coming; who was to proclaim
liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them
that are bound, and to say to the prisoners, Come forth, and to
them that sit in darkness, Show yourselves. Also the allusion may
be to the custom of the eastern nations, in the usage of their
slaves and captives; who in the daytime used to grind at a mill
in a prison house, and in the night time were put down into a pit
and shut up, and a mill stone put to the mouth of the pit
F16; and so describes the state of
bondage and slavery the Jews were in under the law, who differed
nothing from servants, to whom the saints under the Gospel
dispensation are opposed, ( Galatians
3:26 ) as being the children of God by faith in Christ. And
in this uncomfortable condition they continued,
unto the faith which should afterwards be
revealed;
that is, until Christ the object of faith came, who was to be
revealed, or made manifest in the flesh; who, before his
incarnation, not only lay in the bosom of the Father, but was in
a great measure hid under the types and prophecies of the Old
Testament; which though they gave some hints of him, yet but
obscure ones, in comparison of the revelation made of him by his
appearance in human nature; by the testimonies of his Father by a
voice from heaven of angels, of John the Baptist, and others; and
by his own doctrines and miracles, and by the spirit of wisdom
and revelation in the knowledge of him.