Galatians 3:12

Easy-to-Read Version

The law does not depend on faith. No, it says that the only way a person will find life by the law is to obey its commands.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
But the law is not based on faith; instead, the one who does these things will live by them.

King James Version (1611)
And the Law is not of faith: but the man that doeth them, shall liue in them.

King James Version
And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.

English Standard Version
But the law is not of faith, rather "The one who does them shall live by them."

New American Standard Bible
However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, "THE PERSON WHO PERFORMS THEM WILL LIVE BY THEM."

New Century Version
The law is not based on faith. It says, "A person who obeys these things will live because of them."

Amplified Bible
But the Law does not rest on or require faith [it has nothing to do with faith], but [instead, the Law] says, "HE WHO PRACTICES THEM [the things prescribed by the Law] SHALL LIVE BY THEM [instead of faith]."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, "HE WHO PRACTICES THEM SHALL LIVE BY THEM."

Legacy Standard Bible
However, the Law is not of faith; rather, "He who does them shall live by them."

Berean Standard Bible
The law, however, is not based on faith; on the contrary, "The man who does these things will live by them."

Contemporary English Version
The Law isn't based on faith. It promises life only to people who obey its commands.

Complete Jewish Bible
Furthermore, legalism is not based on trusting and being faithful, but on [a misuse of] the text that says, "Anyone who does these things will attain life through them."

Darby Translation
but the law is not on the principle of faith; but, He that shall have done these things shall live by them.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And the Lawe is not of faith: but the man that shall doe those things, shall liue in them.

George Lamsa Translation
Thus the law is not made by faith, but, Whosoever shall do the things which are written in it shall live in it.

Good News Translation
But the Law has nothing to do with faith. Instead, as the scripture says, "Whoever does everything the Law requires will live."

Lexham English Bible
But the law is not from faith, but "the one who does these things will live by them."

Literal Translation
But the Law is not of faith, but, "The man doing these things shall live in them." Lev. 18:5

American Standard Version
and the law is not of faith; but, He that doeth them shall live in them.

Bible in Basic English
And the law is not of faith; but, He who does them will have life by them.

Hebrew Names Version
The law is not of faith, but, "The man who does them will live by them."

International Standard Version
But the law has nothing to do with faith. Instead, "The person who keeps the commandmentswho does them">[fn] will have life in them."Leviticus 18:5">[fn]Leviticus 18:5; Nehemiah 9:29; Ezekiel 20:11; Romans 4:4-5; 10:5-6; 11:6;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
But the law is not of faith: but he who doeth those things that are written in it shall live by them.

Murdock Translation
Now the law is not of faith; but, whoever shall do the things written in it, shall live by them.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the lawe is not of fayth: but the man that doth them, shall lyue in them.

English Revised Version
and the law is not of faith; but, He that doeth them shall live in them.

World English Bible
The law is not of faith, but, "The man who does them will live by them."

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Now the law is not of faith; but the man that doeth them, shall live by them.

Weymouth's New Testament
and the Law has nothing to do with faith. It teaches that "he who does these things shall live by doing them."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
But the lawe is not of bileue, but he that doith tho thingis of the lawe, schal lyue in hem.

Update Bible Version
and the law is not of faith; but, He that does them shall live in them.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live by them.

New English Translation
But the law is not based on faith, but the one who does the works of the law will live by them .

New King James Version
Yet the law is not of faith, but "the man who does them shall live by them." Leviticus 18:5">[fn]

New Living Translation
This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, "It is through obeying the law that a person has life."

New Life Bible
The Law does not use faith. It says, "You must obey all the Law or you will die."

New Revised Standard
But the law does not rest on faith; on the contrary, "Whoever does the works of the law will live by them."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, the law, is not of faith, but - he that hath done them, shall live in them,

Douay-Rheims Bible
But the law is not of faith: but he that doth those things shall live in them.

Revised Standard Version
but the law does not rest on faith, for "He who does them shall live by them."

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
The lawe is not of fayth: but the man that fulfilleth the thinges contayned in the lawe (shall live in the.)

Young's Literal Translation
and the law is not by faith, but -- `The man who did them shall live in them.'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The lawe is not of faith, but the ma that doth ye same, shal lyue therin.

Mace New Testament (1729)
now the law does not justify by FAITH, but says, "he that DOES these things shall live by them."

Simplified Cowboy Version
This is a lot different than when the Code says, "It is only by following the Code that one will find life."

