The first part of this verse may be translated literally as “But the scripture shut up all things under sin.”
The word scripture is generally used by Paul to refer to a passage of the Old Testament, but there is no single passage that can fit this context. The closest parallels are Deuteronomy 27.26 and Psalm 143.2, which Paul has already quoted (2.16; 3.10). Again, as in verse 8, scripture is personified, and here it is assigned the function of jailer. But since the reference is to a passage of scripture (even though we are not sure what that passage is), Good News Translation is right in rendering it the scripture says (Jerusalem Bible “scripture makes no exceptions when it says”; New English Bible “scripture has declared the whole world to be prisoners”). As in many instances, it may be necessary to modify a statement such as the scripture says to read “a person may read in a passage of scripture,” or “some words of the scripture indicate.”
The clause “shut up all things under sin” (literal rendering) presents many translation problems. “Shut up” is a technical term used in reference to prisoners, hence “to confine” or “to imprison.”
The whole world (Good News Translation, New English Bible; Jerusalem Bible “everywhere”) is used elsewhere by Paul to mean the whole universe. While this is probably correct, it is possible to interpret this expression to refer only to people (Phillips “all men”).
“Under sin” may be interpreted in the light of verse 10, and parallel to “under a curse,” and therefore will mean under the power of sin (Knox “under the bondage of sin,” New English Bible “in subjection to sin,” New American Bible “under the constraint of sin”).
The whole expression “shut up under sin” thus means being under the power and bondage of sin, with no possibility of escape. It is possible to drop the metaphor, as Good News Translation does. Some translations, however, still retain it (New English Bible “the whole world to be prisoners in subjection to sin”).
In a number of languages it is practically impossible to personify sin. Sin refers to events in which people themselves participate, that is, “people sin,” and therefore it is extremely difficult to speak of sin as being a person-like agent that would have power to control the whole world or all people. The closest equivalent to the power of sin is in many languages “the desire to sin” or “the strong desire to sin.” Therefore, the whole world is under the power of sin may be rendered in some instances as “everybody in the world is controlled by his strong desire to sin,” “strong desires to sin command everyone,” “… tell people what they must do,” or “… order them about.” In these expressions it is the desire which is personified and not the sin itself.
The purpose of the whole world being under the power of sin is expressed in the latter half of the verse (literally, “in order that the promise out of faith in Jesus Christ may be given to those who believe”). “The promise” is the promise given to Abraham, and, as in verse 14, the reference is not to the promise itself, but to its content, hence the rendering of Good News Translation the gift which is promised (Revised Standard Version “what was promised”; New English Bible “the promised blessing”). Whether this refers to the gift of the Holy Spirit or to the gift of right relationship with God is hard to ascertain.
“Out of faith” expresses the ground on which the giving takes place, therefore on the basis of faith in Jesus Christ (New English Bible “so that faith in Jesus Christ may be the ground on which the promised blessing is given”).
To those who believe is in contrast to the whole world. It is possible to interpret this as a technical term, namely, “the believers,” the Christians. However, more likely Paul is not using it here in this sense but in the sense of anyone who trusts God or Jesus Christ.
In some languages it may be necessary for this verse not only to restructure what may be interpreted as a final purpose clause (though Good News Translation treats this clause as result), but even to break the purpose clause into two sentences. For example, one may translate “so that God could give to those who believe in Jesus Christ what he promised. What he promised comes to them only by their trusting in Jesus Christ.” In other languages it may be best to express on the basis of as being a condition, for example, “what God promised if they trusted in Jesus Christ,” or “what God promised to give them if they put their trust in Jesus Christ.”
Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Galatians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1976. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .