Galatians 3:7-9

3:7 so then, understand 1  that those who believe are the sons of Abraham. 2  3:8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, proclaimed the gospel to Abraham ahead of time, 3  saying, “All the nations 4  will be blessed in you.” 5  3:9 So then those who believe 6  are blessed along with Abraham the believer.

Galatians 3:29

3:29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, 7  heirs according to the promise.

1 tn Grk “know.”

2 tn The phrase “sons of Abraham” is used here in a figurative sense to describe people who are connected to a personality, Abraham, by close nonmaterial ties. It is this personality that has defined the relationship and its characteristics (BDAG 1024-25 s.v. υἱός 2.c.α).

3 tn For the Greek verb προευαγγελίζομαι (proeuangelizomai) translated as “proclaim the gospel ahead of time,” compare L&N 33.216.

4 tn The same plural Greek word, τὰ ἔθνη (ta eqnh), can be translated as “nations” or “Gentiles.”

5 sn A quotation from Gen 12:3; 18:18.

6 tn Grk “those who are by faith,” with the Greek expression “by faith” (ἐκ πίστεως, ek pistew") the same as the expression in v. 8.

7 tn Grk “seed.” See the note on the first occurrence of the word “descendant” in 3:16.