Galatians 2:19

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Galatians 2:19 in Multiple Translations

Berean Standard Bible BSB

For through the law I died to the law so that I might live to God.

King James Version KJV

For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.

American Standard Version ASV

For I through the law died unto the law, that I might live unto God.

Bible in Basic English BBE

For I, through the law, have become dead to the law, so that I might be living to God.

Free Bible Version FBV

For through the law I died to the law in order that I could live for God.

Geneva Bible 1599 GNV

For I through the Lawe am dead to the Lawe, that I might liue vnto God.

Young's Literal Translation YLT

for I through law, did die, that to God I may live;

World English Bible WEB

For I through the law died to the law, that I might live to God.

Noah Webster Bible WBS

For I through the law am dead to the law, that I may live to God.

Douay-Rheims 1899 DRV

For I, through the law, am dead to the law, that I may live to God: with Christ I am nailed to the cross.

Translation for Translators T4T

When I realized that I could not earn God’s favor by obeying the laws that he gave to Moses, I decided not to respond to what those laws demanded [MET], just like a dead person does not respond to anything. Now I live to honor/serve God.

Plain English Version PEV

You see, I used to try to follow that law, so that law controlled me. I tried to do everything in that law, but I couldn’t do it, so the law said that I had to die. But then I stopped thinking about that law, and I turned around to follow Jesus, and now he controls me, and God makes me properly alive. And you know that Jesus died on a cross. Well, I believe in Jesus, so it is like I died there too. But Jesus is alive now, so I’m alive now too. You see, Jesus lives inside me, right here in my body. And he gets me to do the things that God wants me to do. He is God’s son. He loved me, and he gave up his life and died for me.

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Berean Amplified Bible — Galatians 2:19

BAB

Word Study

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Galatians 2:19 Interlinear (Deep Study)

BIB

GRK εγω γαρ δια νομου νομω απεθανον ινα θεω ζησω

εγω egō G1473 I/we Pron-1NS

γαρ gar G1063 for Conj

δια dia G1223 through/because of Prep

νομου nomos G3551 law Noun-GSM

νομω nomos G3551 law Noun-DSM

απεθανον apothnēskō G599 to die Verb-2AAI-1S

ινα hina G2443 in order that/to Conj

θεω theos G2316 God Noun-DSM

ζησω zaō G2198 to live Verb-AAS-1S

Greek Word Study

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Greek Word Reference — Galatians 2:19

εγω egō G1473 "I/we" Pron-1NS

This is a pronoun meaning I or me, used by the speaker to refer to themselves. It is often used in the Bible to emphasize the speaker's identity.

Definition: ἐγώ, genitive, etc., ἐμοῦ, ἐμοί, ἐμέ (enclitic μου, μοι, με), pl. ἡμεῖς, -ῶν, -ῖν, -ᾶς, of person(s) pron. I. __(a) The nom. is usually emphatic, when expressed as subjc, as in Mat.3:11, Mrk.1:8, Luk.3:16, al. But often there is no apparent emphasis, as Mat.10:16, Jhn.10:17; ἰδοὺ ἐ. (= Heb. הִנֵּנִי, cf. 1Ki.3:8), Act.9:10; ἐ. (like Heb. אֲנִי), I am, Jhn.1:23 (LXX), Act.7:32 (LXX). __(b) The enclitic forms (see supr.) are used with nouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, where there is no emphasis: ἐν τ. πατρί μου, Jhn.14:20; μου τ. λόγους, Mat.7:24; ὀπίσω μου, Mat.3:11; ἰσχυρότερός μου, ib.; λέγει μοι, Rev.5:5; also with the prep. πρός, as Mrk.9:19, al. The full forms (ἐμοῦ, etc.) are used with the other prepositions, as δι᾽ ἐμοῦ, ἐν ἐμοί, εἰς ἐμέ, etc., also for emphasis, as Luk.10:16, Jhn.7:23, Mrk.14:7, al. __(with) The genitive μου and ἡμῶν are often used for the poss. pronouns ἐμός, ἡμέτερος: τ. λαόν μου, Mat.2:6; μου τῂ ἀπιστιᾳ, Mrk.9:24. __(d) τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί ( = Heb. מַה־לִי וָלָךְ, Jdg.11:12, al.), i.e. what have we in common: Mat.8:29, Mrk.1:24, 5:7, Luk.8:28, Jhn.2:4; τί γάρ μοι, 1Co.5:2. __(e) The interchange of ἐγώ and ἡμεῖς, common in π., appears in Pauline Epp. (see M, Pr., 86f., M, Th., 131f.). __(f) κἀγώ (= καὶ ἐγώ), and I, even I, I also: Mat.2:8, Luk.2:48, Jhn.6:56, Rom.3:7, 1Co.7:40, al.; κἀγώ . . . καί, both . . . and, Jhn.7:28. (AS)

Usage: Occurs in 1872 NT verses. KJV: I, me See also: 1 Corinthians 1:2; 1 Corinthians 16:24; 1 Peter 1:3.

