Galatians 3:12

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]

Parallel Translations

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."

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."

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

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

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

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

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."

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]."

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

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.

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

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

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."

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

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.

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."

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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."

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

Contextual Overview

⁶ just as Abraham "believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." Genesis 15:6">[fn] ⁷ Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. ⁸ And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, "In you all the nations shall be blessed." Genesis 12:3; Genesis 18:18; Genesis 22:18; Genesis 26:4; Genesis 28:14">[fn] ⁹ So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham. ¹⁰ For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them." Deuteronomy 27:26">[fn] ¹¹ But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith." Habakkuk 2:4">[fn] ¹² Yet the law is not of faith, but "the man who does them shall live by them." Leviticus 18:5">[fn] ¹³ Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree" Deuteronomy 21:23 ">[fn] ), ¹⁴ that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. ¹⁵ Genesis 12:1-3">[xr] Brethren, I speak in the manner of men: Though it is only a man's covenant, yet if it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to 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
And the LORD God said, "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him."

Genesis 2:20
So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.

Genesis 2:22
Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.

Genesis 3:13
And the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."

Genesis 3:15
And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel."

Genesis 3:20
And Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.

Genesis 3:21
Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.

Genesis 3:24
So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

Job 31:33
If I have covered my transgressions as Adam, By hiding my iniquity in my bosom,

Proverbs 19:3
The foolishness of a man twists his way, And his heart frets against the LORD.

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.