Contextual Overview

⁶ The Scriptures say the same thing about Abraham. "Abraham believed God, and because of this faith he was accepted as one who is right with God." ⁷ So you should know that the true children of Abraham are those who have faith. ⁸ The Scriptures told what would happen in the future. These writings said that God would make the non-Jewish people right through their faith. God told this Good News to Abraham before it happened. God said to Abraham, "I will use you to bless all the people on earth." ⁹ Abraham believed this, and because he believed, he was blessed. All people who believe are blessed the same as Abraham was. ¹⁰ But people who depend on following the law to make them right are under a curse. As the Scriptures say, "They must do everything that is written in the law. If they do not always obey, they are under a curse." ¹¹ So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by the law. The Scriptures say, "The one who is right with God by faith will live forever." ¹² The law does not depend on faith. No, it says that the only way a person will find life by the law is to obey its commands. ¹³ The law says we are under a curse for not always obeying it. But Christ took away that curse. He changed places with us and put himself under that curse. The Scriptures say, "Anyone who is hung on a tree is under a curse." ¹⁴ Because of what Jesus Christ did, the blessing God promised to Abraham was given to all people. Christ died so that by believing in him we could have the Spirit that God promised. ¹⁵ Brothers and sisters, let me give you an example from everyday life: Think about an agreement that one person makes with another. After that agreement is made official, no one can stop it or add anything to it, and no one can ignore it.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the law: Romans 4:4, Romans 4:5, Romans 4:14, Romans 4:16, Romans 9:30-32, Romans 10:5, Romans 10:6, Romans 11:6

The man: Leviticus 18:5, Nehemiah 9:29, Ezekiel 20:11, Ezekiel 20:13, Matthew 19:17, Luke 10:25-28, Romans 10:5, Romans 10:6

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 6:25 - General Joshua 6:17 - accursed Habakkuk 2:4 - but Luke 10:26 - General Luke 10:28 - this Romans 2:13 - but the Galatians 3:18 - if

Cross-References

Genesis 2:18
Then the Lord God said, "I see that it is not good for the man to be alone. I will make the companion he needs, one just right for him."

Genesis 2:20
The man gave names to all the tame animals, to all the birds in the air, and to all the wild animals. He saw many animals and birds, but he could not find a companion that was right for him.

Genesis 2:22
The Lord God used the rib from the man to make a woman. Then he brought the woman to the man.

Genesis 3:13
Then the Lord God said to the woman, "What have you done?" She said, "The snake tricked me, so I ate the fruit."

Genesis 3:15
I will make you and the woman enemies to each other. Your children and her children will be enemies. You will bite her child's foot, but he will crush your head."

Genesis 3:20
Adam named his wife Eve. He gave her this name because Eve would be the mother of everyone who ever lived.

Genesis 3:21
The Lord God used animal skins and made some clothes for the man and his wife. Then he put the clothes on them.

Genesis 3:24
God forced the man to leave the garden. Then he put Cherub angels and a sword of fire at the entrance to the garden to protect it. The sword flashed around and around, guarding the way to the tree of life.

Job 31:33
I have not tried to hide my sins as some people do. I have never hidden my guilt.

Proverbs 19:3
People ruin their lives with the foolish things they do, and then they blame the Lord for it.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the law is not of faith,.... The Arabic version adds, "but of man"; which as it is an addition to the text, so it contains false doctrine; for though the law is not of faith, yet not of man, but of God; the law does not consist of faith in Christ, nor does it require it, and that a man should live by it upon his righteousness; it is the Gospel that reveals the righteousness of Christ, and directs and encourages men to believe in him and be saved; nor does the law take any notice of a man's faith; nor has it anything to do with a man as a believer, but as a doer, in the point of justification:

but the man that doth them shall live in them; the passage referred to, is in Leviticus 18:5, the word "them", relates to the statutes and judgments, not of the ceremonial, but of the moral law, which are equally obligatory on Gentiles as on Jews. The Jewish doctors x observe on those words, that

"it is not said, priests, Levites, and Israelites, but

האדם, "the man"; lo, you learn from hence, that even a Gentile that studies in the law, is as an high priest:''

so that whatever man does the things contained in the law, that is, internally as well as externally, for the law is spiritual, reaches the inward part of man, and requires truth there, a conformity of heart and thought unto it, and that does them perfectly and constantly, without the least failure in matter or manner of obedience, such shall live in them and by them; the language of the law is, do this and live; so life, and the continuation of that happy natural life which Adam had in innocence, was promised to him, in case of his persisting in his obedience to the law; and so a long and prosperous life was promised to the Israelites in the land of Canaan, provided they observed the laws and statutes which were commanded them: but since eternal life is a promise made before the world began, is provided for in an everlasting covenant, is revealed in the Gospel, and is the pure gift of God's grace through Christ, it seems that it never was the will of God that it should be obtained by the works of the law; and which is a further proof that there can be no justification in the sight of God by them, see Galatians 3:21.

x T. Bab. Avoda Zara, fol. 3. 1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And the law is not of faith - The Law is not a matter of faith; it does not relate to faith; it does not require faith; it deals in other matters, and it pertains to another system than to faith.

But, The man ... - This is the language of the Law, and this is what the Law teaches. It does not make provision for faith, but it requires unwavering and perpetual obedience, if man would obtain life by it; see this passage explained in the notes at Romans 10:5.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 12. And the law is not of faith — It promises no forgiveness to believing, but requires obedience. It is not, What do you believe? but, What have you done? The man that doeth them perfectly, at all times, and in all places, he shall live in them; but if in any case he fails, he forfeits his life. Romans 1:17; Romans 1:17, &c.