Galatians 3:19

“Wherefore why then serveth the law? etc..] If this be the case, might an objector say, why was the law given? what ends and purposes are to be served by it? of what use can it be? there had as good been no law at all, if the inheritance is not of it, and there is no justification by it. To which it is answered, it was added because of transgressions; four hundred and thirty years after the covenant made with Abraham; it did not succeed it, nor take the place of it, and so make it null and void; but was over and above added unto it, for the sake of restraining transgressions; which had there been no law, men would not have been accountable for them; and they would have gone into them without…”

“"Wherefore then serveth the law?" as it is of no avail for justification, is it either useless, or contrary to the covenant of God? [CALVIN]. added--to the original covenant of promise. This is not inconsistent with Gal 3:15, "No man addeth thereto"; for there the kind of addition meant, and therefore denied, is one that would add new conditions, inconsistent with the grace of the covenant of promise. The law, though misunderstood by the Judaizers as doing so, was really added for a different purpose, namely, "because of (or as the Greek, 'for the sake of') the transgressions," that is, to bring out into clearer view the transgressions of it (Rom 7:7-9); to make men more fully conscious of…”

“Wherefore then serveth the law? - This is obviously an objection which might be urged to the reasoning which the apostle had pursued. It was very obvious to ask, if the principles which he had laid down were correct, of what use was the Law? Why was it given at all? Why were there so many wonderful exhibitions of the divine power at its promulgation? Why were there so many commendations of it in the Scriptures? And why were there so many injunctions to obey it? Are all these to be regarded as nothing; and is the Law to be esteemed as worthless? To all this, the apostle replies that the Law was not useless, but that it was given by God for great and important purposes, and especially for…”

“It - The ceremonial law. Was added - To the promise. Because of transgressions - Probably, the yoke of the ceremonial law was inflicted as a punishment for the national sin of idolatry, Exo 32:1, at least the more grievous parts of it; and the whole of it was a prophetic type of Christ. The moral law was added to the promise to discover and restrain transgressions, to convince men of their guilt, and need of the promise, and give some check to sin. And this law passeth not away; but the ceremonial law was only introduced till Christ, the seed to or through whom the promise was made, should come. And it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator - It was not given to Israel, like the…”

“3:19-22 Paul’s argument so far might lead his readers to believe that the law had no purpose. Here, however, Paul emphasizes the law’s proper role in order to correct false teaching about the law. 3:19 If people do not receive God’s inheritance through the law, why, then, was the law given? It was to show people their sins and make it clear that sinful actions are offenses against God. People cannot rely on their own goodness to save them, but must turn to God in faith (see Rom 3:19-20; 4:15; 5:20; 7:7-13). • until the coming of the child who was promised: See Gal 3:16. While the promise is permanent, the law was temporary. With Christ’s coming, the law was fulfilled (see Matt 5:17-20; cp.…”

“then: Rom 3:1, Rom 3:2, Rom 7:7-13 It was added: Gal 3:21-24; Deu 4:8, Deu 4:9; Psa 147:19, Psa 147:20; Luk 16:31; Joh 5:45-47, Joh 15:22; Rom 2:13; Rom 3:19, Rom 3:20, Rom 4:15, Rom 5:20, Rom 5:21, Rom 7:7-13; Ti1 1:8, Ti1 1:9 till: Gal 3:16, Gal 3:25, Gal 4:1-4 by: Deu 33:2; Act 7:53; Heb 2:2, Heb 2:5 in: Exo 20:19-22, Exo 24:1-12, Exo 34:27-35; Lev 15:32; Deu 5:5, Deu 5:22-33; Deu 9:13-20, Deu 9:25-29, Deu 18:15-19; Psa 106:23; Joh 1:17; Act 7:38; The Apostle, having just before been speaking of the promise made to Abraham, and representing that as the rule of our justification, and not the law, lest they should think he derogated too much from the law, and thereby rendered it useless -…”