γαρ gar G1063 "for" Conj

For is a word used to explain or give a reason, often introducing a justification or clarification, as seen in Matthew 4:18 and Romans 7:1. It's a conjunction that connects ideas and provides additional information.

Definition: γάρ, co-ordinating particle, contr. of γε ἄρα, verily then, hence, in truth, indeed, yea, then, why, and when giving a reason or explanation, for, the usage in NT being in general accord with that of cl.; __1. explicative and epexegetic: Mat.4:18 19:12, Mrk.1:16 5:42 16:4, Luk.11:3o, Rom.7:1, 1Co.16:5, al. __2. Conclusive, in questions, answers and exclamations: Mat.9:5 27:23, Luk.9:25 22:27, Jhn.9:30, Act.8:31 16:37 19:35, Rom.15:26, 1Co.9:10, Php.1:18 (Ellic., in l.), 1Th.2:20, al. __3. Causal: Mat.1:21 2:2, 5, 6, 3:23, Mrk.1:22, 9:6, Luk.1:15, 18, Jhn.2:25, Act.2:25, Rom.1:9, 11, 1Co.11:5, Rev.1:3, al.; giving the reason for a command or prohibition, Mat.2:20 3:9, Rom.13:11, Col.3:3, 1Th.4:3, al.; where the cause is contained in an interrog. statement, Luk.22:27, Rom.3:3 4:3, 1Co.10:29; καὶ γάρ, for also, Mrk.10:45, Luk.6:32, 1Co.5:7, al. id. as in cl. = etenim, where the καί loses its connective force (Bl., §78, 6; Kühner 3, ii, 854f.), Mrk.14:70, Luk.1:66 22:37, 2Co.13:4. The proper place of γάρ is after the first word in a clause, but in poets it often comes third or fourth, and so in late prose: 2Co.1:19. Yet "not the number but the nature of the word after which it stands is the point to be noticed" (see Thayer, see word). (AS)

Usage: Occurs in 1011 NT verses. KJV: and, as, because (that), but, even, for, indeed, no doubt, seeing, then, therefore, verily, what, why, yet See also: 1 Corinthians 1:11; 1 John 2:19; 1 Peter 2:19.

δια dia G1223 "through/because of" Prep

Means through or because of, like in Matthew 2:12 where the wise men left by another route. It shows cause or occasion, as in 1 Corinthians 3:15, being saved through fire. It can also describe a state or condition, like in Romans.

