For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Galatians 3:18
What does Galatians 3:18 mean?
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Galatians 3:18
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The verse highlights that the inheritance can't be both from the law and from God's promise, because these are fundamentally opposing ways of relating to God. The law offers reward for works, while the promise offers a free gift; by emphasizing the law, you actually cancel out the nature of the promise.
For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul is clarifying that Abraham's inheritance, a promised blessing from God, couldn't possibly be based on the Law. He's arguing that if it were, it would mean God's promise to Abraham was conditional and could be revoked, which contradicts the unchangeable nature of God's covenants and the fact that the Law came centuries after the promise. Therefore, the inheritance must come solely through the promise, received by faith, not by trying to perfectly keep the Law.
Imagine two different roads leading to an incredible destination. One is paved with rules you must perfectly follow, the other is a path opened by a generous gift. Which road do you think God uses for His ultimate blessings?
Paul is making a stark contrast here. He's saying that inheritance—all the spiritual blessings God promises, like righteousness and eternal life—can't come from two opposite directions at once.
Paul is saying these two are fundamentally incompatible. If you try to mix them, you actually invalidate the promise. It’s like trying to have a gift be both freely given and also something you paid for – it just doesn’t work.
What does it mean that God 'gave' this inheritance to Abraham? Was it a transaction, or something else entirely?
The verse highlights that God’s original act of giving the inheritance to Abraham was . This wasn't a deal where Abraham had to meet certain conditions first.
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Understand the original words
klēronomia · Greek Noun
Refers to the blessing or possession promised by God to His people. It is received as a gift of grace through faith, not earned by adherence to the law.
The core of this verse highlights a crucial distinction: the inheritance promised to Abraham and his spiritual descendants is entirely based on God's gracious promise, not on human effort or adherence to the Law. This wasn't a minor point for the Galatians, as some were being pressured to follow the Mosaic Law for salvation, a path Paul insists contradicts the very nature of God's covenant with Abraham.
c. 2000 BC
God's Promise to Abraham
God establishes a covenant with Abraham, promising him numerous descendants and that through him all nations would be blessed. This promise is the foundation of Abraham's inheritance.
c. 1446 BC
The Exodus and the Giving of the Law
God delivers the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and gives them the Law through Moses at Mount Sinai. This Law provides a framework for their life and worship.
c. 1446 BC— this verse
The Law and the Promise Contrasted
Paul argues that the Law, given 430 years after the promise to Abraham, cannot set aside or add to that original promise. The inheritance comes through the promise, not by the Law's commands.
c. 40 years after Exodus
Conquest of Canaan
The Israelites conquer and settle in the Promised Land, the earthly inheritance symbolized by the heavenly inheritance promised to Abraham.
This passage directly parallels Galatians 3:18 by explaining that the promise to Abraham and his offspring to inherit the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith.
Romans 4:14This verse reinforces the argument that if those who rely on the law are heirs, then faith is nullified and the promise is void, directly supporting the principle that law and promise are mutually exclusive bases for inheritance.
Genesis 12:1-3This foundational promise to Abraham, predating the law by centuries, establishes that his inheritance was entirely based on God's call and blessing, not on adherence to a future legal code.
Hebrews 6:13-15This passage highlights God's unwavering commitment to His promise to Abraham, emphasizing that because God could swear by no greater, He swore by Himself, underscoring the promise's immutability apart from the law.
Romans 11:6This verse draws a direct contrast between grace and works, stating that if salvation is by grace, it cannot be by works, mirroring the argument in Galatians 3:18 that inheritance cannot be by both law (works) and promise (grace).
jfbGalatians 3:18: "For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise."
- the inheritance—all the blessings to be inherited by Abraham's literal and spiritual children, according to the promise made to him and to his Seed, Christ, justification and glorification (Ga 4:7; Ro 8:17; 1Co 6:9).but God, &c.—The Greek order requires rather, "But to Abraham it was by promise that God hath given it." The conclusion is, Therefore the inheritance is not o…
vincentGalatians 3:18: "For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise."
In the analogy of Galatians 3:15 there was contemplated the double possibility of invalidation or addition. With relation to God's promise, the Judaisers insisted on addition; since, while they preached faith in the promise and in its fulfillment in Christ, they made the inheritance of the promise dependent upon the fulfilling of the law. Paul, on the other hand, holds that t…
The verse highlights that the inheritance can't be both from the law and from God's promise, because these are fundamentally opposing ways of relating to God. The law offers reward for works, while the promise offers a free gift; by emphasizing the law, you actually cancel out the nature of the promise.
Paul is clarifying that Abraham's inheritance, a promised blessing from God, couldn't possibly be based on the Law. He's arguing that if it were, it would mean God's promise to Abraham was conditional and could be revoked, which contradicts the unchangeable nature of God's covenants and the fact that the Law came centuries after the promise. Therefore, the inheritance must come solely through the promise, received by faith, not by trying to perfectly keep the Law.
Paul is clarifying that Abraham's inheritance, a promised blessing from God, couldn't possibly be based on the Law. He's arguing that if it were, it would mean God's promise to Abraham was conditional and could be revoked, which contradicts the unchangeable nature of God's covenants and the fact that the Law came centuries after the promise. Therefore, the inheritance must come solely through the promise, received by faith, not by trying to perfectly keep the Law.
"For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise." — The verse highlights that the inheritance can't be both from the law and from God's promise, because these are fundamentally opposing ways of relating to God. The law offers reward for works, while…
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Last reviewed October 2026