Parallel Verses
International Standard Version
Why, then, was the Law added? Because of transgressions, until the descendant came about whom the promise pertained. It was put into effect through angels by means of a mediator.
New American Standard Bible
King James Version
Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
Holman Bible
Why then was the law given?
A Conservative Version
Why then the law? It was added on account of transgressions, until the seed would come to whom it was promised, which was arranged through heavenly agents in the hand of a mediator.
American Standard Version
What then is the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise hath been made; and it was ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator.
Amplified
Why, then, the Law [what was its purpose]? It was added [after the promise to Abraham, to reveal to people their guilt] because of transgressions [that is, to make people conscious of the sinfulness of sin], and [the Law] was ordained through angels and delivered to Israel by the hand of a mediator [Moses, the mediator between God and Israel, to be in effect] until the Seed would come to whom the promise had been made.
An Understandable Version
What then is [the benefit of] the law of Moses? It was introduced [as part of God's revelation] in order to define what sin was, until the seed [i.e., Jesus] would come, to whom the promise [of never ending life] was made. The law of Moses was ordained through [the medium of] angels and [delivered] through the hand of an intermediary [i.e., Moses].
Anderson New Testament
What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added on account of transgressions, (till the offspring should come, to whom the promise was made,) having been appointed through the service of angels, in the hand of a mediator.
Bible in Basic English
What then is the law? It was an addition made because of sin, till the coming of the seed to whom the undertaking had been given; and it was ordered through angels by the hand of a go-between.
Common New Testament
Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made.
Daniel Mace New Testament
"To what purpose then was the law?" it was added as a check to transgressors, till the offspring should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels with the intervention of a mediator.
Darby Translation
Why then the law? It was added for the sake of transgressions, until the seed came to whom the promise was made, ordained through angels in the hand of a mediator.
Godbey New Testament
Then what is the law? It was added on account of the transgressions, until the seed to whom the promise was made should come; being ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
Goodspeed New Testament
Then what about the Law? It was a later addition, designed to produce transgressions, until the descendant to which the promise was made should come, and it was enacted by means of angels, through an intermediary;
John Wesley New Testament
Wherefore then was the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made: and it was ordained by angels, in the hand of a mediator.
Julia Smith Translation
What then the law? It was added on account of transgressions, (till the seed come to whom it was promised;) appointed by angels in the hand of a mediator.
King James 2000
Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the descendant should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
Lexham Expanded Bible
Why then the law? It was added on account of transgressions, until the descendant should come to whom it had been promised, having been ordered through angels by the hand of a mediator.
Modern King James verseion
Why then the Law? It was added because of transgressions, until the Seed should come to those to whom it had been promised, being ordained through angels in the Mediator's hand.
Modern Spelling Tyndale-Coverdale
Wherefore then serveth the law? The law was added because of transgression - till the seed came, to which the promise was made - and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
Moffatt New Testament
Then what about the Law? Well, it was interpolated for the purpose of producing transgressions till such time as the Offspring arrived to whom the Promise was made; also, it was transmitted by means of angels through the agency of an intermediary
Montgomery New Testament
To what purpose, then, was the Law? It was imposed later for the sake of transgressions, until the "Offspring" should come to whom the promise had been made. It was arranged through angels by the hand of a mediator.
NET Bible
Why then was the law given? It was added because of transgressions, until the arrival of the descendant to whom the promise had been made. It was administered through angels by an intermediary.
New Heart English Bible
What then is the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the seed should come to whom the promise has been made. It was ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator.
Noyes New Testament
To what end then was the Law? It was added because of transgressions, till the offspring should come to whom the promise belongeth, having been ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator.
Sawyer New Testament
What then? The law was added on account of transgressions, till the offspring should come to which the promise was made, being appointed by angels by the hand of a mediator.
The Emphasized Bible
Why, then, the law? Because of the transgressions, it was added, until such time as the seed should come, unto whom the promise had been made, and was given in charge through messengers, at the hand of a mediator;
Thomas Haweis New Testament
To what end then was the law given? It was given on account of transgressions, until that seed should come to whom the promise was made, being delivered through the ministry of angels into the hand of a mediator.
Twentieth Century New Testament
What, then, you ask, was the use of the Law? It was a later addition, to make men conscious of their wrong-doings, and intended to last only till the coming of that 'offspring' to whom the promise had been made; and it was delivered through angels by a mediator.
Webster
What purpose then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
Weymouth New Testament
Why then was the Law given? It was imposed later on for the sake of defining sin, until the seed should come to whom God had made the promise; and its details were laid down by a mediator with the help of angels.
Williams New Testament
Then what about the law? It was added later on to increase transgressions, until the descendant to whom the promise was made should come, enacted through the agency of angels in the person of an intermediary.
World English Bible
What then is the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the seed should come to whom the promise has been made. It was ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator.
Worrell New Testament
What, then, is the law? It was added because of the transgressions, until the Seed should come to Whom it had been promised; having been arranged through angels in the hand of a mediator.