Definition: διά (before a vowel δ᾽, exc. Rom.8:10, 2Co.5:7, and in (Proper name)s; Tdf., Pr., 94), prep. with genitive, accusative, as in cl.; __1. with genitive, through; __(i) of Place, after verbs of motion or action: Mat.2:12 12:43, Mrk.2:23, Luk.4:30, Jhn.4:4, 2Co.11:33, al.; σώζεσθαι (διας-) δ. πυρός, ὕδατος, 1Co.3:15, 1Pe.3:20; βλέπειν δ. ἐσόπτρου, 1Co.13:12; metaphorically, of a state or condition: Rom.14:20, 2Co.2:4 5:7, 10; δ. γράμματος, ἀκροβυστίας (Lft., Notes, 263, 279), Rom.2:27 4:11; δι ̓ὑπομενῆς, Rom.8:25. __(ii) Of Time; __(a) during which: Mat.26:61, Mrk.14:58, Luk.5:5; δ. παντὸς τοῦ ζῆν, Heb.2:15; δ. παντός (διαπαντός in Mrk.5:5, Luk.24:53), always, continually, Mat.18:10, Act.2:25" (LXX) 10:2 24:16, Rom.11:10" (LXX), 2Th.3:16, Heb.9:6 13:15. __(b) within which: Act.1:3; δ. νυκτός, Act.5:19 16:9 17:10 23:31; __(with) after which (Field, Notes, 20; Abbott, JG, 255f.): Mrk.2:1, Act.24:17, Gal.2:1. __(iii) Of the Means or Instrument; __(1) of the efficient cause (regarded also as the instrument): of God, Rom.11:36, 1Co.1:9, Gal.4:7, Heb.2:10 7:21; of Christ, Rom.1:8 5:1, 17, 1Co.15:21, 1Pe.4:11, al.; δ. τ. ὑμῶν δεήσεως, Rom.1:12, 2Co.1:4, Gal.4:23, al.; __(2) of the agent, instrument or means; __(a) with genitive of person(s), Mat.11:2, Luk.1:70, Jhn.1:17, Act.1:16, Rom.2:16, 1Co.1:21, Eph.1:5, Heb.2:14, Rev.1:1, al.; ὑπὸ τ. κυρίου δ. τ. προφήτου (δ. τ. κυρίου, 1Th.4:2 (M, Th., in l.); Lft., Rev., 121f.), Mat.1:22 2:15, Rom.1:2; δ. ἐπιστολῆς ὡς δ. ἡμῶν (Field, Notes, 202), 2Th.2:2; δ. Σ. (NTD, 22), 1Pe.5:12; __(b) with genitive of thing(s) (where often the simple dative is used in cl.; Jannaris, Gr., 375), Jhn.11:4, Act.5:12; δ. τ. πίστεως, Rom.3:30; δ. λόγου θεοῦ, 1Pe.1:23; δ. παραβολῆς, Luk.8:4; δουλεύειν δ. τ. ἀγάπης, Gal.5:13; δ. ἐπαγγελίας, Gal.3:18, __2. C. accusative; __(i) rarely, as with genitive, through (Hom), δ. μέσον Σαμαρίας (ICC, in l.; Bl., §42, 1; Robertson, Gr., 581), Luk.17:11. __(ii) by reason of, because of, for the sake of; __(a) with accusative of person(s) (M, Pr., 105), Mrk.2:27, Jhn.6:57 11:42, Rom.8:20; __(b) with accusative of thing(s), δ. φθόνον, Mat.27:18, Mrk.15:10; δ. φόβον, Jhn.7:13 20:19; δ. ἀγάπην, Eph.2:4; δ. τοῦτο, freq., for this cause, therefore, Mat.6:25, Mrk.6:14, Luk.11:49, Jhn.6:65, al.; id. before ὅτι, Jhn.5:16 10:17, al.; δ. τί, why, Mat.9:11, 14 Mrk.2:18, Jhn.7:45, al.; δ. τό, with inf., Mrk.5:4, Luk.9:7, Jas.4:2. __3. In composition, __(1) through, as in διαβαίνω; __(2) of separation, asunder, as in διασπάω; __(3) of distribution, abroad, as in διαγγέλλω; __(4) of transition, as διαλλάσσω; __(5) of "perfective" action (M, Pr., 112f., 115f.), as διαφύγω, διακαθαρίζω. (AS)

Usage: Occurs in 603 NT verses. KJV: after, always, among, at, to avoid, because of (that), briefly, by, for (cause) … fore, from, in, by occasion of, of, by reason of, for sake, that, thereby, therefore, X though, through(-out), to, wherefore, with (-in) See also: 1 Corinthians 1:1; 2 Corinthians 8:8; 1 Peter 1:3.

νομου nomos G3551 "law" Noun-GSM

The Greek word for law, referring to a set of rules or regulations, such as Moses' law or the law of Christ in Galatians 6:2.

Definition: νόμος, -ου, ὁ (νέμω, to deal out, distribute), [in LXX chiefly for תּוֹרָה, also for חֻקָּה, etc. ;] that which is assigned, hence, usage, custom, then law; in NT (only in Mt, Jo, Ja, and the Lucan and Pauline bks.); __1. of law in general: Rom.3:27 5:13b; pl., of divine laws, Heb.8:10 10:16; ὁ ν. τ. Χριστοῦ, Gal.6:2; (τ.) ἐλευθερίας, Jas.1:25 2:12; βασιλικιός (Hort., in l.; Deiss., LAE, 267:3), Jas.2:8. __2. Of a force or influence impelling to action: Rom.7:21, 23a, 25 8:2. __3. Of the Mosaic law: Mat.5:18, Luk.2:27, Jhn.1:17, Act.6:13, Rom.2:15, 1Co.9:8, 1Ti.1:8, Heb.7:19; al.; Μωυσέως, Luk.2:22, Jhn.7:23, Act.15:5, al.; κυρίου, Luk.2:39; κατὰ τὸν ν., Act.22:12, Heb.7:5 9:22. __4. As printed, Abbott-Smith mistakenly numbers this as 3.Anarthrous (Bl, §46, 8; ICC on Rom.2:12, 13), νόμος, __(a) of law in general: Rom.2:12, 14b 3:20, 21 4:15, al.; __(b) of the Mosaic law in its quality as law: Rom.2:14a 5:20 10:4, Gal.2:19, al.; οἱ ἐκ ν., Rom.4:14; ὑπὸ νόμον, 1Co.9:20, Gal.4:5; ν. πράσσειν (πληροῦν), Rom.2:25 13:8. __5. Of Christian teaching: ν. πίστεως, Rom.3:27; τ. Χριστοῦ, Gal.6:2. __6. By meton., of the books which contain the law; __(a) of the Pentateuch: Mat.12:5, Jhn.1:45, al.; ὁ ν. καὶ οἱ προφῆται, Mat.5:17, Luk.16:16, al.; ὁ ν. καὶ προφῆται κ. ψαλμοί, Luk.24:44. __(b) of the OT Scriptures in general (as Heb. תּוֹרָה): Jhn.10:34 12:34 15:25, 1Co.14:21, al. (AS)

