Galatians 3:29
What does Galatians 3:29 mean?
A plain-English look at Galatians 3:29 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Galatians 3:29 means
Paul concludes: if you are Christ’s—belonging to Him by faith—then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to promise. Union with Christ makes believers the true continuation of Abraham’s line, regardless of ethnicity or law observance. The inheritance does not flow through the law but through the promise fulfilled in Christ. This secures the Galatians’ identity and hope: they are not second-class members; they are rightful heirs. Their future rests on God’s unbreakable word, not on their performance. To be in Christ is to stand within the Abrahamic blessing, awaiting its full enjoyment as God’s children.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000And if ye are Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, heirs according to promise.
KJV
King James Version · 1611And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901And if ye are Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, heirs according to promise.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and yours is the heritage by the right of God's undertaking given to Abraham.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862and if ye <FI>are<Fi> of Christ then of Abraham ye are seed, and according to promise--heirs.
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And if you be Christ's, then are you the seed of Abraham, heirs according to the promise.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890but if ye [are] of Christ, then ye are Abraham's seed, heirs according to promise.
Context
This closing verse gathers the chapter’s threads: Abraham’s justification by faith (verses 6–9), the curse of the law and Christ’s redeeming work (verses 10–14), the permanence of the promise centered on Christ, the seed (verses 15–18), the temporary role of the law (verses 19–25), and the new identity of believers as sons clothed with Christ and united in Him (verses 26–28). It sets the stage for chapter 4’s development of heirship and adoption, encouraging the Galatians to hold fast to grace and resist returning to law as a means of standing with God.
v.28There can be neither Jew nor Greek, there can be neither bond nor free, there can be no male and female; for ye all are one man in Christ Jesus.
v.29This passage
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Galatians 4:7
So that thou art no longer a bondservant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.
- Galatians 3:28
There can be neither Jew nor Greek, there can be neither bond nor free, there can be no male and female; for ye all are one man in Christ Jesus.
- Hebrews 11:18
even he to whom it was said, In Isaac shall thy seed be called:
- Romans 9:7
neither, because they are Abraham’s seed, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
- Hebrews 6:17
Wherein God, being minded to show more abundantly unto the heirs of the promise the immutability of his counsel, interposed with an oath;
- Ephesians 3:6
to wit, that the Gentiles are fellow-heirs, and fellow-members of the body, and fellow-partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel,
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