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Now it is clear that no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.”
Galatians 3:11 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB Now that no man is justified by the law before God is evident, for, “The righteous will live by faith.”
  • KJV But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
  • NKJV But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.”
  • NASB Now, that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, “the righteous one will live by faith.”
  • NLT So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

No one is justified before God by the law, because 'the righteous will live by faith.' Scripture itself establishes faith as the way of life.

Overview

Paul cites Habakkuk to confirm that righteousness and life come by faith, not legal observance. The Old Testament's own witness rules out justification by the law. This quotation became a cornerstone of the gospel's defense, prized in the Reformation as a summary of salvation by faith.

Cross-references & the web

Quotation

  • Hab 2:4Look at the proud one; his soul is not upright—but the righteous will live by faith—

Cross-references · 19

  • Hab 2:4Look at the proud one; his soul is not upright—but the righteous will live by faith—
  • Rom 1:17For the gospel reveals the righteousness of God that comes by faith from start to finish, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
  • Heb 10:38But My righteous one will live by faith; and if he shrinks back, I will take no pleasure in him.”
  • Gal 2:16know that a man is not justified by works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
  • Eccl 7:20Surely there is no righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.
  • Ps 130:3–4If You, O LORD, kept track of iniquities, then who, O Lord, could stand?
  • Isa 53:6We all like sheep have gone astray, each one has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all.
  • Job 42:6Therefore I retract my words, and I repent in dust and ashes.”
  • Rev 5:9And they sang a new song: “Worthy are You to take the scroll and open its seals, because You were slain, and by Your blood You purchased for God those from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.
  • Isa 6:5Then I said: “Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips dwelling among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts.”
  • Ps 19:12Who can discern his own errors? Cleanse me from my hidden faults.
  • Isa 64:6Each of us has become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.
  • 1 Jn 1:8–10If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
  • Job 9:3If one wished to contend with God, he could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.
  • 1 Kgs 8:46When they sin against You—for there is no one who does not sin—and You become angry with them and deliver them to an enemy who takes them as captives to his own land, whether far or near,
  • Job 40:4“Behold, I am insignificant. How can I reply to You? I place my hand over my mouth.
  • Rev 7:14–15“Sir,” I answered, “you know.” So he replied, “These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
  • Ps 143:2Do not bring Your servant into judgment, for no one alive is righteous before You.
  • Jas 3:2We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to control his whole body.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (5)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Galatians videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Galatians 3:11YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on GalatiansMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Christ became a curse for us to redeem us from the law's curse, that we might receive the Spirit and be sons — justified by faith in him, not by works.

How Galatians 3:11 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.