Usage: Occurs in 157 NT verses. KJV: law See also: 1 Corinthians 7:39; John 7:51; Hebrews 7:5.

νομω nomos G3551 "law" Noun-DSM

The Greek word for law, referring to a set of rules or regulations, such as Moses' law or the law of Christ in Galatians 6:2.

Usage: Occurs in 157 NT verses. KJV: law See also: 1 Corinthians 7:39; John 7:51; Hebrews 7:5.

απεθανον apothnēskō G599 "to die" Verb-2AAI-1S

To stop living, or pass away, as seen in John 6:50 and Romans 8:13. It can be a natural death or a spiritual one.

Definition: ἀπο-θνῄσκω, [in LXX chiefly for מוּת ;] to die: of natural death, Mrk.5:35, al.; of violent death (pass. of ἀποκτείνω), esp. of Christ, Mat.26:35, Jhn.12:33, Heb.10:28, al.; of spiritual death, Jhn.6:50, Rom.8:13, al.; with dative ref., Rom.6:2, 10 14:7, 8, Gal.2:19; accusative, ὅ, Rom.6:10; before ἐν, Mat.8:32, Jhn.8:21, 24 1Co.15:22, Heb.11:37, Rev.14:13; before ὑπέρ, περί, Jhn.11:50, 51 18:14, Rom.5:6-8 14:15, 1Co.15:3, 2Co.5:15, 1Th.5:10, 1Pe.3:18; ἀπό, Col.2:20; ἐκ, Rev.8:11; figuratively, 1Co.15:31 (cf. συν-αποθνήσκω, and V. Milligan, NTD, 258f.; DCG, i, 791b; Cremer, 286; MM, see word; on the perfective force of this verb, M, Pr., 112, 114; and on the distinction bet. present and aor., ib. 113 f.). (AS)

Usage: Occurs in 99 NT verses. KJV: be dead, death, die, lie a-dying, be slain (X with) See also: 1 Corinthians 8:11; Jude 1:12; Hebrews 7:8.

ινα hina G2443 "in order that/to" Conj

This word means 'in order that' or 'to', showing purpose or result, as seen in Acts 19:4 and Romans 11:31. It's used to express a goal or outcome. In Ephesians 1:17, it's used to describe a purpose.

Definition: ἵνα, __I. adverb (poët., Hom., al.), __1. of place, where, whither. __2. of circumstance, when. __II. Conjunction, __1. prop., final, denoting purpose or end (cl.), that, in order that, usually the first word in the clause, but sometimes (cl. also) preceded by an emphatic word (Act.19:4, Rom.11:31 (?), Gal.2:10, al.); __(a) with optative (so in cl. after historic tenses): after a pres., Eph.1:17 (but WH, mg., subjc.; see Burton, §225, Rem., 2); __(b) with subjc.: after a pres., Mrk.4:21, Luk.6:34, Jhn.3:15, Act.2:25, Rom.1:11, al.; after a pf., Mat.1:22, Jhn.5:23 1Co.9:22, al.; after an imperat. (present or aor.), Mat.7:1, Mrk.11:25, Jhn.10:38, 1Co.7:5, al.; after a delib. subjc., Mrk.1:38, al.; after a fut., Luk.16:4, Jhn.14:3, 1Co.15:28, al.; after historic tenses (where optative in cl.; WM, 359f.; M, Pr., 196f.), Mrk.6:41 (impf.), Jhn.4:8 (plpf.), Mrk.3:14 (aor.), al.; __(with) in late writers (M, Pr., 35; Burton, §§198, 199), with indic., fut: Luk.20:10, 1Pe.3:1, al.; __(d) as often in eccl. writers (Thayer, see word), with indic. pres.: 1Co.4:6, Gal.4:17, al. (?; but V. Burton, §198, Rem.); __(e) εἰς (διὰ) τοῦτο, ἵνα: Jhn.18:37, 1Ti.1:16, al.; τούτου χάριν, Tit.1:5; __(f) elliptical constructions: omission of the principal verb, Jhn.1:8, 2Th.3:9, 1Jn.2:19, al.; of the final verb, Rom.4:16, 2Co.8:13, al. __2. In late writers, definitive, = inf. (WM, 420; Bl, §69, 1), that; __(a) after verbs of wishing, caring, striving, etc.: θέλω, Mat.7:12, al.; ζητῶ, 1Co.4:2 14:12; ζηλόω, 1Co.14:1, al.; __(b) after verbs of saying, asking, exhorting: εἰπεῖν, Mat.4:3, al.; ἐρωτῶ, Mrk.7:26, al.; παρακαλῶ, Mat.14:36, 1Co.1:10, al., etc.; __(with) after words expressing expediency, etc.: συμφέρει, Mat.18:6, Jhn.11:50, al.; ἱκανός, Mat.8:8, Luk.7:6; χρείαν ἔχω, Jhn.2:25, al, etc.; __(d) after substantives, adding further definition: ὥρα, Jhn.12:23 13:1; χρόνος, Rev.2:21; συνήθεια, Jhn.18:39; μισθός, 1Co.9:18. __3. In late writers, ecbatic, denoting the result, = ὥστε, that, so that (M, Pr., 206ff.; WM, 572; Bl., §69, 3; Burton, §223): Rom.11:11, 1Co.7:29, 1Th.5:4, al. (but see Thayer, see word); so with the formula referring to the fulfilment of prophecy, ἵνα πληρωθῇ, Mat.1:22 2:14, Jhn.13:18, al. (AS)