Worsley New Testament
What then availeth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come, to whom the promise was made; and it was delivered by angels in the hand of a mediator.
Youngs Literal Translation
Why, then, the law? on account of the transgressions it was added, till the seed might come to which the promise hath been made, having been set in order through messengers in the hand of a mediator --
Themes
Angel (a spirit) » Functions of » Law given by
Christ, the mediator » Typified
Jesus Christ » Mediation of » Typified » By moses
Law » Received by the disposition of angels
Law » Was given because of transgressions until the messiah arrived
The law of God » Given » Through the ministration of angels
Ordination » What has been ordained
Topics
Interlinear
Prostithemi
Charin
Diatasso
Dia
References
American
Easton
Fausets
Hastings
Morish
Watsons
Word Count of 37 Translations in Galatians 3:19
Images Galatians 3:19
Prayers for Galatians 3:19
Verse Info
Context Readings
The Addition Of The Law
18 For if the inheritance comes about through the Law, it no longer comes about through the promise. But it was through a promise that God so graciously gave it to Abraham. 19 Why, then, was the Law added? Because of transgressions, until the descendant came about whom the promise pertained. It was put into effect through angels by means of a mediator. 20 Now a mediator involves more than one party, but God is one.
Phrases
Cross References
Acts 7:53
You received the Law as ordained by angels, and yet you haven't obeyed it!"
Galatians 3:16
Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his descendant. It doesn't say "descendants," referring to many, but "your descendant," referring to one person, who is the Messiah.
Deuteronomy 5:5
I stood at that time as mediator between the LORD and you to declare his message to you, because you were afraid of the fire and would not go up the mountain. He said:
Romans 7:7-13
What should we say, then? Is the Law sinful? Of course not! In fact, I wouldn't have become aware of sin if it had not been for the Law. I wouldn't have known what it means to covet if the Law had not said, "You must not covet."
Hebrews 2:2
because if the message spoken by angels was reliable, and every violation and act of disobedience received its just punishment,
Acts 7:38
This Moses is the one who was in the assembly in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai and to our ancestors. He received living truths to give to us,
Romans 4:15
for the Law produces wrath. Now where there is no Law, neither can there be any violation of it.
Exodus 20:19-22
They told Moses, "You speak to us and we will listen, but don't let God speak with us, or we may die.
Exodus 24:1-12
The LORD told Moses, "Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and 70 of the elders of Israel, and worship at a distance.
Exodus 34:27-35
Then the LORD told Moses, "Write down these words, because I'm making a covenant with you and with Israel according to these words."
Leviticus 15:32
These are the regulations for one whose discharge of semen causes him to become unclean because of it,
Deuteronomy 4:8-9
And what great nation has all the decrees and righteous ordinances like all this teaching that I'm giving you today?
Deuteronomy 5:22-33
"The LORD declared these commands in a loud voice to your entire assembly on the mountain from out of the fire and dark clouds, and nothing more was added. He inscribed them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me.
Deuteronomy 9:13-20
"Then the LORD told me, "I have examined this people, and they are stubborn indeed.
Deuteronomy 9:25-29
I fell down in the LORD's presence for 40 days and nights, because the LORD said he was ready to destroy you.
Deuteronomy 18:15-19
"The LORD your God will raise up a prophet like me for you from among your relatives. You must listen to him,
Deuteronomy 33:2
He said: "The LORD came from Sinai. Rising from Seir upon us, he shone forth from Mount Paran, accompanied by a myriad of his holy ones, with flaming fire from his right hand for them.
Psalm 106:23
He would have destroyed them but for Moses, his chosen one, who stood in the breach before him to avert his destructive wrath.
Psalm 147:19-20
He declares his words to Jacob, his statutes and decrees to Israel.
Luke 16:31
"Then Abraham told him, "If your brothers do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded, even if someone were to rise from the dead.'"
John 1:17
because while the Law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus the Messiah.
John 5:45-47
Do not suppose that I will be the one to accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom you have set your hope,
John 15:22
"If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have any sin. But now they have no excuse for their sin.
Romans 2:13
For it is not merely those who hear the Law who are righteous in God's sight. No, it is those who follow the Law, who will be justified.
Romans 3:1-2
What advantage, then, does the Jew have, or what value is there in circumcision?
Romans 3:19-20
Now we know that whatever the Law says applies to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.
Romans 5:20-21
Now the Law crept in so that the offense would increase. But where sin increased, grace increased even more,
Galatians 3:21-25
So is the Law in conflict with the promises of God? Of course not! For if a law had been given that could give us life, then certainly righteousness would come through the Law.
Galatians 4:1-4
Now what I am saying is this: As long as an heir is a child, he is no better off than a slave, even though he owns everything.
1 Timothy 1:8-9
Of course, we know that the Law is good if a person uses it legitimately,
Hebrews 2:5
For he did not put the coming world we are talking about under the control of angels.