Galatians 3:8

προϊδοῦσα δὲ. “The exact force of δέ, which is never simply connective, and never loses all shades of its true oppositive character, deserves almost more attentive consideration in these Epp. than any other particle, and will often be found to supply the only true clue to the sequence and evolution of the argument” (Ell.). Here it suggests either (a) It s nothing new that the Gentiles should be saved by faith; this was told to Abraham; or, better, (b) It is not only a question of sonship but also of blessing.

προϊδοῦσα, i.e. before the present time, Acts 2:31. It is a common figure of speech to attribute personal activity to Scripture, due ultimately, no doubt, to the sense of Personality behind it; so here “foreseeing” and “preached the Gospel beforehand”; Galatians 3:22, “shut up,” besides the common “saith.”

ἡ γραφὴ. In St John the singular = the particular passage quoted (cf. “another scripture,” John 19:37), and so generally in St Paul, even in Galatians 3:22 (see note there). If so, St Paul here meant: “the particular passage of Scripture which I am about to quote, ‘foreseeing’ etc., preached the Gospel to Abraham beforehand in its words.” But it may be doubted whether here he did not merely translate the common neo-Hebraic ‘amar ha-kâthûb, “the Scripture saith,” which means the written word generally. He afterwards gives the words in which Scripture thus speaks. πᾶσα γραφή in 2 Timothy 3:16 doubtless means every document, rather than every passage short or long.

ὅτι ἐκ πίστεως δικαιοῖ (Galatians 2:16), strictly present. Observe the emphatic position of ἐκ πίστεως.

τὰ ἔθνη. Here first directly stated though implied in Galatians 2:14 end, 16 end. δικ. τ. ἔθνη must have been an oxymoron to Jewish readers. Cf. Bengel on 1 Corinthians 1:2, Ecclesia Dei in Corintho: laetum et ingens paradoxon.

ὁ θεὸς (with δικαιοῖ). προευηγγελίσατο [94]τῷ Ἀβραὰμ. Evangelium lege antiquius (Bengel), but St Paul has hardly come to this yet (Galatians 3:17). προ- is “beforehand,” i.e. before the blessing came to the Gentiles, as in προϊδοῦσα. Note that for St Paul the Gospel necessarily involves the inclusion of the Gentiles, Galatians 3:14.

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

ὅτι Ἐνευλογηθήσονται ἐν σοὶ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη. ἐνευλ., Acts 3:25[95]. The quotation is a fusion of Genesis 12:3; Genesis 18:18; cf. Genesis 22:18. In the Hebrew the verb is probably reflexive, “shall bless themselves”; in the LXX. and the N.T. passive. The blessing seems to be defined in Galatians 3:10 sqq., particularly as freedom from the curse of the Law. But more generally it is that state of friendly and covenant relation to God in which Abraham stood. ἐν σοί, in fellowship with Abraham and the truth he represents.

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