Bible Strands
Galatians 3:12
The law, however, is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Paul addresses the Galatian churches to correct their theological confusion regarding salvation and covenant obedience. He speaks this during a structured argument contrasting the mechanism of justification by faith with the mechanism of the Mosaic covenant.
The words — The Greek term νόμος (nomos) literally means "the Law," while οὐκ ἔστιν (ouk estin) translates to "is not." These lexical choices explicitly frame the law's operational principle as distinct from trust.
The thread — The quoted phrase originates in Leviticus 18:5 and is cited again in Romans 10:5 to describe righteousness derived from statute-keeping. The same covenant standard appears in Nehemiah 9:29 as the benchmark the people consistently broke.
Why it lands — The text states that the law functions on performance rather than trust, requiring a reader to abandon works-based standing before God. It demands a clear acknowledgment that covenant obedience cannot generate the life it promises.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
Cross-references
- Leviticus 18:5 Keep My statutes and My judgments, for the man who does these things will live by them. I am the LORD.
- Romans 10:5 For concerning the righteousness that is by the law, Moses writes: “The man who does these things will live by them.”
- Nehemiah 9:29 You admonished them to turn back to Your law, but they were arrogant and disobeyed Your commandments. They sinned against Your ordinances, by which a man will live if he practices them. They turned a stubborn shoulder; they stiffened their necks and would not obey.
- Romans 4:14 For if those who live by the law are heirs, faith is useless and the promise is worthless,
- Ezekiel 20:11 And I gave them My statutes and made known to them My ordinances—for the man who does these things will live by them.
- Luke 10:25 One day an expert in the law stood up to test Him. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
- Romans 4:4 Now the wages of the worker are not credited as a gift, but as an obligation.
- Romans 4:16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may rest on grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.
- Ezekiel 20:13 Yet the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness. They did not follow My statutes and they rejected My ordinances—though the man who does these things will live by them—and they utterly profaned My Sabbaths. Then I resolved to pour out My wrath upon them and put an end to them in the wilderness.
- Matthew 19:17 “Why do you ask Me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”