Galatians 3:23

But the office of the law as a jailer was designed to be only temporary, until the time when faith should come. It was to hold in custody those who were subjected to sin, so that they should not escape the consciousness of their sins and of their liability to punishment. Faith [τ η ν π ι σ τ ι ν]. The subjective faith in Christ which appropriates the promise. See on chapter Galatians 1:23.

We were kept [ε φ ρ ο υ ρ ο υ μ ε θ α]. Better, kept in ward, continuing the figure in shut up, verse 22. The imperfect tense indicates the continued activity of the law as a warder.

Under the law [υ π ο ν ο μ ο ν]. Const. with were kept in ward, not with shut up. We were shut up with the law as a warder, not for protection, but to guard against escape. Comp. Wisd. 17 15. The figure of the law as pedagogue (verse 24) is not anticipated. The law is conceived, not as the prison, but as the warder, the Lord or despot, the power of sin (see 1 Corinthians 14:56; Romans 7), by whom those who belong to sin are kept under lock and key - under moral captivity, without possibility of liberation except through faith.

Shut up unto the faith [σ υ ν κ λ ε ι ο μ ε ν ο ι ε ι ς τ η ν π ι σ τ ι ν]. Eijv unto or for expresses the object of keeping in ward. It is not temporal, until, which is a rare usage in N. T., but with a view to our passing into the state of faith. Which should afterwards be revealed [μ ε λ λ ο υ σ α ν - α π ο κ α λ υ φ θ η ν α ι]. The position of mellousan emphasizes the future state of things to which the earlier conditions pointed. The faith was first revealed at the coming of Christ and the gospel.