Galatians 6:16 (ASV)

Passage

And as many as shall walk by this rule, peace [be] upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

Nearby Context

Galatians 6:14 But far be it from me to glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world hath been crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

Galatians 6:15 For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

Galatians 6:16 And as many as shall walk by this rule, peace [be] upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

Galatians 6:17 Henceforth, let no man trouble me; for I bear branded on my body the marks of Jesus.

Galatians 6:18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren. Amen.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "mercy", "shall", "walk", "rule", "peace", "upon", and "israel". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "mercy" and "shall", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "For neither is circumcision anything nor uncircumcision..." into verse 17's "Henceforth let no man trouble me for...", so "mercy" and "shall" belong inside that flow. In Galatians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "mercy" and "shall" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.