Usage: Occurs in 626 NT verses. KJV: albeit, because, to the intent (that), lest, so as, (so) that, (for) to See also: 1 Corinthians 1:10; 1 Timothy 5:20; 1 Peter 1:7.

θεω theos G2316 "God" Noun-DSM

This word simply means God, referring to the one true deity. It is used throughout the New Testament, including in Matthew 27:46 and Acts 14:11, to describe the supreme being and creator of the universe.

Definition: θεός, -οῦ, ὁ, ἡ (Act.19:37 only; see M, Pr., 60, 244), late voc., θεέ (Mat.27:46; cf. Deu.3:24, al.), [in LXX chiefly for אֱלֹהִים, also for אֵל and other cognate forms, יהוה, etc. ;] a god or deity, God. __1. In polytheistic sense, a god or deity: Act.28:6, 1Co.8:4, 2Th.2:4, al.; pl., Ac. 14:11 19:26, Gal.4:8, al. __2. Of the one true God; __(a) anarthrous: Mat.6:24, Luk.20:38, al.; esp. with prep. (Kühner 3, iii, 605), ἀπὸ θ., Jhn.3:2; ἐκ, Act.5:39, 2Co.5:1, Php.3:9; ὑπό, Rom.13:1; παρὰ θεοῦ, Jhn.1:6; παρὰ θεῷ, 2Th.1:6, 1Pe.2:4; κατὰ θεόν, Rom.8:27, 2Co.7:9, 10; also when in genitive dependent on an anarth. noun (Bl., §46, 6), Mat.27:43, Luk.3:2, Rom.1:17, 1Th.2:13; as pred., Lk 20:38, Jhn.1:1, and when the nature and character rather than the person of God is meant, Act.5:29, Gal.2:6, al. (M, Th., 14); __(b) more freq., with art.: Mat.1:23, Mrk.2:7, al. mult.; with prep., ἀπὸ τ. θ., Luk.1:26; ἐκ, Jhn.8:42, al.; παρὰ τοῦ θ., Jhn.8:40; π. τῷ θ., Rom.9:14; ἐν, Col.3:3; ἐπὶ τῷ θ., Luk.1:47; ἐπὶ τὸν θ., Act.15:19; εἰς τ. θ., Act.24:15; πρὸς τ. θ., Jhn.1:2; with genitive of person(s), Mat.22:32, Mrk.12:26, 27, Luk.20:37, Jhn.20:17, al.; ὁ θ. μου, Rom.1:8, Php 1:3, al.; ὁ θ. καὶ πατήρ κ. τ. λ., Rom.15:6, Eph.1:3, Phi 4:20, al.; with genitive of thing(s), Rom.15:5, 13, 33, 2Co.1:3, 1Th.5:23; τὰ τ. θεοῦ, Mat.16:23, Mrk.12:17, 1Co.2:11; τὰ πρὸς τὸν θ., Rom.15:17, Heb.2:17 5:1; τ. θεῷ, as a superl. (LXX, Jos.3:3), Act.7:20, 2Co.10:4; Hebraistically, of judges (Psa.81(82):6), Jhn.10:34" (LXX), 35. (AS)

Usage: Occurs in 1170 NT verses. KJV: X exceeding, God, god(-ly, -ward) See also: 1 Corinthians 1:1; 1 John 4:2; 1 Peter 1:2.

ζησω zaō G2198 "to live" Verb-AAS-1S

To live means to have life, either physically or spiritually, as seen in Acts 20:12 and Romans 7:1-3. It can also refer to being alive with Christ, like in Philippians 1:21.

Definition: ζάω, -ῶ, [in LXX chiefly for חיה (most frequently ptcp., ζῶν, inf., ζῆν, for חַי ;] __1. prop., to live, be alive (see Syn., see word βίος; in cl. usually of animal life, but sometimes of plants, as Arist., Eth. N, i, 7, 12): Act.20:12, Rom.7:1-3, 1Co.7:39, Rev.19:20, al.; ἐν αὐτῷ ζῶμεν, Act.17:28; ἐμοὶ τὸ ζῆν Χριστός, Php.1:21; διὰ παντὸς τοῦ ζῆν (M, Pr., 215, 249), Heb.2:15; ὃ δὲ νῦν ζῶ ἐν σαρκί, Gal.2:20; ζῇ ἐν ἐμοὶ Χριστός, Gal.2:20; (ὁ) ζῶν, of God (אֵל חַי and cognate phrases, Jos.3:10, Hos.2:1 (1:10), Isa.37:4, al.; see DCG, ii, 39a), Mat.16:16, Jhn.6:57, Rom.9:26, 1Th.1:9, Heb.3:12, Rev.7:2, al.; in juristic phrase, ζῶ ἐγώ (חַי־אָנִי, Num.14:21, al.), as I live, Rom.14:11; ζῆν ἐπ᾽ ἄρτῳ, Mat.4:4, al.; ἐκ, 1Co.9:14; of coming to life, Mrk.16:[11], Rom.6:10 14:9, 2Co.13:4; opposite to νεκρός, Rev.1:18 2:8; metaphorically, Luk.15:32; ζῆν ἐκ νεκρῶν, Rom.6:13; of the spiritual life of Christians, Luk.10:28, Jhn.5:25, Rom.1:17 8:13; εἰς τ. αἰῶνα, Jhn.6:51, 58; σὺν Χριστῷ, 1Th.5:10; ὄνομα ἔχεις ὅτι ζῇς, Rev.3:1. __2. As sometimes in cl., = βιόω, to live, pass one's life: Luk.2:36, Act.26:5, Rom.7:9, Col.2:20; ἐν πίστει, Gal.2:20; ἐν τ. ἁμαρτίᾳ, Rom.6:2; εὐσεβῶς, 2Ti.3:12; ἀσώτως, Luk.15:13; with dative (cl.), ἑαυτῳ (Field, Notes, 164), Rom.14:7, 2Co.5:15; τ. δικαιοσύνῃ, Luk.20:38, Rom.6:10, 11 Gal.2:19; τ. Χριστῷ, 2Co.5:15; τ. θεῷ, 1Pe.2:24; πνεύματι, Gal.5:25; κατὰ σάρκα, Rom.8:12, 13; __3. Of inanimate things, metaphorically: ὕδωρ ζῶν (i.e. springing water, as opposite to still water), in a spiritual sense, Jhn.4:10, 11 7:38 (DCG, ii, 39f.): ἐλπὶς ζῶσα, 1Pe.1:3; ὁδὸς ζῶσα, Heb.10:20 (cf. ἀνα-, συν-ζάω; Cremer, 270, 721). (AS)

Usage: Occurs in 126 NT verses. KJV: life(-time), (a-)live(-ly), quick See also: 1 Corinthians 7:39; John 4:11; 1 Peter 1:3.

Study Notes — Galatians 2:19

Show Verse Quote Highlights

Context
Cross References
Galatians 2:19 Summary
Frequently Asked Questions
Reflection Questions
Gill's Exposition on Galatians 2:19
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Galatians 2:19
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Galatians 2:19
Ellicott's Commentary on Galatians 2:19
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Galatians 2:19
Cambridge Bible on Galatians 2:19
Barnes' Notes on Galatians 2:19
Whedon's Commentary on Galatians 2:19
Sermons on Galatians 2:19

Context — Paul Confronts Cephas

17But if, while we seek to be justified in Christ, we ourselves are found to be sinners, does that make Christ a minister of sin? Certainly not! 18If I rebuild what I have already torn down, I prove myself to be a lawbreaker.

19For through the law I died to the law so that I might live to God.

