Limitless Word
But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
Galatians 3:11 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB Now that no man is justified by the law before God is evident, for, “The righteous will live by faith.”
  • BSB Now it is clear that no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will 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 2:4Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

Cross-references · 19

  • Hab 2:4Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.
  • Rom 1:17For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
  • Heb 10:38Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
  • Gal 2:16Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
  • Eccl 7:20For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
  • Ps 130:3–4If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?
  • Isa 53:6All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
  • Job 42:6Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.
  • Rev 5:9And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
  • Isa 6:5Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
  • Ps 19:12Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.
  • Isa 64:6But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
  • 1 Jn 1:8–10If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
  • Job 9:3If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand.
  • 1 Kgs 8:46If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near;
  • Job 40:4Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.
  • Rev 7:14–15And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
  • Ps 143:2And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.
  • Jas 3:2For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the 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.