language · Gal 3:22; Gal 3:23; Gal 3:24; Gal 3:25 · ✓ Approved

Confined, and the guardian (3:22–25)

Says In 3:22 συνέκλεισεν ἡ γραφὴ τὰ πάντα ὑπὸ ἁμαρτίαν (synekleisen hē graphē ta panta hypo hamartian): συγκλείω, “to shut together, enclose, shut in on all sides”. The purpose is that the promise ἐκ πίστεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ δοθῇ τοῖς πιστεύουσιν. As grammar, the genitive admits more than one reading; the BSB renders “by faith in Jesus Christ”.

Uncertain Burton (p. 197) says it “is, as always after πίστις, an objective genitive.” Wesley (p. 495), on 2:16, has “by faith in him” (see the note on 2:16, 20). No lean is taken here.

Says In 3:23 ὑπὸ νόμον ἐφρουρούμεθα (hypo nomon ephrouroumetha) (φρουρέω, “to guard, keep under guard”). In 3:24 ὁ νόμος παιδαγωγὸς ἡμῶν γέγονεν εἰς Χριστόν (ho nomos paidagōgos hēmōn gegonen eis Christon): παιδαγωγός, “a guide, guardian, trainer of boys, a tutor”. “To lead us” in the BSB is supplied.

Uncertain On εἰς Χριστόν, Lightfoot (p. 149) holds that “‘Christ’ represents the freedom of mature age, for which the constraints of childhood are a preparation”, and that the explanation “one to conduct us to the school of Christ” is one that “ought probably to be abandoned”; more guardedly, Ramsay (p. 381) writes “until the age of Christ arrived”. Calvin (p. 108) writes, “The grammarian, when he has trained a boy, delivers him into the hands of another”; Burton (p. 200), granting that “εἰς Χριστόν may be temporal,” judges “the pregnant use is here the more probable.” No lean is taken here.

Claims

SaysGalatians 3:22 says the Scripture shut up all things under sin so that the promise ek pisteos Iesou Christou might be given to those who believe; as grammar the genitive admits more than one reading, and the BSB renders faith in.
UncertainBurton takes the genitive as objective and Wesley glosses faith in him; no lean is taken.
SaysGalatians 3:23–24 says we were guarded under the law and the law became our paidagogos eis Christon; to lead us is supplied by the BSB.
UncertainLightfoot reads eis Christon of time, guardedly with Ramsay; Calvin, and Burton while granting a temporal sense, read it of leading to Christ; no lean is taken.

Citations

BSB public domain Gal 3:22–25
SBLGNT CC BY 4.0 Gal 3:22–25
Lightfoot, Galatians public domain Lightfoot, Saint Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians (Macmillan, 1914 printing), on Gal 3:24, p. 149 (leaf n168); checked against the printed page (scan); quoted, otherwise paraphrased
Ramsay, Galatians public domain Ramsay, A Historical Commentary on St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians (1899), on Gal 3:23–25, p. 381 (leaf n398); checked against the printed page (scan); quoted, otherwise paraphrased
Calvin, Galatians (Pringle) public domain Calvin, Commentaries on Galatians and Ephesians (Pringle, CTS 1854), on Gal 3:24, p. 108 (leaf n121); checked against the printed page (scan); quoted, otherwise paraphrased
Burton, Galatians (ICC) public domain Burton, Galatians (ICC, Scribner 1928 printing of the 1920 edition), on Gal 3:22, 24, p. 197 (leaf n290), p. 200 (leaf n293); checked against the printed page (scan); quoted, otherwise paraphrased
Wesley, Notes NT (1755) public domain Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755), on Gal 2:16, p. 495 (leaf n508); checked against the printed page (scan); quoted, otherwise paraphrased
Abbott-Smith public domain s.v. συνκλείω (G4788) — to shut together, enclose, shut in on all sides
Abbott-Smith public domain s.v. φρουρέω (G5432) — to guard, keep under guard
Abbott-Smith public domain s.v. παιδαγωγός (G3807) — a guide, guardian, trainer of boys, a tutor

Sources BSB public domain SBLGNT CC BY 4.0 Lightfoot, Galatians public domain Ramsay, Galatians public domain Calvin, Galatians (Pringle) public domain Burton, Galatians (ICC) public domain Wesley, Notes NT (1755) public domain Abbott-Smith public domain Bible Scholarship & Tool CC BY 4.0

2026-11-13

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