Bible Commentaries

Bewitched you; deluded you.--Evidently set forth; plainly preached.

Are ye now made perfect by; are ye going to end in.

By the works of the law; by Judaism.

Are the children of Abraham; whether Jews or not. If they share in the faith of Abraham, God considers them as his children.

All nations; that is, the Gentiles; thus showing that the extension of the offers of salvation beyond the Jewish communion was the design of God from the beginning.

That doeth them; that is, that fully obeys the requirements of the law.--Shall live in them; shall be saved by them.

The curse of the law; the terrible penalty of the law.--Being made a curse for us; in the condemnation, sufferings, and death, which be endured for us.--Cursed, &c.; Deuteronomy 21:23.

The blessing of Abraham; the blessing pronounced upon Abraham.

Though it be, &c. The meaning of this and the following verses is, that even human covenants, once made and confirmed by the usual forms, are not affected by subsequent transactions; and the promises made to Abraham being conditioned originally on faith, these conditions could not subsequently be altered by the giving of the law, centuries later.

And to seeds, as of many. There has been great diversity of opinion in respect to this passage. The argument would seem to be, that the seed of Abraham, in whose favor the promise was made, was regarded as one community, to be saved on one common principle, so that all, whether they lived before the law, or during the continuance of the law, or under the gospel, constitute but one seed, to be saved in one way; and that way must be by faith.--Which is Christ; the whole body of believers in Christ. The word Christ is used in a similar sense in 1 Corinthians 12:12, and in other places.

Of promise; that is, in fulfilment of a promise.

Because of transgressions; to restrain transgressions.--The seed should come; that is, until the generation should come in which the kingdom of Christ was to be established, and the promises of the covenant fulfilled.--Was ordained, &c. The latter clause of this verse, together with the verse which follows, is a passage which has in all ages baffled the learning and ingenuity of commentators. Various conjectures have been offered, but they throw but little light upon the meaning.

The law was our schoolmaster; that is, the law was only the means of preparatory training, by which the Jewish nation was led on to salvation by Christ.

Have put on Christ; that is, have become all so united with Christ as to form one body of believers in him.