20I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. 21I do not set aside the grace of God. For if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.

Cross References

	Reference	Text (BSB)
1	Romans 7:4	Therefore, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God.
2	Romans 6:2	Certainly not! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer?
3	1 Thessalonians 5:10	He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him.
4	Romans 6:11	So you too must count yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
5	2 Corinthians 5:15	And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died for them and was raised again.
6	Romans 3:19–20	Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be justified in His sight by works of the law. For the law merely brings awareness of sin.
7	Romans 14:7–8	For none of us lives to himself alone, and none of us dies to himself alone. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
8	Romans 8:2	For in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set you free from the law of sin and death.
9	Titus 2:14	He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.
10	Romans 6:14	For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

Galatians 2:19 Summary

This verse means that we can't earn our way to heaven by following rules, but instead, we need to trust in God's love and forgiveness. When we try to follow the law to be good enough, we will always fail, but through faith in Jesus Christ, we can be free from the law's demands and live a life that pleases God, as seen in Romans 8:1-4. We can live to God by loving Him and following His guidance, not out of fear or obligation, but out of gratitude and love. By trusting in God's grace, we can experience true freedom and joy in our relationship with Him.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does it mean to 'die to the law' as mentioned in Galatians 2:19?

Dying to the law means that we recognize our inability to be justified by our own efforts to follow the law, and instead, we trust in the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ, as seen in Romans 3:28 and Philippians 3:9.

How can we 'live to God' as mentioned in this verse?

Living to God means that we devote our lives to serving and pleasing Him, not by following a set of rules, but by living a life of faith, love, and obedience, as seen in Romans 6:11 and 2 Corinthians 5:15.

Is the law still important for believers?

While the law is no longer the means of our justification, it still serves as a guide for our lives, showing us God's standards and principles, as seen in Psalm 119:105 and Matthew 22:37-40.

What is the relationship between the law and grace in this verse?

The law reveals our sin and inability to be righteous, but through faith in Christ, we receive God's grace, which enables us to live a life that pleases Him, as seen in Galatians 2:21 and Ephesians 2:8-9.

Reflection Questions

What are some ways in which I may still be trying to 'live by the law' in my own life, and how can I surrender those areas to God's grace?
How does my understanding of the law and its purpose affect my relationship with God and my daily decisions?
In what ways can I 'live to God' in my daily life, and what changes do I need to make to prioritize my relationship with Him?
How does the concept of 'dying to the law' relate to my own experiences of failure and weakness, and how can I find freedom and hope in those struggles?

Gill's Exposition on Galatians 2:19

For I through the law am dead to the law,.... The apostle further replies to the objection against the doctrine of justification, being a licentious one, from the end of his, and other believers,

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Galatians 2:19

For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. Here Paul seems to pass from his exact words to Peter, to the general purport of his argument.

Matthew Poole's Commentary on Galatians 2:19

Through the law of Christ, as some say; or rather, through the law of Moses, of which he had been before speaking: that is, say some, through the death of the law; the law itself being dead, as a covenant of works, . Or rather, by means of the law, giving me a knowledge of sin, and condemning me for sin. Am dead to the law, as to any expectation of being justified by obedience to it. That I might live unto God; not that I might live in disobedience to it, as it is a rule of life, but that I might live more holily unto God: so as my being dead to the law, as a covenant of works, or as to any expectation of being justified from my obedience to it, gives me no liberty to sin at all; for this is the end why God hath freed me from the bondage and rigour of the law, that I might live unto him, and serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness.

Ellicott's Commentary on Galatians 2:19

(19) In the last verse the Apostle had been putting a supposed case, but by a not unnatural process of thought he gradually takes the “I” rather more in earnest, and appeals directly to his own personal experience. The “I” of Galatians 2:18 is really St. Peter or the Judaisers; the “I” of this verse is St. Paul himself. The object of his appeal is to make good his assertion that to restore the dethroned Law to its old position is positively sinful. Once having done with the Law I had done with it for ever. The Law itself had prepared me for this. It was a stage which I could not but pass through, but which was in its very nature temporary. It carried with it the sentence of its own dissolution. For . . .—This assigns the reason for the use of the word “transgressor” in the verse before. It is a transgression to rebuild the demolished fabric of the Law, because the true Christian has done with the Law once for all. Through the law am dead to the law.—In what sense can this be said? The Apostle himself had got rid of his obligations to the Law—not, however, by simply evading them from the first, but by passing through a period of subjection to them. The road to freedom from the Law lay through the Law. The Law, on its prophetic side, pointed to Christ. The Law, on its moral side, held up an ideal to which its votaries could not attain. It did not help them to attain to it. It bore the stamp of its own insufficiency. Men broke its precepts, and its weakness seemed to lead up to a dispensation that should supersede its own. St. Paul would not have become a Christian if he had not first sat at the feet of Gamaliel. If we could trace the whole under-current of silent, and perhaps only half-conscious, preparation, which led to the Apostle’s conversion, we should see how large a part was played in it by the sense, gradually wrought in him, of the Law’s insufficiency. Thus the negative side was given by his own private meditation; the positive side, faith in Christ, was given by the vision on the road to Damascus. That I might live unto God.—We might not unnaturally expect here “unto Christ,” instead of “unto God.” But the Christian lives unto Christ in order that he may live unto God. The ultimate object of the Christian scheme is that he may be presented righteous before God. By the Law he could not obtain this righteousness. It is obtained in Christ.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on Galatians 2:19

