Parallel Verses
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.
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?
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.
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.
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 is based on the law, it is no longer based on a promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise. 19 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. 20 Now a mediator does not represent just one party; but God is one.
Phrases
Cross References
Acts 7:53
you who received the law as delivered by angels, and yet did not keep it."
Galatians 3:16
Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, "And to seeds," as referring to many, but rather to one, "And to your seed," that is, Christ.
Romans 7:7-13
What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed, I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "You shall not covet."
Hebrews 2:2
For if the message spoken by angels was valid, and every transgression and disobedience received a just punishment,
Acts 7:38
This is he who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our fathers; and he received living oracles to pass on to us.
Romans 4:15
because the law brings wrath, for where there is no law there is no transgression.
Luke 16:31
He said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if some one should rise from the dead.'"
John 1:17
For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
John 5:45-47
Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; it is Moses who accuses you, on whom you set your hope.
John 15:22
If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.
Romans 2:13
For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous in the sight of God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.
Romans 3:1-2
Then what advantage has the Jew, or what is the value of circumcision?
Romans 3:19-20
Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped and the whole world may be held accountable to God.
Romans 5:20-21
Law came in, that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,
Galatians 3:21-25
Is the law then opposed to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given which could impart life, then righteousness would indeed have come by the law.
Galatians 4:1-4
I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, although he is the owner of all the estate;
1 Timothy 1:8-9
But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully,
Hebrews 2:5
For it is not to angels that he subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking.