Galatians 3:19

παραβάσεων χάριν. A curious text is given in G Irenint. Ambrosiaster by omitting χάριν and reading πράξεων: Quid ergo lex factorum? disposita per angelos in manu mediatoris posita est usque dum veniat etc.

19. τί οὖν ὁ νόμος; If the Law does not modify the disposition, i.e. the Promise, what therefore is its essential character and aim? For we may assume that it was not given superfluously, or as Luther puts it: “When we teach that a man is justified without the Law and works, then doth this question necessarily follow: If the Law do not justify, why was it given?”

τῶν παραβάσεων χάριν προσετέθη. παραβ., Romans 2:23; Romans 4:15; Romans 5:14; 1 Timothy 2:14; Hebrews 2:2; Hebrews 9:15[105]. παραβάτης Galatians 2:18. The article is probably possessive, i.e. “the transgressions of it.” For χάριν cf. 1 John 3:12.

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

προσετέθη. Only here in St Paul’s writings, but frequent in Luke and Acts, twice in Matt, and once in Mk. and Heb.

The clause is patient of two interpretations:
(a) The transgressions of the promise made the Law necessary lest the promise should be lost. God gave the Law in order that the promise might be maintained.

(b) The Law was added to bring out before the conscience the transgressions of itself, to show the tendency of human nature as a dam shows the force of the stream. This is to be preferred as being certainly the meaning of the kindred passages, Romans 4:13-15; Romans 5:20; Romans 7:7-12 and as virtually stated in Galatians 3:22 infra. Perhaps St Paul had already dwelt upon this in his oral teaching, for he assumes that his meaning will be intelligible to his readers. Here it was sufficient to indicate the cause of this temporary addition to the promise, which he says the Law was.

ἂχρις ἂν ἒλθῃ. W.H. marg. gives οὗ for ἄν, compare Galatians 4:19. Cf. Genesis 49:10, especially the Latin renderings there for Shiloh: semen quod ei repositum est (Tractatus de sanctis scripturis), and semen cui repositum est (Hilary).

Luther points out that St Paul’s statement is true both literally, i.e. the Law lasted only until Christ came, and spiritually, i.e. in the individual the Law does not reign in the conscience after Christ is admitted.

τὸ σπέρμα. Christ as already defined in Galatians 3:16.

ᾦ ἐπήγγελται, “to whom He has made the promise.” So elsewhere in the N.T. where the perfect occurs, Romans 4:21; Hebrews 12:26[106].

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

διαταγεὶς κ.τ.λ. The clause is added to show the inferiority of the Law to the Promise. The Promise was given directly by God to Abraham; the Law was given indirectly, and indeed doubly so, (a) by means of angels, (b) through Moses.

Another reason for the addition of the clause has been found. It enhances in the mind of the reader the dignity of the Law and the solemnity of its ordination, as though “the glory of the Law glorified the glory of the promise.” But St Paul is here rather belittling the Law than magnifying the promise, and he is about to point out the inferiority of a mediator.

διαταγ. “appointed” as in 1 Corinthians 7:17; 1 Corinthians 16:1. Probably in the technical sense mentioned in the note on ἐπιδιατάσσεται, Galatians 3:15. The tense is synchronous with προσετέθη. Ramsay (Gal. p. 381) strangely thinks that it marks a further step after προσετέθη.

διʼ ἀγγέλων. The earliest mention of angels as the media through whom the Law was given to Moses appears to be Jubilees I. 27 (where see Charles): “and He said to the angel of the presence [perhaps Michael]: ‘Write for Moses from the beginning of creation till My sanctuary has been built among them for all eternity.’  ” Compare Josephus, Ant. XV. 5. 3 (§ 136) ἡμῶν δὲ τὰ κάλλιστα τῶν δογμάτων καὶ τὰ ὁσιώτατα τῶν ἐν τοῖς νόμοις διʼ ἀγγέλων παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ μαθότων. So also Acts 7:53; Hebrews 2:2. The mention of angels in Deuteronomy 33:2 in connexion with the giving of the Law, especially in the LXX. where they are said to have been on the right hand of the LORD, marks an earlier stage in the doctrine. Luther expresses the thought of our passage when he writes, “The Law is the voice of the servants, but the Gospel is the voice of the Lord Himself.”

ἐν χειρὶ. Hardly the common Hebraism (“by the hand of” = “by”) employed to avoid the repetition of διά. It suggests the reception by Moses of the tables into his hands.

μεσίτου, Galatians 3:20; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 8:6; Hebrews 9:15; Hebrews 12:24; Job 9:33[107]: cf. μεσιτεύω Hebrews 6:17[108]. In Test. XII. Patr., Daniel 6 the angel that intercedes for Israel is called “the mediator between God and men” (μεσίτης θεοῦ καὶ�), but in our Epistle the word evidently refers to Moses, as in the Assumption of Moses, i. 14, iii. 12. St Paul, that is to say, regards the angels as media, not as mediators; as taking no active part in praying or proclaiming. Thus a second medium is employed between God and Israel, first angels as representing God, and then Moses as representing the people (cf. Deuteronomy 5:5).

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