Verse 19. For I through the law am dead to the law] In consequence of properly considering the nature and requisitions of the law, I am dead to all hope and expectation of help or salvation from the law, and have been obliged to take refuge in the Gospel of Christ. Or, probably the word νομος, LAW, is here put for a system of doctrine; as if he had said, I through the Gospel am dead to the law. The law itself is consigned to death, and another, the Gospel of Christ, is substituted in its stead. The law condemns to death, and I have embraced the Gospel that I might be saved from death, and live unto God.

Cambridge Bible on Galatians 2:19

19. For it was through the law, through the conviction of its inability to give life, that I became dead to the law. The law demanded a perfect obedience, as a condition of justification. This none can render; and it was when I experienced its condemning power, that I fled to Christ for salvation. “When the commandment came, sin revived, and I died”, Romans 7:9. Thus it was through the law that I died to the law.am dead to the law] Better, died to the law. The reference is to the time when deeply convinced that he could not be justified by his own obedience, he abandoned for ever all trust in his own “righteousness, which is of the law”; that he might “win Christ and be found in Him”, and might so possess the righteousness which is of God on the condition of faith only, Philippians 3:9. We observe that St Paul does not regard faith and works, Christ and the sinner, as supplementing one another. He is ‘dead to the law’, he has no more to do with it, as a means of justification or ground of merit, than if he were dead. The same expression occurs Romans 7:4, where the figure employed is that of the marriage tie, which is entirely dissolved by death.that I might live unto God] not, that I might live in sin or carelessness. The Gospel which provides a perfect righteousness in Christ, which is justification, provides also a life of holiness by the Spirit, a life unto God, which is sanctification. These are distinct, but inseparable—nay, the latter is the end and the result of the former.To live unto God, is to live with the eye of the soul ever turned upward, to have the affection set on things above. Its motto is ‘sursum corda’, its prayer ‘fiat voluntas tua’. The same form of expression occurs Romans 6:11, ‘Reckon ye yourselves dead unto sin, but living to God in Christ Jesus’.

Barnes' Notes on Galatians 2:19

For I through the law - On this passage the commentators are by no means agreed.

Whedon's Commentary on Galatians 2:19

19. For I… am dead to the law—As a means of justification and life; and that, too, through the law, which provides penalty, but not pardon, for the sinner; death, not life.

Sermons on Galatians 2:19

	Sermon	Description
	Delivered Through the Cross by Derek Prince	In this sermon, the preacher discusses the mindset of focusing on temporal things and how it hinders believers from realizing their deliverance from the present evil age. He points
	Characteristics of the Mind of Christ by Dennis Kinlaw	In this sermon, the speaker discusses the topic of grumbling and complaining, emphasizing that it goes against the teachings of Scripture. He highlights four characteristics of a p
	He Gave Himself for Us by John Ridley	In this sermon, the preacher discusses the story of Joseph from the Bible. He highlights how Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery, but Joseph remained faithful to God. The preac
	Stand Your Ground! by Miles J. Stanford	Miles J. Stanford preaches about the contrast between the law and grace, emphasizing how the law can break a person while grace can make them whole. He discusses the complexity of
	Justification Is by Faith Without Works (2:15 to 3:24) by C.I. Scofield	C.I. Scofield preaches about the liberation from the law through faith in Christ, emphasizing the believer's death to the law and new life in Christ. He explains that true Gospel l
	Free-Born by Miles J. Stanford	Miles J. Stanford preaches about the believer's freedom from the law through death on the Cross, emphasizing that the Law does not give life but rather governs life. He highlights
	A Reading on Galatians 2:19-21 by John Nelson Darby	John Nelson Darby expounds on Galatians 2:19-21, emphasizing the relationship between the law, the cross, and the life of Christ within believers. He explains that the law reveals